There are reasons why TV chefs and cooks layout their ingredients before cooking and its not just because it looks pretty for the cameras. It’s a common practice in all restaurants and it’s something that you should be doing every time you enter the kitchen, and here’s why:
An Extra Check
When you layout all the ingredients it acts as an extra check to see if you have all the ingredients in your chosen recipe. If you do this before you start cooking you’ve still got time to nip to the shops to get the ingredient that you might have missed.
Time Saving
Ok not really time saving as such. It’ll take you just as much time to chop an onion whether you do it before you start cooking or during, but it’s more about time management. You won’t be rushing to prepare things while cooking, plus when entertaining for a dinner party you’ll have more time to speak to your guests if you chop/dice all your ingredients before hand.
Better cooking
Some recipes require you to constantly watch or stir a pan, if you leave it for just a few seconds you run the risk of overcooking. Having everything ready to use saves you frantically searching in the cupboards for something you could and should have found before cooking.
Top Tip #1 Grouping ingredients together saves time and washing up.
Top Tip #2 Don’t throw away those glass ramekins that those posh puddings come in, they make great containers for your smaller ingredients.