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MY TOP 4 KITCHEN TIPS

READ RECIPE BEFORE ATTEMPTING IT

It took me a while to work this one out, but it really is useful. It’s tempting to just look at the ingredients needed in a recipe and crack on one step at a time, but taking the time to read the full method can give you a much better understanding of the finished dish and what is involved. It will also enable you to put your own spin on things, which for me is what cooking is all about – personalisation. Having the confidence and understanding the full story before you start a recipe will make life so much easier.

KEEP YOUR KNIVES SHARP

This is quite an obvious one and you’ve probably heard it before, but a blunt knife can give you poorly cut food, slow you down and – most importantly – it is dangerous. Invest in a decent knife sharpener; there’s something very satisfying about prepping food with a sharp knife. No matter how fast or slow you are when it comes to slicing, your fingers will thank you for it!

PREP LIKE YOU’RE ON A COOKING SHOW

When I’m filming I always have my ingredients ready and laid out before attempting a recipe, but even when I’m not filming and am just cooking at home for the family I still find it beneficial. It’s worth getting a nice little collection of small food prep bowls that you can stack after each ingredient is used; anything that will take the hassle out of the steps so you are fully prepared and can concentrate on the good stuff is good in my book.

USE EGGSHELL TO REMOVE SHELL

In the early years of MyVirginKitchen, whenever we cracked eggs into a bowl both Phoebe and I would quite often end up with a little eggshell floating in the bowl. I’d be trying to scoop it out with my fingers – if you’ve ever done this you’ll know it can take ages to fish out! A great little tip is to take a large piece of eggshell and scoop it into the bowl – the smaller piece of shell will cling to it. Try it – it works a charm!