Cooking Mistakes Fixed!

Too much salt? Too spicy? Too watery? Do not panic. Here’s how to fix these common cooking slip-ups.

1 Too Lumpy

WHISK a sauce or gravy vigorously, by hand, using a figure-eight motion, to help break up larger lumps. Add a little water or stock to make the sauce slightly thinner to make whisking easier. 

SIEVE the sauce to remove large lumps that will not budge, taking care not to press any chunks of flour through the sieve. 

BLEND the strained sauce with a hand blender. This will eliminate smaller lumps that survived the whisking or sieving, to produce a smooth and lump-free result. Remember to let the sauce cool down first – blending hot liquids can cause splashes and give you a nasty burn.

2 Too Salty

DILUTE it with some water if it is a liquid-based dish such as a soup, casserole or a sauce that is too salty. Check and adjust other flavours such as spices, chilli or mustard if they have lost their kick. 

DISGUISE the too-salty flavour by adding something acidic. Try lemon juice or vinegar, depending on what goes best with the dish. Vinegar goes well with tomato-based dishes while lemon juice works with chicken or fish.