Unlock Your Inner Chef: Simple Cooking Ratios You Should Know

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Cooking can seem hard when you follow recipes exactly. But what if you could understand the basic ideas behind cooking? What if you could change recipes to fit what you like? Knowing ratios can help you do just that. This guide will show you some easy ratios that chefs use. These ratios will help you become a better cook and create your own dishes.

Why Ratios?

Ratios help you understand how much of each ingredient to use. Instead of following recipes word for word, you can learn the basic formulas. This lets you change recipes and make them your own.

Easy Cooking Ratios

Here are some useful ratios to get you started:

Mayonnaise

• Ratio: 1 part egg yolk to 20 parts oil

To make mayonnaise:

1. Weigh your egg yolk.
2. Add a little lemon juice and vinegar.
3. Slowly add oil while blending.
4. If you want garlic aioli add a piece of garlic.

Tip: Add oil slowly to make a thick mayonnaise.

Vinaigrette

• Ratio: 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar to 0.5 parts Dijon mustard

To make vinaigrette:

1. Mix oil, vinegar, and Dijon mustard.
2. Mix them together slowly.
3. Add lemon juice or shallots for extra flavor.

This vinaigrette is great on a tomato salad. Add croutons and tomatoes, then dress with the vinaigrette.

Pickles

• Ratio: 4 parts vinegar to 2 parts water to 1 part sugar

To make pickles:

1. Mix vinegar, water, and sugar.
2. Bring to a boil.
3. Add spices like peppercorns or bay leaf for more flavor.
4. Rinse onions or shallots in water before pickling.
5. Pour the hot pickle mix over your vegetables.
6. Use a cartouche to keep air out.

Pickled shallots are great with mushroom parfait.

Hot Sauce

• Ratio: 3 parts chili to 2 parts vinegar to 0.1 part salt

To make hot sauce:

1. Mix chili, vinegar, and salt.
2. Blend until smooth.
3. Add lime and cilantro for extra flavor.

Tip: Serve your homemade hot sauce with oysters.

Marinade

• Ratio: 2 parts yogurt to 1 part acid (like lemon juice) to 1 part fat

To make marinade:

1. Mix yogurt, lemon juice, and fat.
2. Add sugar and salt.
3. Add garlic, thyme, or oregano.
4. Add hot sauce for a kick.
5. Marinate chicken, lamb, or pork for at least 6 hours, but 24 hours is best.

This marinade makes your meat tender and flavorful. Grill the marinated meat for a nice charred flavor.

Béchamel (White Sauce)

• Ratio: 1 part flour to 1 part butter to 10 parts milk

To make béchamel:

1. Melt butter until it smells nutty.
2. Add flour and cook until it looks like wet sand.
3. Warm the milk before adding.
4. Add milk in thirds, mixing well after each addition.
5. Cook until smooth and lump-free.

Mornay (Cheese Sauce)

To make Mornay sauce, which is a béchamel with cheese:

1. Make a béchamel sauce.
2. Add the same amount of cheese as flour and butter combined.
3. Season with salt and a little sherry vinegar.

Mornay sauce is great on lasagna or pizza.

Hollandaise

• Ratio: 5 parts clarified butter to 1 part egg yolk to 1 part liquid (vinegar and water)

To make hollandaise:

1. Make a sabayon (light, frothy egg mix).
2. Slowly add melted butter.
3. Add lemon juice to taste.
4. Add parsley and chives for flavor.

Tip: Pour over poached eggs.

Meatballs

• Ratio: 3 parts fat to 7 parts meat

To make meatballs:

1. Use meat with 28-30% fat.
2. Add minced garlic and salt.
3. Add fresh herbs like oregano.
4. Mix well to combine.
5. Shape into meatballs.
6. Cook in a pan with a little oil.
7. Add garlic, beef stock, and tomato to make a marinara sauce.

Tip: You don’t need breadcrumbs or egg yolks to bind the meatballs.

Get Cooking

These ratios are a great starting point for learning to cook. You can use them to make your favorite dishes or create new ones. With a little practice, you’ll be able to cook without recipes and make delicious food every time.

Want to improve your cooking skills? Try using these ratios in your next meal!

Recipes for Dinner

60 Easy Dinner Ideas – Recipes by Love and Lemons

Dinner Recipes – NYT Cooking – The New York Times

Uncover further inspiration in our blog.