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Everything tasted the same
It didn’t matter which vegetable I cooked, it all tasted the same, and the veg didn’t even taste like veg anymore. I didn’t feel like eating my own dinner, which was really annoying after all the effort. A colleague of mine cooks with basically the same seasonings, but her food tastes like salt and something else as well, and it’s actually nice. I tried hers and decided I just had no talent for cooking.
Recipes aren’t the same in every kitchen
I used to think cooking was just following the steps, but there are so many things a recipe can’t tell you. High heat on my gas stove isn’t the same as high heat on yours, and simmering for 15 minutes can mean something different on every burner. Even soy sauce is different from brand to brand. So two people can follow the same recipe and get different food, and I don’t think that’s strange anymore.
I stopped using the same sauces for everything
I used to put the same soy sauce, oyster sauce and MSG in every dish, which is exactly why they all tasted the same. Now I search for the exact dish I’m making, and if I can’t find it I look for a similar one. Every dish uses different seasonings, so there’s no one method that works for everything.
Less seasoning, then taste
I put in less than the recipe says and taste before it comes out of the pan. If it’s bland I can add more, but if it’s too salty there’s nothing I can do. You can add water or more veg, but it never tastes good after that, and I’ve ruined a few dinners finding this out.
The order I add things
I didn’t know the order mattered, I always put everything in together. Now I do garlic, spring onion and ginger first, then cooking wine and soy sauce, then salt and sugar, and a bit of sesame oil or Sichuan pepper oil at the end. The flavours seem to stay separate this way instead of turning into one salty taste.
When I add the salt
For stews I add the salt halfway so it soaks in slowly. For quick stir-fries I add it right at the end so the veg stays crisp. When I marinate something 10 to 15 minutes is enough, I used to think longer was better but it isn’t.
Heat and spices
I pour the cooking wine around the edge of the wok so the steam takes the fishy smell away. Vinegar loses its sourness on high heat, so if I want it properly sour I add it in two goes. Sichuan pepper and dried chilli taste better on low heat.
Try this tomorrow
If you only try one thing, stir-fry some green veg and add the salt right at the end, it tastes really different!
Where I’m at now
My food still isn’t as good as my colleague’s, but it doesn’t just taste salty anymore. Once you’ve cooked enough stir-fries they all feel pretty similar, so I don’t need a recipe most nights now.