You really can't consider yourself an adult until you finally figure out how to cook at least one signature dish. But the thing that often holds most people back from cooking at home is due to lack of experience (and fear of setting things on fire). But just like learning any other skill, you're going to have make these mistakes in order to learn how to cook.



Over at Quora, professional chef and restaurant owner Johnathan Law lists down some of the most common mistakes that amateur cooks make. And the best part is that they're easily avoidable, once you know about them.

Overseasoning

Law said he used to use a dozen spices to season his dishes, but it only confused his palate. "A good dish should have at most 3-4 different primary flavors, coupled with some aromatics," he writes.

Underheating the pan

If you're stir-frying or searing meat, the pan should heat for 5-7 minutes, Law writes. "I have fired an employee before for consistently failing to do this," he said.

Constantly stirring food with a spatula or spoon.

"Lots of people seem to think of sauteing as simply cooking something on high heat, and it's not," Law said. "The idea is to make sure the foods being sauteed never steam in the pot, and that means constantly 'jumping' the food, not stirring it with a spatula."

Not using an oven thermometer for baked goods.

It might seem like an unnecessary instrument, but you'll need to ensure that your cakes and brownies turn out perfect, Law said.

Adding too much liquid to a braise.

"I've seen some people add enough water or wine to a braise that the meat is nearly completely submerged," Law writes. "NO! Don't do that! There's a difference between boiling and braising!

Adding too much starch to thicken sauces.

People get impatient prematurely and add flour or cornstarch to thicken sauces, Law explains. But it's better to wait. "If you add too much starch, you will end up with a bland, grainy, nasty sauce," he says.

Substituting baking ingredients because they taste similar.

Make sure you know the chemical properties of the items you're using before doing this, Law says. Otherwise, the consistency of your dish could be totally off.