The Art Of Layering Flavors For Dishes That Rival Restaurant Food

Unless you're a skilled home cook, restaurant food just tastes better. This is because chefs train for years to learn about the necessary building blocks for composing the best recipes. Experience may be the best teacher, but you can start bringing your recipes to the next level by layering flavors and learning exactly what makes a dish come together. We can learn a lot from our favorite chef personalities; Even a seemingly effortless entertainer like Ina Garten has her own three-flavor rule when building a recipe.

Garten recommends focusing on three key flavors. Each of the five flavor profiles (sweet, spicy, umami, bitter, and salty) has a unique characteristic, and it can be difficult to juggle all of them in one recipe. That's why sticking to three keeps things balanced. To take it a step further, having two prominent flavors, along with one that's a bit subtler, keeps things harmonious as you season your food every step of the way. Herbs and spices can add a welcome touch of earthy bitterness or spiciness, and often make a dish more aromatic. They appear at the beginning and end of the process — and sometimes it's as simple as just adding extra salt and pepper. By understanding the building blocks that go into a well-seasoned dish, you'll discover how to layer flavors.

Layering flavors isn't an exact science. But by using ingredients that enhance flavor, you can improve a meal utilizing three parts: a protein, a vegetable, and a grain or starch. Food scientists recommend marinating meat like poultry and shrimp which may benefit from the added flavors of a brine. Pickle juice, apple juice, beer, broth, and salty water can add complexity.

And you won't want to overlook fats and oils. Sesame oil lends Chinese cuisine its signature nuttiness, coconut oil gives Thai fare some of its sweetness, and olive oil's neutrality makes it a gold standard in many kitchens. To impart some wisdom from Southern cooking, you could always use a little more butter than you think you need. There's also some merit to cooking foods in the fats of another protein — such as roasting corn in bacon fat. The fats you use can make your vegetables shine without overpowering them.

Sauces, curries, and gravies bring out the best in grains and starches, where liquids complement the crunchy or chewy textures of meat and vegetables. The five French mother sauces can provide a sturdy foundation for sauce making, but you can also whip up a sauce on the fly with a combination of acid, dairy, or alcohol. The sauce is the last step before the garnish — and by then, you'll have unlocked the best flavors your dish can offer.