How To Master 5 Basic Cooking Skills
Demonstrations of five foundational kitchen skills: chopping an onion, cooking aromatic basmati rice, skinning and deboning salmon, sharpening a knife, and cooking pasta al dente.
Sign up to personalise this recipe
Gordon Ramsay- •1 onion Onionfor chopping; leave root intact while cutting
- •400 grams Basmati ricerinsed in cold water
- •600 ml Waterfor cooking rice; cold water
- •3 pods Cardamom pods(optional)pierced
- •1 whole Star anise(optional)whole
- •to taste to taste Saltfor rice and pasta water/seasoning
- •to taste to taste Black pepper(optional)for rice and pasta seasoning
- •1 side Salmon filletfilleted side; skin removed; pin bones removed
- •1 tablespoon Olive oil(optional)for cooked pasta to prevent sticking; also mentioned for pasta water
- •to taste to taste Pastaangel hair pasta mentioned
- 1
Chop an onion: keep the root end intact to hold the onion together; slice forward letting the knife weight do the work; make long strokes toward the root, then make horizontal/angled cuts partway in; turn and chop up-and-down to finish a fine dice, leaving only the root as waste.
1 min
- 2
Rinse basmati rice in cold water to remove dust and help prevent clumping.
0 min
- 3
Flavor and cook rice: add rinsed rice to a pan with cold water at a ratio of 1 part rice to 1.5 parts water (400 g rice to 600 ml water). Add pierced cardamom pods and whole star anise; season with salt and pepper.
1 min
- 4
Bring rice to the boil with lid on, then turn down and simmer 8–10 minutes without lifting the lid; allow it to steam as it cooks.
0 min
- 5
Finish rice: remove star anise and cardamom pods, then fluff with a fork to separate grains.
0 min
- 6
Skin salmon: start at the tail end, nick the end, slide the knife horizontally between flesh and skin while pulling the skin back; keep the blade flat and let the knife do the work.
1 min
- 7
Remove pin bones: run fingers along the fillet to locate bones and pull them out with tweezers (fish tweezers or regular).
0 min
- 8
Sharpen a knife with a steel: hold the steel securely with fingers behind the guard; use confident long strokes at about a 45-degree angle, running the full blade from heel to tip on each pass.
1 min
- 9
Cook pasta: bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and season well with salt; add a little olive oil to help prevent sticking; add angel hair pasta and stir/twist with tongs as it softens, then return to the boil.
1 min
- 10
Test for al dente (firm but not crunchy), then drain in a colander. Season lightly with salt and pepper and toss with about 1 tablespoon olive oil to prevent sticking.
0 min
Share your preferences
Tell us what you like and we'll match you with recipes you'll actually want to cook.
Takes about 2 minutes — no account needed
Any constraints?
Tell us about dietary needs and kitchen setup.