Takeout At Home

COPYCAT TAKEOUT FAVES Use these restaurant-worthy hacks to master your go-to takeout dishes at home. Here's how. burgers & fries — THE BEEF Use 80/20 beef for a juicier burger. THE FLIP Grill or stovetop: Place the burger on the hot surface and flip once the edges are crisp and brown — and only flip once. COOK TIME The burger should be three-fourths done before you flip it. burgers & fries — THE SOAK Homemade fries should be soaked in water for about 30 minutes to draw out starch. FRY TWICE Using a heavy-duty, deep pan on the stovetop, fry fries in oil at about 300° for 5 minutes. Drain, pat dry, and then fry again (in the same pan) at 400° until golden brown. stir fry bowls — WOKS REALLY WORK Restaurants use them because the sides of the pan serve as a cooking surface, too. A LITTLE AT A TIME Your ingredients need space and heat to cook thoroughly, so don't crowd things, which leads to unappetizing steaming. Cook in batches instead. stir fry bowls — NOT ALL VEGGIES ARE CREATED EQUAL Some take longer to cook, so add them to the pan gradually so the oil stays hot and the veggies stay crisp. pizza — 500° >ABOVE Preheat your oven this high, if possible. A PIZZA STONE Worth the investment for a crispier crust that resembles wood-fired restaurant style. A HOT STONE Preheat the stone; it might take as long as an hour. pizza — THE PROCESS Roll dough onto parchment and transfer to the heated stone; poke holes in the dough with a fork and bake for 7ish minutes. Add toppings and bake until done. fried chicken — 30 MINUTES Let your chicken come to room temperature (it takes about a half hour) before cooking. That helps the cooking oil maintain its temp when you add the chicken. BRINE & DRAIN The best restaurant fried chicken is brined with a seasoned liquid (typically buttermilk) for at least four hours. Fry it in a heavy-duty pan on the stove. Then place chicken on a cooling rack over a baking sheet, not on paper towels, which makes it soggy. fried chicken — HOT, BUT NOT TOO HOT Oil — vegetable, canola, or peanut but NOT olive — should be no more than 375° when you add chicken. While cooking, aim for a temperature between 300-325°. GE Appliances Logo
COPYCAT TAKEOUT FAVES — Use these restaurant-worthy hacks to master your go-to takeout dishes at home. Here's how. burgers & fries — THE BEEF Use 80/20 beef for a juicier burger. THE FLIP Grill or stovetop: Place the burger on the hot surface and flip once the edges are crisp and brown — and only flip once. COOK TIME The burger should be three-fourths done before you flip it. THE SOAK Homemade fries should be soaked in water for about 30 minutes to draw out starch. FRY TWICE Using a heavy-duty, deep pan on the stovetop, fry fries in oil at about 300° for 5 minutes. Drain, pat dry, and then fry again (in the same pan) at 400° until golden brown. stir fry bowls — WOKS REALLY WORK Restaurants use them because the sides of the pan serve as a cooking surface, too. A LITTLE AT A TIME Your ingredients need space and heat to cook thoroughly, so don't crowd things, which leads to unappetizing steaming. Cook in batches instead. NOT ALL VEGGIES ARE CREATED EQUAL Some take longer to cook, so add them to the pan gradually so the oil stays hot and the veggies stay crisp. pizza — 500° >ABOVE Preheat your oven this high, if possible. A PIZZA STONE Worth the investment for a crispier crust that resembles wood-fired restaurant style. A HOT STONE Preheat the stone; it might take as long as an hour. THE PROCESS Roll dough onto parchment and transfer to the heated stone; poke holes in the dough with a fork and bake for 7ish minutes. Add toppings and bake until done. fried chicken — 30 MINUTES Let your chicken come to room temperature (it takes about a half hour) before cooking. That helps the cooking oil maintain its temp when you add the chicken. BRINE & DRAIN The best restaurant fried chicken is brined with a seasoned liquid (typically buttermilk) for at least four hours. Fry it in a heavy-duty pan on the stove. Then place chicken on a cooling rack over a baking sheet, not on paper towels, which makes it soggy. HOT, BUT NOT TOO HOT Oil — vegetable, canola, or peanut but NOT olive — should be no more than 375° when you add chicken. While cooking, aim for a temperature between 300-325°. GE Appliances Logo

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