Thread 21467612

>make a meal
>fuck it up/it's not perfect but think you know what you did wrong
>want to try again but don't want to eat the same thing again for another 4 days bc of leftovers
how do you guys deal with this?

>>21467612 (OP)
Make it next month retard, what's the rush?

>make a meal
>make the same meal days later doing the very same things you did before
>the result is different and you have no clue why

>>21467615
I want to get it right.

I had this same problem. Started keeping a notebook where I note what I did wrong and what I did right with a dish. No recipes just techniques

>>21467612 (OP)
When I cook something in bulk it's always a dish I know I can cook well. Experiment with small meals, learn how to cook them and then make a big batch.

>>21467651
Do skill/ingredient/technique adjacent stuff so you can be more worldly in your skillset while still honing yourself for another attempt at the dish

>>21467612 (OP)
You've got me curious. What was the meal? What was it you fucked up and figured out? I've done the same thing many times; don't feel bad.

>>21467956
I made beef stew but browned the beef wrong, and forgot to add flour/make a roux, then put in too many carrots.

>>21467962
Did it at least taste decent, in spite of it all? If so, no harm/no foul; you can always add a roux afterwards (it is a classic method; I've used it myself) and fix the leftovers. Fear not.
>make roux in a separate pot/pan (while reheating your stew in another)
>add some of the stew liquid to it like you're making a gravy.
>add the THICC gravy back to the reheated stew
???
Profit!
Also, you can cheat the screwed up browning of the beef by adding some beef bullion paste (better than bullion) or dark soy sauce or marmite/vegemite, depending on where you are.
Enjoy the fixed leftovers, and make it again (albeit a bit more "correctly") when you feel like it again later.
Remember: Mistakes are the most efficient instructors for us, provided we learn what they are trying to teach us.
Never give up; never surrender.

>>21467612 (OP)
what would these taste like?

>>21467612 (OP)
dude why is your meal lasting 4 fucking days are you roasting a turkey?

>>21468002
alien wingwong

>>21467612 (OP)
I have no problem eating the same thing several days in a row honestly. never struggled with this

>>21468030
big mac, mac & cheese or cheese pizza that you dabbed the grease off of?

>>21467612 (OP)
I deal with it by first, cooking a smaller batch because I'm not a retard and can do basic fractions, and by second repeating the dish when it's time to do so and adding in whatever I think it needed, because I'm not such a pussy as to be defeated by a meal I made for myself. Very simple stuff, just be not retarded and not a gormless pussy.

>>21467978
If I forget the roux, I make it a separate pan but I get whatever liquid I'm thickening up to a quick rolling boil, and briskly whisk in the roux one glob at a time.

>>21468069
Chef John is correct here:
>hot roux+cold [milk]/liquid=smooth gravy
A "rolling boil" is too hot; make the roux, add the broth from the warmed stew to make the gravy; then add back in.
That said, even a globby roux can be used if it is thinned/whisked in more broth before adding back in.
Or, press the globs against the pan with a spoon, while trying to blend it in.

>>21467612 (OP)
I cook in batches of max 3 days' worth and I'm getting decent at fixing fuck ups and flavor balance

>>21467612 (OP)
If I fuck a meal up, it goes into the bin and I revert to backups. Then I try again later after I get replacement ingredients.

Obviously I don't bin it if it is just a bit off flavor wise or texture wise. The bin is for gross failures.

>>21468005
You can get like a whole week's worth of stew/soup from a standard stock pot. When I smoke stuff I usually get stuff for at least 1-2 days, if not weeks. Especially if doing a brisket or pulled pork.

>>21468069
>>21468086
Chef Pierre has a great trick for adding roux to things:
>Get a fine mesh strainer
>Put flour, cornstarch, tapioca powder, etc. in it
>Submerge in liquid
>Whisk until lumps gone
>remove mesh strainer
*Remember to cook flour for 10-15 min to get rid of raw flour taste

You can also make the slurry in another container, then add it. The strainer method lets you do little bits at a time to control how thiccc your soup/stew is though.

>>21468053
mac and cheese is fine for a couple days. I don't eat that other slop

>>21468198
>*Remember to cook flour for 10-15 min to get rid of raw flour taste
this

>>21467618
>make lemon meringue pie
>tastes like really good beef stew

>>21468198
>Chef Pierre has a great trick for adding roux to things
Still can't believe he's gone... I'm crying and it's not the onyons.