The tricks the top chefs employ

Make a splash in the kitchen — top chefs and cooks share easy ways to take your dinner to the next level.

Amy Poon, Chef and founder of Poon’s, London:

See fire, release flavour

I reduce the salt and add soy sauce to most things, both Chinese and western, as it adds a certain depth of savouriness. If I’m cooking a stew and feel it’s missing something, I’ll try some soy sauce. It’s always the answer. With stews you can just throw it in anytime but if you’re cooking a stir-fry, it needs to hit the hot pan. The Chinese say you need to "see fire" — this is how flavour is released. You’ll often see people drizzling it around the edge of a hot wok. I don’t know the science, but imagine it’s something similar to dry-toasting spices.

Replace dried fish with anchovies

Anchovies in oil are a good substitute for any Chinese recipe calling for salted dried fish. Some people find salted fish a bit too funky, so anchovies are a subtler stand-in. If you’re going to make steamed pork patty, you might add some anchovy, or perhaps to some fried rice with chicken.

The magic of vegetable water

Don’t throw away the water after boiling vegetables — it makes a good base for a quick Chinese broth. Add a smacked piece of ginger, a drop of sesame oil, a drizzle of soy sauce, a pinch of white pepper, salt to taste and you have a warming, nutritious accompaniment to the meal. Toss in some diced tofu and it can be the meal itself.

Joe Trivelli, Co-executive head chef of the River Cafe, London:

Slow down scrambled eggs

Scrambled eggs can be like a runaway train, so I add a knob of cold butter when they’re ready, to slow them down. It also enriches them. This trick also works when you add a tablespoon of olive oil to garlic that’s cooking too quickly, or anything that is threatening to burn that can take a little extra oil.

Take a minute for perfect pasta

Always take pasta out a minute ahead of the time on the packet — al dente actually tastes better. Also, yes, pasta water is useful but don’t overdo it. If you’re making a simple vegetable sauce with courgette, for example, lots of pasta water and tossing helps emulsify it and encourages it to stick to the pasta. With sauces that already have their own body, such as ragu, adding more starch to the sauce isn’t doing much and can make it cloying. With fresh pasta especially, there’s already lots of sticky starch on the outside, so no need to add more.

Rosie Healey, Chef-owner of Gloriosa , Glasgow:

The simplest chocolate sauce

Make the most delicious, silky chocolate sauce by mixing good-quality dark chocolate and hot water. Break 100g chocolate into little pieces, put it in a bowl and gradually pour 60ml-65ml of boiling water on to the chocolate, mixing constantly until completely smooth and glossy, the consistency of double cream. Add a pinch of sea salt to set it off and pour liberally over ice cream.

Give chantilly cream a tang

Make chantilly cream by folding a spoon of full-fat Greek yoghurt through double cream that’s been whipped with vanilla and sugar. The yoghurt stabilises the cream, making it last longer without splitting and giving it the most wonderful tangy, rich flavour. I picked up this tip while working at Ottolenghi; guests at my restaurant always comment on how delicious the cream tastes.

Balsamic vinegar for depth

Add a splash of balsamic vinegar to a tomato sauce about 10 minutes before the end of cooking to balance the acidity of the tomatoes and create a flavour that is rich and deep. I prefer it to adding sugar, which is more one-dimensional — balsamic increases depth as well as sweetness. — The Observer