The Actual Cheat Sheet
Kitchen basics on one page · recipecheatsheet.com
Roux
Equal parts fat and flour by weight. Whisk over medium heat.
| Per 1 cup (240 mL) liquid | Fat + flour |
|---|---|
| Thin (soup) | 1 Tbsp each |
| Medium (sauce, gravy) | 2 Tbsp each |
| Thick (binder, soufflé) | 3 Tbsp each |
White 2 to 3 min: béchamel, cream sauces. Blond 5 to 7 min: velouté. Brown 15 to 20 min: brown gravy. Dark 30 to 45 min: gumbo.
Darker roux tastes nuttier but thickens less.
Whisk liquid in gradually, then simmer at least 5 min to reach full thickness and cook out the raw flour taste.
Mother sauces
| Sauce | Built from | Becomes |
|---|---|---|
| Béchamel | milk + white roux | Mornay (+ cheese), mac sauce |
| Velouté | light stock + blond roux | suprême (+ cream), pot pie |
| Espagnole | brown stock + brown roux + tomato, mirepoix | demi-glace (+ stock, reduced by half) |
| Tomato | tomatoes + aromatics, simmered | marinara, arrabbiata |
| Hollandaise | yolks + melted butter + lemon | béarnaise (+ tarragon, shallot) |
Hollandaise: 3 yolks, 1/2 cup (115 g) butter, 1 Tbsp lemon. Hold warm, not hot; it breaks if it overheats.
Everyday sauces
Gravy: 2 Tbsp fat + 2 Tbsp flour per 1 cup stock. Simmer 5 min, season last.
Pan sauce: sear, remove meat, pour off most fat. Soften a shallot, deglaze with 1/2 cup wine or stock, scrape the browned bits, reduce by half. Off heat, swirl in 1 to 2 Tbsp cold butter.
Vinaigrette: 3 parts oil to 1 part acid, salt, a little mustard to hold it together.
Cheese sauce: medium béchamel, then off heat stir in grated cheese a handful at a time. Boiling makes it grainy.
Thickeners
| Per 1 cup liquid | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 2 Tbsp | as roux or slurry; opaque |
| Cornstarch | 1 Tbsp | slurry with cold water; boil 1 min; glossy |
| Arrowroot | 1 Tbsp | add at the end; freezes well |
| Liaison | 1 yolk + 1/4 cup cream | temper first; do not boil |
Starch slurries always go into hot liquid while you whisk. Reduction thickens with no starch at all.
Stocks
| Stock | Simmer |
|---|---|
| Chicken (bones, cold water) | 3 to 4 h |
| Brown beef (roasted bones) | 6 to 8 h |
| Fish (white fish frames) | 30 to 45 min |
| Vegetable | 45 to 60 min |
Start cold, bring to a bare simmer, never boil, skim the foam. Salt the dish, not the stock.
Aromatic bases
Mirepoix: onion, carrot, celery 2:1:1 (French).
Holy trinity: onion, celery, green bell pepper (Cajun, Creole).
Soffritto: onion, carrot, celery in olive oil (Italian). Sofrito: onion, garlic, peppers, tomato (Spanish, Latin).
Ratios by weight
| Dough or batter | Ratio |
|---|---|
| Bread | 5 flour : 3 water (+ yeast, salt) |
| Pie dough | 3 flour : 2 fat : 1 water |
| Biscuit | 3 flour : 1 fat : 2 liquid |
| Pasta | 3 flour : 2 egg |
| Pancake | 2 flour : 2 liquid : 1 egg : 1/2 butter |
| Muffin | 2 flour : 2 liquid : 1 egg : 1 fat |
| Pound cake | 1 butter : 1 sugar : 1 egg : 1 flour |
| Custard | 2 liquid : 1 egg |
Baking is chemistry
Weigh it. A cup of flour can be 110 g or 150 g depending on how it is scooped.
Baking soda needs an acid (buttermilk, yogurt, brown sugar, honey, natural cocoa): 1/4 to 1 tsp per cup of flour, set by how much acid is in the batter. Baking powder carries its own acid: about 1 to 1 1/4 tsp per cup.
Sugar is a wet ingredient. It holds moisture, browns, and makes cookies spread. Cut it much and the texture changes, not just the sweetness.
Fat makes it tender, gluten makes it chewy, eggs set and bind. Change one and the others shift.
Scaling: savory dishes scale freely. Bakes scale by weight and pan size; a deeper pan needs a lower oven and more time.
Bread is done at 190°F (88°C) enriched, 200 to 210°F (93 to 99°C) lean.
Yeast
1 packet = 2 1/4 tsp = 7 g. Active dry: proof in 105 to 110°F (40 to 43°C) water 5 to 10 min. Instant: mix straight into the flour.
Salt is about 2% of the flour weight. Rise until doubled, not by the clock.
Weights of a cup
| 1 cup | Grams |
|---|---|
| All-purpose flour | 120 g |
| Granulated sugar | 200 g |
| Brown sugar, packed | 213 g |
| Powdered sugar | 113 g |
| Butter (2 sticks) | 227 g |
| Water, milk | 240 g |
| Rolled oats | 90 g |
| Honey, molasses | 340 g |
1 large egg out of the shell is about 50 g: 33 g white, 17 g yolk.
Measures
| US | Equals | Metric |
|---|---|---|
| 1 tsp | 5 mL | |
| 1 Tbsp | 3 tsp | 15 mL |
| 1/4 cup | 4 Tbsp | 60 mL |
| 1 cup | 16 Tbsp, 8 fl oz | 240 mL |
| 1 pint | 2 cups | 475 mL |
| 1 quart | 4 cups | 950 mL |
| 1 gallon | 4 quarts | 3.8 L |
| 1 oz (weight) | 28 g | |
| 1 lb | 16 oz | 454 g |
Oven
| °F | °C | Use |
|---|---|---|
| 250 | 120 | low and slow, meringue |
| 300 | 150 | cheesecake, custard |
| 325 | 165 | braises, roast turkey |
| 350 | 175 | most cakes, cookies |
| 375 | 190 | pies, muffins |
| 400 | 200 | roast vegetables |
| 425 | 220 | roast chicken, pizza |
| 450 | 230 | bread, high roast |
Convection: lower by 25°F (15°C). Preheat at least 15 to 20 min.
Safe internal temps
| Food | °F | °C |
|---|---|---|
| Poultry (all) | 165 | 74 |
| Ground beef, pork | 160 | 71 |
| Egg dishes | 160 | 71 |
| Beef, pork, lamb steaks, chops, roasts (+ 3 min rest) | 145 | 63 |
| Fish | 145 | 63 |
| Leftovers, casseroles | 165 | 74 |
These are USDA minimums. Measure the thickest part, away from bone.
Steak doneness
| Done at | °F | °C |
|---|---|---|
| Rare | 120 to 125 | 49 to 52 |
| Medium rare | 130 to 135 | 54 to 57 |
| Medium | 140 to 145 | 60 to 63 |
| Medium well | 150 | 66 |
| Well | 160 | 71 |
Pull it about 5°F early: steaks climb 3 to 5°F as they rest, big roasts 5 to 10°F. Rest steaks 5 to 10 min, roasts 15 to 20, a turkey 30.
Heat and methods
| Method | Heat |
|---|---|
| Poach | 160 to 180°F (71 to 82°C), no bubbles |
| Simmer | 185 to 205°F (85 to 96°C), small bubbles |
| Boil | 212°F (100°C), rolling |
| Braise | covered, partly in liquid, 300 to 325°F oven |
| Deep fry | 350 to 375°F (175 to 190°C); fill pot no more than half |
Sear: pat dry, hot pan, oil shimmering, do not crowd, do not move it until it releases.
Smoke points
| Fat | °F |
|---|---|
| Butter | 350 |
| Extra-virgin olive oil | 350 to 410 |
| Canola, vegetable | 400 to 450 |
| Peanut | 450 |
| Ghee, clarified butter | 450+ |
| Avocado (refined) | 500+ |
Salt and brines
Kosher salt is not equal. 1 tsp Diamond Crystal is about 3 g; Morton kosher about 5 g; table salt about 6 g. Swap by weight.
Wet brine: 1 cup Diamond Crystal (or 1/2 cup table salt) per gallon of water. Shrimp 15 to 30 min, chops and chicken pieces 1 to 4 h, whole chicken 8 to 12 h, turkey 12 to 24 h. Skip on kosher or pre-salted birds.
Dry brine: about 1% of the meat’s weight in salt, uncovered in the fridge. Steaks 1 h to overnight, turkey 1 to 3 days.
Pasta water: 4 qt per lb of pasta, 1 to 2 Tbsp kosher salt.
Grains and beans
| Per 1 cup dry | Water | Time |
|---|---|---|
| White rice, long grain | 1 3/4 cups | 18 min + 10 rest |
| Jasmine, basmati (rinsed) | 1 1/2 cups | 15 min + 10 rest |
| Brown rice | 2 1/2 cups | 45 min + 10 rest |
| Quinoa (rinsed) | 2 cups | 15 min + 5 rest |
| Rolled oats | 2 cups | 5 min |
| Steel-cut oats | 3 to 4 cups | 25 to 30 min |
| Grits, polenta | 4 cups | 30 to 45 min |
| Lentils, brown or green | 3 cups | 20 to 30 min |
| Dried beans (soaked) | cover by 2 in | 1 to 2 h |
Simmer covered on low. 1 cup dry rice makes about 3 cups cooked; 1 lb dried beans about 6 cups.
Eggs
Boiled (large, from the fridge, lowered into boiling water, then ice water): 6 min runny, 8 min jammy, 10 min just set, 12 min hard.
Poached: water barely simmering, a splash of vinegar, 3 to 4 min.
Scrambled: low heat, keep stirring, take off the heat while still a little wet.
Sugar stages
| Stage | °F | °C |
|---|---|---|
| Soft ball (fudge) | 235 to 240 | 112 to 116 |
| Firm ball (caramels) | 245 to 250 | 118 to 121 |
| Hard ball (nougat) | 250 to 265 | 121 to 129 |
| Soft crack (taffy) | 270 to 290 | 132 to 143 |
| Hard crack (brittle) | 300 to 310 | 149 to 154 |
| Caramel | 320 to 350 | 160 to 177 |
Knife cuts
| Cut | Size |
|---|---|
| Brunoise | 1/8 in (3 mm) cube |
| Small dice | 1/4 in (6 mm) |
| Medium dice | 1/2 in (12 mm) |
| Large dice | 3/4 in (2 cm) |
| Julienne | 1/8 x 1/8 x 2 in sticks |
| Batonnet | 1/4 x 1/4 x 2 to 3 in |
| Chiffonade | rolled leaves, thin ribbons |
Substitutions
| For | Use |
|---|---|
| 1 cup buttermilk | 1 Tbsp lemon or vinegar + milk to 1 cup; stand 5 min |
| 1 cup self-rising flour | 1 cup flour + 1 1/2 tsp baking powder + 1/4 tsp salt |
| 1 cup cake flour | 1 cup flour minus 2 Tbsp, plus 2 Tbsp cornstarch |
| 1 tsp baking powder | 1/4 tsp baking soda + 1/2 tsp cream of tartar |
| 1 cup brown sugar | 1 cup sugar + 1 Tbsp molasses |
| 1 Tbsp fresh herbs | 1 tsp dried |
| 1 garlic clove | 1/8 tsp garlic powder |
| 1 egg (binding only) | 1 Tbsp ground flax + 3 Tbsp water, 5 min |
Fix the taste
| If it is | Add |
|---|---|
| Flat | salt first, then acid |
| Too salty | more unsalted food, acid, fat |
| Too sour | a pinch of sugar, fat |
| Too sweet | acid, salt |
| Too bitter | salt, a little sweetness |
| Too spicy | dairy, sugar, acid, starch |
Broken emulsion: whisk it slowly into a fresh yolk or a spoonful of warm water.
Food safety
Danger zone 40 to 140°F (4 to 60°C). Refrigerate within 2 h, 1 h above 90°F (32°C).
Fridge 40°F (4°C) or colder, freezer 0°F (−18°C). Leftovers keep 3 to 4 days.
Thaw in the fridge (a turkey takes 1 day per 4 to 5 lb) or in cold water, 30 min per lb, changing the water every 30 min.