Of the considerable list of talents held by Irish Mammies, cooking is probably the skill we look to them most often for guidance. When things start to go pear-shaped in the kitchen, we all know that there’s only woman to call.
And let’s face it, for a lot of us, recreating their delicious home-cooked meals is a feat we’ll never achieve. It’s quite sad, really.
In light of this, we’ve decided to put together some of our favourite (and sarkiest) pieces of cooking advice we’ve received from our Mums. Any of them look familiar?
1. On working with onions…
“The only cure to crying while chopping onions is to get someone else to chop them for you.”
Harsh, but true.
2. On adding flavour…
“Always throw garlic and butter on whatever you’re cooking to increase the flavour.”
No chance of this guy stopping by, then. Fine.
3. On following recipes…
“A dollop, handful, pinch and a good drop are all valid units of measurement.”
And we wouldn’t dare question any Irish Mammy further on the matter.
4. On cooking instructions to remember for life:
“Remove packaging and pierce film.”
Short and to the point. We like it.
5. On frying eggs…
“When you’re frying an egg on the pan, scoop up a little bit of the oil in a teaspoon and put it over the yolk. That way when you turn it, it’s less likely to burst.”
Genius.
6. On desserts…
“Add beaten egg whites to whipped cream to make a delicious light dessert topping.”
So that’s why her desserts taste so, so good.
7. On the Christmas ham…
“Before baking the ham, stud with cloves, pour cider over and coat with brown sugar.”
The tastiest thing we eat every single year.
8. On pastry…
“Always make a double quantity of shortcrust; it keeps well wrapped in clingfilm in the fridge amd can be rolled out to make a quick and easy pie over the next few days.”
Will we ever be that efficient? We don’t think so.
9. On cooking and men…
“Marry a man who can cook.”
This might be the wisest piece of advice any of us will ever get…
This article is brought to you by Kerrygold. To be in with a chance of winning some great prizes including a cookery class & stay at Ballymaloe and lots of Kerrygold goodies, simply share a cooking tip, skill or recipe that has been passed on to you through generations by family and friends using #NuggetsOfGold on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and tag @KerrygoldIrl.
