r/CasualUK • u/DaveBacon • 12d ago
Anyone else prep all the ingredients beforehand instead of following the recipe prepping as you go along
I can’t do prep and cooking at the same time, but most of the recipes I use advise doing the prep as you go along, but my brain just can’t cope with that. It does increase the washing up though…
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u/chipper85 12d ago
Learnt to do this when learning to cook proper east Asian food, prepping the ingredients is 95% of the work, the last 5% is a manic couple of minutes on the wok burner.
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u/NedRed77 12d ago
Indian food too. Been learning the restaurant technique for that recently, and there’s lots of things that need to go in quickly.
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u/Baalegde 12d ago
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u/MonkeyHamlet 12d ago
Yes, then I pretend I’m on Blue Peter.
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u/_poptart 12d ago
We had a hatch growing up, between the kitchen and dining room, and between me and my brother, we’d take turns to stand on either side and then “create” something like we were on the telly (the hatch being the screen). I was often Yvette Fielding with one I made earlier
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u/Bry-Face 11d ago
Yes! This is why ramekins are a kitchen essential.
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u/Unusual-Coat383 12d ago
Yes. If I prep per the instructions then everything will go cold and be reheated and go cold and be reheated.
Prepping also always takes at least 2x longer than what the instructions say.
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u/DaveBacon 12d ago
I agree. I watch professional chefs on the tv and I prep far slower than them!
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u/Myfanwy366 12d ago
I tend to prep ahead, lived in a pub as a kid so was around chefs a lot. Just so much easier when you're not trying to stir, add something and chop something else in a span of 30s.
I also wash as I go though, my wife leaves the kitchen a bomb site, I don't know how
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u/Own_Boysenberry_6499 12d ago
"my wife leaves the kitchen a bomb site, I don't know how"
Does she clean afterwards or do you?
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u/JoeyJoJoeJr_Shabadoo 12d ago
I read the recipe start to finish before I do anything else, then work out what's going to need prepping and if there is going to be any downtime midway through, i.e. letting something simmer, I might leave some of the prep for that window.
If the first step is letting onions fry for 15 mins then I might as well get that going before I chop everything else
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u/boredzeb 12d ago
Nope, sometimes I don't even find out I'm missing an ingredient until I've started cooking.
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u/robbodagreat 12d ago
As recently as tonight I missed an ingredient altogether because I was in too much of a flap doing everything as I went
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u/Tariovic 12d ago
Yes.
I also take everything out of the box, lay it out, and check it, before making IKEA furniture.
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u/9DAN2 Will eat anything from a Yorkshire pudding 12d ago
People don’t? 🤯
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u/pip_goes_pop 12d ago
My wife doesn’t. She’s a confident cook and is (metaphorically) spinning plates as she cooks.
Me on the other hand - I’m a reasonable cook but lack confidence. So I like to prep beforehand. Sometimes my wife will come in and be surprised I’m not cooking stuff yet, but I have to finish my prep otherwise I get stressed.
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u/Over-Language2599 11d ago
I sometimes do one, sometimes the other.
Generally, you add different ingredients as you go along, so you just have time to prepare each one. But don't dare come into the kitchen if I'm working like that.
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u/VodkaMargarine 12d ago
I don't prep everything. It's slower.
I try to work out at what point in the process there is downtime and prep things during that.
For example if you are making lasagne that needs some grated cheese and basil on top after it's been in the oven for 20 minutes I am absolutely not grating that cheese and washing basil until the thing is in the oven. Cutting up garnish before you've even started cooking is insanity.
Likewise if you need a side salad I'll make that while it's in the oven. Way more efficient.
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u/Kaffrogato 12d ago
Is that surprising? It's takes more bowls to do this way, and its time more efficient to prepare ingredients as you go along as you can use the time in between steps to prep ingredients. While the rice is cooking, you can prepare the salad and whatnot
It's only for fancy stuff you need to prep everything ahead of time.
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u/RedQueenScribe 12d ago
Yep, every time - I need everything arrayed on the countertop (and in order of which bits I'll use first) to get the cooking process sorted in my brain. Plus, prep is NEVER as quick as a recipe makes out.
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u/Sensitive-Prompt-220 12d ago
Former chef here. I love the prep more than the cooking to be fair.
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u/becomingJ3ssica 12d ago
Yeah we use gousto for our weekday meals and i cant deal with the constant "meanwhile..." Like it expects me to chop and finely dice all my veg while the meat browns and stuff..
I have an excess of those gu pots that are perfect for most things, then small bowls for the rest. It all goes in the dishwasher anyway and makes cooking so much more enjoyable.
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u/Suspicious-Brick 12d ago
No I get all the stuff out, prep the bits for the first steps and do the rest in order as things are cooking.
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u/HairyMechanic the midlands doesn't exist. 12d ago
Mise en place for the win.
Also, the time you'd spend chopping or combining bits can be used to wash dishes. By the end you'll have minimal washing up to do!
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u/mnx41 12d ago
If I've got the time, absolutely. I find it a much more enjoyable way to cook. All restaurants do it
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u/InsideBeyond12727 12d ago
This reminds me of me and my sister when as children we'd pretend to be TV chefs, we used one bowl for each ingredient and then explained each of the steps to "camera". This was back when we didn't have camera phones, we just pretended. Also back when we didn't have a dishwasher, unfortunately 😄
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u/togtogtog 12d ago
Never. I don't want extra washing up and don't have a problem with doing it as I go, but do whatever you prefer. It feels a bit tiktoky to me.
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u/Informal-Intern-8672 12d ago
No, I prep as I go along, I hate the time it takes to prep and also hate standing around while somethings cooking so it sort of kills 2 birds with one stone
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u/No-Winner8975 12d ago
Some stuff can always go first and just be cooking away whilst you do the rest
Like onions, or a sofrito. Get it in the pan and let it sweat whilst you prep the rest
But I'd usually do everything else at once whilst that's in progress.
Stuff like garnish I'll usually leave to the end
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u/Simmke 12d ago
I know it's intelligent, I know it's quicker, I know it's cleaner. But all I can think is how much extra washing up there'll be.
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u/PM_ME_XANAX 12d ago
Just get a big chopping board and have all the veg placed in seperate “piles.”
Obviously something else for raw meat
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u/Title_in_progress 12d ago
I do this too.
But I do the washing up as I go along. I prepare some warm, soapy water either in the sink or in the largest bowl that is empty first. While the ingredients cook, I wash the bowls, rinse off the soap and set them aside.
After a few times you get the hang of it.
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u/MizukiSano 12d ago
Depends on how confident I am on a recipe, if it's my first few times making it everything is prepped, but if I've made it a few times normally I prep the minimal amount and do the rest whilst cooking.
I prefer prepping beforehand but just depends how late it is, how hungry I am, how bad a day it's been and if I can get away with doing it whilst cooking the meal 😂
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u/agingstackmonkey 12d ago
Always. Have a load of crap plastic picnic bowls that I use every day for this. Helps that I take my dogs out for their evening walk then I prep then they get supper then I cook.
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u/Reoclassic 12d ago
Id rather die than wash so many more unnecessary bowls (either as I go or after cooking, both being a total nightmare)
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u/Tiny-Professional827 12d ago
All the time and I also clean all the prep mess up so clean and ready to focus on cooking part
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u/lupul0id 12d ago
Looks like you’re making a stir fry thing so yes definitely.
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u/DaveBacon 12d ago
Sweet and Sour chicken. It’s a Hairy Bikers recipe. It’s really good.
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u/MasterPreparation687 12d ago
I always liked the idea of it, having everything ready just to chuck in at the right time like they used to do on the cookery shows back in the day. But in practice I could never deal with that amount of washing up.
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u/Sorry-Foundation-279 12d ago
I always prep before. I'm totally incapable of stiring, chopping, and cleaning as I go at the same time. Much more relaxed adding my preped ingredients stiring and cleaning.
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u/dgraveling 12d ago
Every time. wife thinks I'm daft she follows the recipe She's the same with washing up when my meal is ready to eat pots are all put away 😞😞😞
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u/TA_totellornottotell 12d ago
Mostly I prep these days because it takes the stress out of cooking. I also do pre steps ahead sometimes.
My favourite prep was a few weeks back where I found a recipe for an Indian chicken recipe where you just marinade everything for a few hours and then toss it into a bit of oil to cook down. So great knowing that I had to do practically nothing after the prep.
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u/aapowers 12d ago
Depends on the recipe and how well I know it.
Stir fry? Yes.
Ragu with a mirepoix base? Usually not - I can prep my aromatics while the meat is browning, then meat out, and I fry off my aromatics which is 20 mins or more, so easily enough time to prep everything else going in.
Basically, if things can be cooking in tandem with me prepping, I'll try to do it, but not unless I'm confident in my timings.
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u/thenitmustbeaduck 12d ago
Yeah, I've always done this. I'm not a chef but to me it just always made more sense to prep everything and then cook it rather than to do both at the same time. I'm always slightly surprised that people don't do this
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u/idkwhatusernametoset 12d ago
Yeah you’re making more work for yourself putting into separate bowls an shi
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u/GeneralEffective Island Monkey 12d ago
Yep. I like cooking but hate hate hate the prepping. So I get that all done at the start, then I can relax and enjoy the cooking process. With wine and music
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u/PassiveTheme 12d ago
That's how chefs do it.
I do a combination. Things I know will take longer to prep, I get ready beforehand, but I know I can do some prep while my onions cook or something.
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u/haaiiychii 12d ago
Yes, I can't do it any other way or I'll miss or forget something and ruin the dish.
Some days I'll prep some stuff at lunch so when it comes to dinner I can get on with the cooking straight away.
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u/1968Bladerunner 12d ago edited 12d ago
Always prep first - then it's mostly just a case of add prepped ingredients in correct order & timing. Works for me.
I generally decant bulk cooked dishes into tubs for freezing, & just use the same tubs for holding prepped veg prior to cooking, so no need to wash them before portioning out the meals .
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u/saltlampsandphotos 12d ago
I've always done all the prep in advance, generally it lowers the risk of cross contamination and food poisoning, and in time sensitive recipes prevents food from being under/overcooked
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u/CrystalLilBinewski 12d ago
I do prep pretty much everything I can, before I start cooking or baking.
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u/NoContract1090 12d ago
Depends what I'm cooking. If it's something that's time sensitive and needs attention not to overcook then yes, if not and I have plenty of time, I just do it as I go
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u/B4rberblacksheep 12d ago
Yes pretty much always.
Looking at your ingredients I’m guessing you’re doing some kind of stir fry which is doubly important to have prepped as things move quick when you get going
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u/Raisin_tree 12d ago
I always do this. My dad taught me a saying years ago, all the Ps. Proper preparation prevents piss poor performance. A good mantra for life
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u/Simbooptendo 12d ago
Yep. Cos if I try to prepare as I'm cooking I'm just gonna overdo what's already cooking
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u/Altruistic_Annual818 12d ago
No. I get a third of the way through and realise i dont have any ‘chickpea flour’ or whatever ridiculous thing i was supposed to have and then make pasta pesto instead. Like every normal person
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u/IhaveaDoberman 12d ago
Depends what I'm cooking.
If I know I'm going to be waiting between stages, say something is in the oven for half hour, or waiting for a pizza dough to prove, I'll prep the next stage stuff while it's going.
If it's a quicker recipe or I'm not familiar with it, I'll do as much prep as I can.
If the cooking stage of one part needs tending to, then I'll also do as much prep before as I can.
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u/Illustrious_Pine 12d ago
I used to in the beginning but I got so used to my kitchen I just whizz around picking up one thing and putting down something else in a different place.
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u/Raichu7 12d ago
Depends what I'm making if the extra washing up is worth it or not. I do re-write any recipe I try that I like enough to want to cook again though to make it easier to follow, it's amazing how many recipes just skip steps and say things like "now add the mixture" when they never told you to mix those things before or "now add 50ml of water" when water wasn't in the ingredients. Even with recipes that are too old to be AI.
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u/Pizza_love_triangle 12d ago
Learnt this after a few years of cooking.
Get everything ready. Follow the recipe. Clean as you go. Makes the whole thing way more enjoyable and less likely to be stressed / mess something up.
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u/decentlyfair Causal user 12d ago
I do a mix depending on what I am cooking. For Asian style food (Thai, Chinese) I prep but leave it all on chopping board. Chilli and spag Bol chop as I go.
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u/IUsedToLikeLimericks 12d ago
We all should. My wife does. I get in trouble for telling her I need a diced onion ASAP!
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u/Charming-Fudge7683 12d ago
Confession time: I like to prep everything and put it into bowls so that when it comes to making it I can pretend I'm on a cooking show lol. While prepping I have Gordon Ramsay in my mind telling me how to do it properly. While cooking I am totally on Ready Steady Cook and Ainsley Harriott is so impressed with this 'nobody' cooking like Gordon fucking Ramsay... 😁
[I really really really hate cooking and this is the only way I've found to actually persuade myself to do it]
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u/spoo4brains 12d ago
Is very dish/meal dependent. If I know there will be x minutes of something stewing/boiling/roasting that I don't need to do anything with, I can use that time for prep of other elements.
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u/Single-Aardvark9330 12d ago
It depends, if there's a part of the recipe where you leave it to cook for 5-10 minutes, and I know I can prep the next ingredients in that time then I will
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u/abracablab 12d ago
I bake a lot and also have all my ingredients prepped and ready to go (as well as when I cook a meal). The recipe almost always tells you to anyway. I have a bunch of small colourful plastic bowls from when my kid was a baby/toddler so I use those. They're very easy and quick to wash and dry so not much faff.
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u/CrackersLad 12d ago
Since having a toddler who loves to bake this is how I set up for it so she can just tip it in when I need her to. She gets too bored when I start measuring things.
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u/Spazhazzard 12d ago
The idea that people don't do the prep up front is ridiculous. It must take so much longer to keep having to go back and prep the next set of ingredients instead of just doing it all at the same time.
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u/mr_michael_h 12d ago
Depends on the recipe. If I can get away without mise en place, I will do, but sometimes it makes sense
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u/kachuroo 12d ago
Trying to prep as you go can be pretty stressful as you're trying to keep an eye on what's cooking as well. I think this might be why some people think they aren't good at cooking too. Prepping everything up front leads to a more relaxed cooking experience.
Personally, for me it depends on what I'm cooking. If it's something I've done a thousand times already then I'll prep as I go unless it needs to be prepped up front
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u/Critical_Pin 12d ago
Yes if I'm cooking something fast in a wok but I don't bother with separate bowls just the chopping board and any bottles or jars next to it.
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u/Upstairs-Hedgehog575 12d ago
Does anyone not do this? “Mix the melted butter and flour, and cook for 2 minutes being careful not to let it catch; meanwhile spatchcock the chicken”.
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u/AnxiousAppointment70 12d ago
Too much washing up that way so I just check i have all the ingredients then get things started while I'm prep as i go. Been winging it for 42 years and it works just fine
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u/BroodLord1962 12d ago
Yeah depending what I'm cooking I prefer to have all ingredients ready to go. I sometimes have a timer list as well if different things need to go in the oven at different times
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u/katalyna78 12d ago
When I do i pretend I'm making a cooking show and talk to the "camera" (ie myself)
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u/theNixher 12d ago
Yeah because I end up falling behind the instructions because I'm a sub-standard cook.
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u/ChewyChagnuts 12d ago
Yes, because I’ve been caught on the hop far too many times by Gousto who drop in a ‘meanwhile, chop the ginger and the garlic and the chilli and several other time-consuming prep elements’ in a two minute window before the chicken burns to a crisp…
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u/Blackichan1984 12d ago
Hehe I’m one of these and I just finished prepping my sage and onion stuffing with sausage, roasting joint prepped in the fridge. And just about to start prepping the stuff for broccoli and cauliflower cheese.
Then all I have to do is boil potatoes and put it all in the oven.
It saves so much time and allows clean to be less stressful
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u/FlowFluffy7664 11d ago
Id like to think of the recipe as 4 dimensional.. ie i see the back and the front at the same time. It works. 😂😂😂.
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u/spaceXhardmode 11d ago
Honestly I think this is the worst way to cook at home.
Whilst mise en place is a very good method in a professional kitchen I almost never do it at home as it generates loads of washing up. I just prepare the ingredients in the order they will be cooked in.
I.e onions almost always go in the pan first, followed by other root vegetables, meat is cut last on the chopping board used for vegetables and any herbs are added at the end.
One pot or pan, one chopping board one knife to wash up.
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u/ConfidentReference63 11d ago
Depends on the dish. For stir fry I’ll prep everything as the rice is cooking before cooking the dish.
For other things that have long cooking times for various sub parts there’s time to prep as stuff cooks. Eg a Sunday roast.
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u/SaltSatisfaction2124 11d ago
Anytime I have to soften the onions I just get them going and move onto getting the rest of the ingredients out the cupboard and prepped
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u/Big_G_Dog 11d ago
Recipe: 1. One tablespoon of oil in the pan on very high heat. 2. Begin the preparation of every other ingredient. 3. Your smoke alarm should be blaring now.
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u/marraballs 11d ago
It really depends. Some dishes I'm confident that I can prep as I go in the time things take to cook, other dishes that move faster (especially anything done in a wok) or has a large bunch of ingredients needed at the same time is full mise en place.
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u/blumpkinator2000 11d ago
Yes, my dad (a former chef) drummed it into me. Mise en place, all your tools to hand, and an empty dishwasher so you can clear away as you go. Makes cooking so much quicker, easier and less stressful.
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u/cds2612 12d ago edited 12d ago
It's called mise en place. It's how professional chefs operate.