Things You'll Need
Stove
Oven
Heat pads
Cooking spoon
Knives
Gloves
Water
Paper Towels
Sauces
Spices
Smoked meats
Timer
Leaving food on the stove, in the oven or on the grill unattended, or cooking at too high temperatures is a surefire way to burn your foods and make them bitter and unpleasant. Although no one intends for this to happen, it occurs all the time - particularly with a novice in the kitchen. But if your dish turns out burned, all is not lost. You can get the burnt smell and taste out of overcooked foods by using the right culinary techniques and ideas so you can save dinner, and the day.
Step 1
Cool the food down. Turn off the heat. Using heat pads, immediately remove the food from its heat source to stop it from cooking.
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Step 2
Remove the burned sections. Firmly scrap off or cut off the burned particles from the food with a sharp knife, salvaging with can still be used. For soup, chili or stew, spoon out the burned sections.
Step 3
Add water. Wash the food off under a heavy stream of cold water to remove any remaining burned food particles. Add more water to soup, chili or stew.
Step 4
Dry the food. Pat dry wet meats and vegetables thoroughly with heavy and clean paper towels.
Step 5
Add sauce and seasoning. Cook and pour over a generous portion of sauce over your food that complements it. Pair chicken with spaghetti sauce, beef with gravy, or fish with butter sauce. Season the food with salt, pepper and other spices. Add smoked meats, liquid smoke or Cajun spices to soup, chili or stew to hide the burnt smell and taste.
Step 6
Sample the saved food. Taste your rescued dish to make sure the unpleasant smell and taste has been removed. You might need to add more seasoning to your dish before serving it.
Tip
Wash your hands and wear gloves when cooking so that you don't contaminant the food you're handling. Use a timer when simmering sauces or resuming cooking. You don't want to burn these ingredients too. Don't use the same pots, pans or cooking sheets that the food originally burned in. Left over burned oil, grease and food residue can transfer over to the food.
Warning
Handle food when it’s cold, or you'll burn your hands. If you don't remove all of the water from the food during the drying phase, it could ruin the taste of your sauces and seasonings.
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