Eliminating the Smell of Burnt Food
As soon as you notice burnt food, immediately remove the pot or pan from the heat. Quickly use a damp cloth or wet paper towel to cover the lid. The moisture will help absorb the burnt smell. This prevents the burnt odor from escaping and lingering on the unburnt food. It is important not to remove the lid as the smell will spread throughout the house and be challenging to get rid of, especially in compact or urban-style homes.
Damp Cloth to Absorb Odors
Salvaging Unburnt Food
Firstly, separate the unburnt food into a different container to avoid contamination. If the food has a solid structure, such as grilled meat or fried fish, use scissors to trim away the burnt edges. For liquid dishes, gently skim the unburnt top layer with a shallow spoon and transfer it to another bowl, being careful not to mix it with the burnt bottom layer. Discard the burnt portions.
If the unburnt food still retains a burnt odor, continue with the cooking process and add a large onion to neutralize the burnt smell.
Rinse the Food
For foods with a solid structure, rinse them with hot water to reduce the burnt taste and smell. For example, meat, fish fillets, or vegetables can be scalded with hot water, then cleaned and seasoned again before cooking.
When cooking the food again, consider adding distinctive spices to “rescue” the dish: for chicken, you can add sauce if it’s a saucy dish, or honey glaze for grilled dishes. For soup, adding smoked meat can introduce a new flavor and overpower the burnt scent.
Trim Burnt Edges from Solid Foods
Create a New Dish
The unburnt food can be salvaged by adding complementary spices to enhance the flavor and essentially creating a new dish. For example, if you’re braising chicken and it burns, you can rescue the unburnt or slightly charred pieces by turning them into a chicken fried in fish sauce, where the strong flavor of the sauce will mask the burnt taste. Alternatively, you can add dried shiitake mushrooms to the braise, as the mushroom’s aroma will neutralize the burnt scent, and its color will match the charred chicken.
So, before discarding burnt food, try these tips to save the unburnt portions and create something new!
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