If your poultry or cutlet has turned tough as shoe leather, brush it with softened butter, wrap in cling film, and let rest for 10 minutes. The butter melts slowly, relaxing the meat. Dry salmon? Surround it with thin slices of smoked bacon or zucchini, roll in aluminum foil, and bake on low heat. Chocolate fondant fallen flat? Whip up a syrup (1 bowl sugar, 1 bowl water, a glass of orange juice, and a vanilla stick, mixed at room temperature) and soak the cake.
Too salty? Add a peeled raw potato cut into quarters to the sauce, simmer for a few minutes, then remove. For stews, toss in raw vegetables like carrots or pearl onions—they absorb excess salt during cooking. Veal sauté or rabbit stew? Transform into a terrine; cold dishes taste less salty. A pinch of sugar can also balance it out.
Overcooked? For lamb, braise it further in a casserole (or oven at 170°C), sprinkling regularly with olive oil to confit the meat. Overdone steak? Repurpose into moussaka or shepherd's pie (with celery purée). When minced, it regains tenderness.
Too spicy? Tame your fiery curry with coconut milk, almond milk, or lime juice. Still too hot? Keep cooking while adding pineapple or sweet potatoes—they neutralize and absorb the heat.
Expert advice from Jean-Luc Le François, chef at Modern Café (40 rue Notre-Dame-des-Victoires, Paris 2nd).
