Cooking-show judges share the easiest and most difficult dishes to make at home
- As a part of the From the Judging Table series, Insider spoke to former and current judges from popular cooking-competition shows to find out the easiest and hardest dishes to prepare at home.
- Charm City Cakes owner Duff Goldman said he thinks pies are difficult to perfect.
- Roast chicken and pork are pretty easy to prepare, according to these pros.
- Two "Chopped" judges say rice-based dishes like risotto are difficult to master.
Sometimes fans of cooking-competition shows think they could easily make some of the dishes featured on their favorite series. Other times, fans are in awe of the competing chefs' abilities to make such stunning dishes in so little time.
As part of the From the Judging Table series, Insider spoke to former and current judges from popular cooking-competition shows to find out which dishes are the most difficult and the easiest for home cooks to replicate at home.
From which proteins are the easiest to cook to desserts that even celebrity chefs have trouble with, read on for the easiest and hardest dishes to prepare at home.
Duff Goldman said he thinks pie is one of the most difficult dishes to execute
Duff Goldman, owner of Charm City Cakes bakery and a judge on Food Network's seasonal "Baking Championship" shows, is known for his incredible cakes and amazing desserts — but he told Insider that pie is challenging to perfect.
"A good pie is good because dozens of steps were all executed well," said Goldman. "It's very easy to forget small steps that end up having a big impact on the final product."
For those hoping for a foolproof dessert, Goldman suggests bread pudding
If you're not up to the challenge of baking the perfect pie but still want a dessert that will impress, the "Super Good Baking For Kids" author said he suggests bread pudding, a baked dish made by soaking pieces of stale bread with a mix of spices, eggs, and milk or cream.
"Bread puddings are very forgiving and even when your cream-to-egg ratio is off, they're still pretty good," Goldman told Insider.
In fact, he said, bread pudding is so simple that he doesn't recommend chefs make it when they're competing on cooking shows.
"Judges know bread puddings are not high on the difficulty scale," he added.
Chef Cat Cora said roasted chicken is one of the easiest dishes to master
Cat Cora, cookbook author and "Iron Chef" competitor and judge, said roasted chicken is one of the most versatile and easiest dishes for beginner home cooks to start mastering.
"Roasting a chicken is a good simple dish because it's usually inexpensive and it's forgiving in the fact that it's got some fat protection with the skin and dark meat," Cora told Insider.
Since fattier proteins are less likely to become overcooked, they can be easier for beginners to work with.
Cora also explained that roasted-chicken recipes can easily be adapted for different flavor profiles because they're "a great canvas to add any herbs, spices, or other aromatics to."
But many cuts of chicken can be tricky to cook perfectly, according to chef Jamika Pessoa
When asked what dishes she felt were harder to learn than others, Jamika Pessoa, a chef judge on "Guy's Grocery Games" and regular on Dr. Oz's "The Dish," said chicken often causes issues for cooks.
"It is always the simplest dish that folks at home are yelling from their couches, 'Aw that's easy! I could l cook that!'" Pessoa told Insider. "But I find chicken gets murdered in competitions because it's a protein that has to be cooked throughout."
"Many people panic and either overcook it until it's dry or undercook it to try to keep moisture," she added.
But she said burgers are pretty easy to make
A classic for a reason, burgers can save any home cook from a potential dinner disaster thanks to how easy they are to prepare and how versatile they are, said Pessoa.
"There are so many ways to interpret a burger and so many directions one can go with flavors," Pessoa told Insider. "When all else fails in the kitchen, stuff something in between two pieces of anything and call it a burger!"
'Top Chef' judge Gail Simmons said making pasta from scratch can be difficult, especially for beginners
Food journalist, cookbook author, and "Top Chef" judge Gail Simmons told Insider that making some dishes, like fresh pasta, requires some experience.
"Making pasta from scratch can be difficult without proper technique," Simmons said. "It requires exact timing in order to dry and cook it well."
Simmons said most high-heat-roasted dishes are easy to prepare
On the other hand, Simmons said she believes high-heat roasting — or cooking food at temperatures of about 500 degrees Fahrenheit — can result in some quick, easy dishes.
"It's always great and can be used for so many ingredients," Simmons told Insider. "Once you have the technique down for something like chicken, for example, it can easily apply to veggies, fish, or even fruit, in endless variation with just tweaks to the cook time and seasoning."
'Top Chef' star Richard Blais said cooking fish can be difficult
Richard Blais told Insider that even though he enjoys making fish, it's "not forgiving," making it a difficult dish for home cooks to master.
"If you overcook or undercook a piece of fish you're going to see it and you're going to taste it," Blais said.
He said that properly cooking fish can be such a delicate balance that he frequently has to remind himself to stay away from it while competing on fast-paced cooking shows.
"It's hard because you're running around and you see a beautiful piece of fish and you're like, 'Yeah, I want to cook this!' But then [I] realize I am cooking to be judged so I should pick something that is easier to execute," he added.
According to Blais, pork is a pretty easy protein to prepare
Blas said a well-cooked protein is versatile and can easily become the star of any dish. He said he recommends pork as the protein of choice for beginner chefs.
"Pork tends to be just a little easier to cook because of the fat content," he told Insider. "It's a little bit more forgiving."
Maneet Chauhan praised fritters and fried dishes for being versatile and easy to make
Chef and "Chopped" judge Maneet Chauhan told Insider that "fritters or anything fried" are some of the easiest things to prepare.
She explained that frying is a quick and versatile cooking method that can be applied to a wide range of ingredients.
Chauhan and chef Aarón Sánchez said risotto and other rice-based dishes can easily be ruined
Aarón Sánchez, a longtime partner of the Cacique brand and a judge on shows like "MasterChef" and "Chopped," told Insider that risotto is a challenging dish for beginners and experienced chefs alike.
Although loved for its creamy consistency and depth of flavor, this rice dish must be carefully cooked low and slow to achieve the right texture.
"You just have to be super on top of it and [be] continually stirring," Sánchez said. "It just takes a second of leaving it and it's ruined."
Fellow "Chopped" judge Chauhan also mentioned how difficult rice dishes can be for chefs and home cooks.
"You have to make sure it's cooked through because there's no such thing as al dente rice," she added.
Scallops can be quickly prepared, said chef Antonia Lofaso
Antonia Lofaso, judge on "Guy's Grocery Games," suggested that home cooks who are looking to make something special should feature scallops as the main protein in their dish.
"Scallops are really easy to cook because they're quick," Lofaso told Insider. "They're always a winning dish because they're salty and sweet at the same time and, if you do it right, they're delicious."
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