This is no yolk… (Picture: Getty Images)
The arrogance of us Brits really does crack me up sometimes.
More than a third of people (35%) in the UK call themselves ‘very good’ or ‘excellent’ cooks, according to a new report by supermarket Waitrose.
Despite this, more than a quarter (27%) have never boiled an egg.
In addition just 45% of people have ever baked a Victoria sponge cake and fewer than a fifth have ever made a dressing for salad.
The latest annual Cooking Report also found out how the cost of living crisis was affecting the nation’s cooking habits.
Four in 10 people said they are happy choosing cheaper cuts of meat and ingredients to help keep costs down while entertaining at home.
And 7% like the ‘pot luck’ idea and would ask friends to bring a dish or course to contribute.
More than a quarter of Brits have never boiled an egg (Picture: Getty Images)
Nearly two-fifths (39%) wish they could spend more time in the kitchen, while one-fifth say the cost of living crisis has pushed them to entertain more at home recently.
Though they hate the phrase ‘dinner party’ and 34% call the name old fashioned.
Microwaves have topped the list of kitchen gadgets people say they couldn’t live without at 32%, with the increasingly popular air fryer lagging behind at 12%.
Reflecting this further, Waitrose said searches for ‘microwave meals’ were up 71% on its website compared with the same time last year.
Martyn Lee, executive chef for Waitrose, said: ‘Food is a daily joy and the cost-of-living crisis has hastened a change in how we cook.
Dippy egg and soldiers, anyone? (Picture: Getty Images)
How to make a perfect boiled egg
According to BBC Good Food, here’s how to make the perfect boiled egg – make sure you pick the large ones in the supermarket.
Fill a medium sized saucepan with water and bring to a rolling boil.
Make sure your eggs aren’t fridge cold. By having the eggs at room temperature, it will be less of a shock for the egg reaching the hot water and therefore less likely to crack. You can also use an egg pricker to make a very small hole in each egg before boiling, which will also reduce the chances of it cracking in the heat. Slowly lower the eggs into the water using a spoon.
Set your timer for four to five minutes for runny/dippy eggs to serve with soldiers, or six to seven minutes for soft-boiled eggs for a salad. If serving in a salad, plunge the eggs into a bowl of cold water as soon as the timer goes off – this will stop them cooking and cool the shells quickly for peeling.
‘For too long we’ve been looking down on microwaves. You can do so much more in them than heat a cup of coffee. I make a great sponge in mine. I think it’s time to remember the enjoyment we get from the anticipation of their pinging.
‘When you reheat a stew, or a slice of lasagne in your microwave after the flavours have had time to develop, you enjoy what’s known as the sixth taste sensation “kokumi” – which is lesser known than the other five tastes – sweet, salty, sour, bitter and umami.’
Other findings from the survey included almost half of people ignore sell-by dates (46%) and 16% of people are happy to scrape mould off food and still use it.
