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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Lifestyle
Anna Berrill

What is the best way to downsize a recipe?

Sally Clarke’s halibut en papillote with mushrooms, shallots, bay leaves and butter.
Easily upscalable: Sally Clarke’s halibut en papillote with mushrooms, shallots, bay leaves and butter. Photograph: Matt Russell/The Observer. Food styling: Rosie Reynolds. Prop styling: Rachel Vere.

Any tips for downsizing recipes to serve one? Dividing by the number of servings doesn’t always work.
Melanie, by email
“It’s often just common sense,” says Kitty Coles, author of Make More With Less, plus a little maths – though, as Melanie so wisely points out, you can’t always simply divide the ingredients and be done with it.

First, you need to consider your cookware: “It’s really worth investing in smaller pans and a smaller skillet,” says Alexina Anatole, who is behind the Small Wins Substack. A tiny amount of liquid in a large pan, say, will get too much exposure to heat, so it’s very likely you’ll under- or overcook its contents. As Shelina Permalloo, author of What to Cook When Everyone’s Hungry, says, “The absorption method for rice is a nightmare if you’re using a wrong-sized pan.”

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