Divided

"Divided" after an ingredient in a list means you will not add all of it at once. The recipe gives the total amount you need to buy and measure, and the method then tells you how much to use at each step. For example, "4 tablespoons butter, divided" might mean 2 tablespoons to brown the meat and 2 to finish the sauce.

How to do it

1. Read the whole method before you start and find every step that uses the divided ingredient.
2. Note how much goes into each step. If the method only says "half" or "the rest", work out the amount from the total.
3. Measure the total, then split it into separate small bowls or piles, one for each step. Label them if more than one ingredient is divided.
4. Use each portion at its step. Doing this as part of your mise en place stops you from tipping the whole amount in at the first step.

Why it works

Adding an ingredient in stages lets it do different jobs. Salt added to meat early seasons it through, and a little more at the end sharpens the flavor. Sugar beaten into egg whites a little at a time gives a stable meringue. Cheese stirred into a sauce and then scattered on top melts in one place and browns in the other. Herbs cooked in a stew give depth, and fresh ones added at the end give color and a bright taste.

Common mistakes

• Adding the full amount at the first step and then having none left for the second. Split it into portions before you start cooking.
• Confusing "divided" with "reserve". Reserve means you set something aside that the dish makes along the way, such as pasta water or pan juices. Divided means you split an ingredient from the list.
• Missing the second use because the method calls it by a different name, such as "the remaining oil".

In recipes

You will see "1 cup sugar, divided", "3 tablespoons olive oil, divided" and "2 teaspoons salt, divided". Some recipes write it the other way round and list the ingredient twice, once under each part of the recipe, such as "For the dough" and "For the topping". Older recipes may say "separated", but that word is more often used for eggs split into yolks and whites.