Essential stores

Everyone has their own ideas about essentials: my suggestions are primarily for foods with a long shelf life that are used in many of the recipes in this book. You could, if necessary, make a meal from combinations of them, but mostly they are used with fresh ingredients as accompaniments or to add flavour, improve texture or provide a shortcut.

Dried herbs and spices

Herbs

Only a few dried herbs are worth having; most are better used fresh. Bay leaves, dried mint, oregano, thyme and a mixture such as herbes de Provence are the essentials. They keep their aroma and flavour when dried, and should last for a year or so before they become stale. Rub small-leaved herbs between your fingers to crush them and remove any small twigs before using.

Small jars or tubes of herbs in oil can be useful when fresh herbs are hard to get, but use them sparingly, the flavours can be a bit harsh.

At times of plenty, herbs can be chopped and frozen and then stored in small containers. They lose their texture, though, and can only be used as ingredients, not garnishes.

Spices

These are best stored whole to keep their flavour. They can be ground in a coffee grinder and some are marketed in pots with a very efficient ceramic grinder on top; they are just as quick to use as spooning out ready-ground powders. For many oriental dishes the flavours of spices are enhanced by brief dry-roasting* in a frying pan before grinding. Grinding your own spices has the added benefit of the wonderful aromas released as they are ground, which you seldom get if you stick your nose into a jar of powdered spice.

Black peppercorns, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cumin, nutmeg or mace, saffron and vanilla beans are the spices to keep whole. A pepper mill is essential; cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cumin and mace can all be ground easily; nutmeg is grated. Saffron, the most expensive spice, is used sparingly, crushed with a pestle and mortar, and soaked in a little liquid. Vanilla beans are used whole or split; whole beans can often be rinsed and dried afterwards and used again, which makes their high price more reasonable. An alternative is a small bottle of vanilla extract, but avoid vanilla essence because it is nasty.

Cayenne, paprika and turmeric are only available ground but should be on your shelf in small quantities. Replace ground spices regularly; once the aroma has gone, the flavour will also have deteriorated and the spice will contribute little to your dish. A few dried chillies and red pepper flakes would complete your stock of spices.

Other flavourings

Alcohol

Any table wine you have open can be used in cooking, but I wouldn’t waste a grand Burgundy in a coq au vin. Use a wine you wouldn’t mind drinking, not something dilute or harsh and tannic. It is useful to have a fortified wine or two (dry sherry, port, dry madeira, Marsala) on hand and for most things the everyday supermarket or off-licence brands are fine.

Brandy, rum and whisky are the most useful spirits in the kitchen. Dry cider can replace wine (and is less expensive) particularly with fish and pork. Beer and stout are useful for slow-cooked casseroles and stews.

Anchovies

Fillets in oil, whether in small tins or large jars, are the most convenient way to buy anchovies. Use them for salads, pizza, sauces and dressings. Small amounts of anchovy pounded with other ingredients give a subtle depth of flavour which is neither fishy nor excessively salty.

Chilli sauce

There are dozens to choose from, whether pure and fiery Tabasco, or a West Indian sauce enriched with onions and spices, or a thick, sweetened sauce in the Chinese style. A dash of chilli sauce will add dimension and depth to lots of dishes and can be used to replace chillies if necessary.

Fish sauce

This is a fermented amber-coloured sauce much used in south-east Asian dishes, dressings and dips. The cheesy smell is pungent, the flavour milder and salty. Thai nam pla is lighter in colour and milder than Vietnamese nuoc mam. A dash of fish sauce can be used instead of anchovy in a sauce.

Mustard

The best all-purpose mustard is Dijon, hot and aromatic, tempered by verjuice (juice of unripe grapes) or mild vinegar. Buy a small jar because the aromatics deteriorate quite quickly after opening. English mustard powder mixed with cold water will produce a sharp pungent paste.

Salt

Use sea salt, whether large crystals or finely ground. The flavour is much purer than that of table salt to which chemicals have been added to keep it free running.

Soy sauce

The essential ingredient of oriental cooking, soy sauce is fermented from soy bean meal, wheat and salt. It is used for marinades and sauces, stir-fries, soups and braised dishes. Dark soy sauce is aged longer than light and has added molasses. Use light soy with light dishes, dark with hearty casseroles and red meats.

Oils and vinegars

Olive oil

Extra virgin olive oil is the best oil for salads; it is low in acidity, aromatic and has a rich, fruity taste often with a slightly bitter note at the end. Prices vary greatly. Oils from individual estates can be very expensive, but top-quality oils have an unsurpassed intensity and purity of flavour. These oils are best used alone to dress salad leaves or to drizzle over a dish just before serving so that this aroma and flavour are not masked. Use a less expensive oil for vinaigrettes and to blend with other pronounced flavourings, as in a marinade, for example. Extra virgin oils from the big brands or supermarket own labels are blended to a style and are the cheapest, but they can be disappointingly flat and flavourless. However these oils can be used for marinades and for cooking, as can ordinary virgin olive oil, which is a grade down from extra virgin and slightly higher in acidity. All olive oils are high in mono-unsaturated fatty acids.

Sesame oil

Produced from toasted sesame seeds, it is deep amber in colour with a rich nutty flavour and aroma. It is useful for oriental cooking; a spoonful gives flavour to soups and stir-fries and to dressings for cold vegetable dishes. It should be used sparingly and is usually sprinkled over food just before serving.

Sunflower oil

High in polyunsaturated fatty acids, sunflower oil is light, virtually tasteless and a very good oil for cooking. It also blends well with other oils and can be used for dressings and sauces.

Alternative all-purpose oils are groundnut and rapeseed; both are low in saturated fats. Safflower oil is highest in polyunsaturated fats, but has a rather strong flavour. Corn oil is another good cooking oil but I find its texture heavy. Vegetable oil, obtained by blending several different and usually unspecified oils, may contain oils such as coconut or palm which are high in saturated fats, and is best avoided.

Walnut oil

Tasting just like walnuts, this oil gives a wonderful flavour to salads, but the flavour diminishes if it is heated. Walnut oil goes rancid quite quickly so buy in small quantities.

Balsamic vinegar

A fine aged vinegar from Italy, this is matured over many years in a solera system of barrels made from different types of wood. Deep in colour, with a syrupy consistency and a complex, full, sweet-sour taste, balsamic vinegar may be 10 years old or up to 100. Prices vary greatly: a tiny bottle of traditional balsamic vinegar from Modena costs a fortune, but you need only a few drops to appreciate its unctuous texture and concentrated lingering flavour.

Sherry vinegar

This is an excellent vinegar with a rich, nutty flavour. It is aged for several years in a solera system as is sherry, and the taste reminds one distinctly of sherry. It is smooth enough to use alone as a flavouring for cooked vegetables.

Wine vinegar

White is more useful than red as an everyday vinegar. The best ones are matured slowly in barrels and are well flavoured without excessive acidity. Cider vinegar has a sharper flavour but can replace wine vinegar in combination with other strongly flavoured ingredients.

Dry ingredients

Beans and chick peas

There are many to choose from: flageolets, small haricots and cannellini beans are my favourites for flavour and texture. Remember they need soaking for several hours. See also the notes on p. 111.

Flour

Plain flour is needed for pastry, cakes and biscuits; for flour-based sauces and occasionally for thickening. At a pinch, you can make a loaf of bread with it, too.

Gelatine

This comes in powdered and leaf form. Instructions for how much to use are on the packaging and in the recipes, but essentially 1 sachet (about 12g/3 tsp) powdered gelatine or 4 leaves (about 12g) leaf gelatine will set 600ml liquid.

Lentils

The best are the slate-coloured lentils from Puy in France, or green-brown ones from Castelluccio in Italy; small red lentils which disintegrate in cooking are good for soups and purées.

See also the notes on p. 140.

Pasta and noodles

A packet of spaghetti or flat ribbons will always provide a quick meal if you have olive oil and garlic or butter and Parmesan.

Rice

Basmati is the best long grain rice for flavour and texture. Use it for steamed rice, fried rice, pilafs and salads. For risotto or paella use a short grain rice such as arborio or carnaroli. See also the notes on pp. 176–7.

Stock granules

Marigold Swiss bouillon powder is the best brand; vegetable, vegan and low-salt versions are available. See also p. 2.

Sugar

Apart from granulated sugar for everyday use, fine caster sugar is needed for baking and desserts. Light and dark muscovado sugar are unrefined cane sugars rich in molasses; light will be more useful for most cooking. Demerara sugar: these large crystals are also available unrefined, but cheaper demeraras are often made from refined sugar mixed with molasses.

Cans, jars and packets

Beans and chick peas

Cans of these are a great saving on soaking and cooking time when you are in a hurry. Drain and rinse well before using.

Chocolate

Good-quality plain chocolate with a high percentage (65% or more) of cocoa solids is what you need for cooking. It is expensive, but the flavour and texture are infinitely better than cheaper chocolate to which emulsifiers, fats and lots of sugar have been added. Chocolate will keep for several months in a cold place.

Coconut milk and creamed coconut

These are used for soups, vegetables, Thai curries and other south-east Asian dishes. Creamed coconut mixed with milk or water is more economical than a can of coconut milk when you only need a small amount.

Dried fruit

Apricots, prunes, raisins and sultanas are needed for baking and desserts, and for some stews.

Dried mushrooms

Ceps (porcini) or the more expensive morels provide a concentrated mushroom flavour for sauces, stews, a mushroom ragoût or risotto. They are expensive, but a little goes a very long way.

Honey

Choose your favourite clear honey.

Jam

Apricot jam and red currant jelly are used for glazes, and the jelly is also good in savoury sauces.

Nuts

Almonds keep best in their skins, but it is useful to have a small quantity of flaked and ground ones (don’t keep them so long that they taste like sawdust). Pine nuts do not keep for long, so buy a small quantity. Use them for vegetable dishes, pilafs, in baking and for making pesto. Walnuts also go rancid quite quickly but provide richness in stews, meat and vegetable dishes, and can be ground to make sauces or used in baking.

Olives

Good quality green and black olives, unpitted, and packed in olive oil are the best. Large olives are good for cooking and the tiny ones for garnishes.

Tomatoes

Cans of plum tomatoes, jars of sun-dried tomatoes in oil, sun-dried tomato paste, tomato purée and passata (thick sieved tomato purée) have dozens of uses. You do not need to have them all; cans of chopped tomatoes are the most essential. Semi-dried tomatoes are now to be found in more shops and are well worth trying. See also p. 167.

Fresh ingredients

There are a few fresh ingredients which will keep for a couple of weeks or so, and therefore must be considered kitchen essentials: butter, eggs, garlic, fresh ginger, lemons, onions, shallots and Parmesan cheese. If you intend to use the peel of lemons or other citrus fruit, buy unwaxed or organic fruit; otherwise, scrub the skin well before using. With these and the more usual store cupboard ingredients above you will seldom be at a loss for making a meal.

Frozen ingredients

If you have a freezer, you could not only use it for gluts of herbs but also to keep small amounts of stock (p. 4–6). Another good freezer stand-by is a pack of petits pois.