shopping tips
Some people think shopping for food is a bit of a hassle, but, to be honest, if you shop well for the best seasonal ingredients that’s half the battle won. Here are some tips to help you get the best out of your shopping.
- Always keep your basic commodities stocked up so you’re never short of herbs and spices.
- If you’re unhappy with anything you buy, make sure you take it back because if you don’t complain the shop will never know and learn from their mistakes. If the supermarkets haven’t got what you want on their shelves, ask them to stock it on a trial basis. Things like vanilla pods, semolina flour, good olive oils and vinegars should be there, so kick up a fuss if they’re not and blame it on me!
- There aren’t many places you visit two or three times a week like clockwork, so make a point of getting to know your manager and let him know when displays of fresh goods look shabby. I do this all the time and it does make a difference.
- Don’t just look, but smell and touch as well — get to know your ingredients!
- The best beef is the darker meat which has been hung for longer as opposed to the bright red stuff. Look for meat that has hung for anything from 16 to 26 days, depending on the age and breed of the animal. The meat should be well-marbled with fat.
- Any really fresh fish will never ever smell — look for clear eyes, shiny scales and red gills. And always trust your instincts. If you can’t get to the fish because it’s behind a counter, have a look at the way it’s been presented. If the tuna has been badly or unevenly cut, or if the cod is broken open as it has been dumped in a pile, or if the scallops are sitting in a puddle of fish juice or defrosted ice, then you know that the people behind the counter are not very knowledgeable or passionate about what they do. If, however, everything is neatly portioned and arranged and nothing’s sitting in murky water, then the chances are you’re in safe hands.
- If you don’t know what to buy, ask the butcher or fishmonger what they are going to eat tonight or what they would buy from the selection, or if they’ve got anything else that’s not on display. Sometimes the really fresh fish is sitting out the back waiting for the old fish to be sold before it gets offered to the customers.
- When at the butchers or fishmongers ask them to fillet and debone what you’ve bought — it’s good to watch them do it.
- Try and buy regional produce from your own area or at least from your own country.
- Let the seasons dictate to you what to cook.
- Think about using the delivery service that local shops offer over the internet. It’s a great way to get heavy and bulky objects home — with this out of the way you can enjoy walking round the shops a bit more.
