Look, it’s really hard to write this article. It’s like asking me to choose my favourite out of my six children — it just can’t happen. But after some recent therapy and the threat of having someone else write this article (namely George Calombaris), I was forced to choose but came back with a compromise.
I am assuming you always have extra virgin olive oil in the cupboard, leftover wine (never throw out dregs, keep them in a glass bottle), Megachef light soy sauce, great balsamic vinegar or Vino Cotto, garlic, onions or shallots, sea salt and good quality peppercorns.
I know I'm cheating a little here but please hear me out.
5. Organic vegan ramen noodle kits
MSG free and so simple. With most of my week taken up being busy as an Uber driver or whatever else I have to do, these kits are a game changer. This takes me 15 minutes to prepare — tops.I use the Samurai brand, but there are many options on the market, and I find they’re all very consistent. When you are out of time, simply add 500ml of Maggie Beer Natural Chicken stock to a saucepan, then 2 sachets of the sauce and the noodles. Bring it to the boil and throw in some chopped up greens, broccoli and shredded leftover meat or fish from the night before. You can also just grab a roast chicken from the supermarket on the way home and add this. They are always stocked in my cupboard along with some organic Japanese dashi sauce. Adding a splash of this whilst the pot is still simmering takes it all to a new level.
4. Tinned Tuna
I can make a quick-fire pasta in no time. It’s super simple with a can of half-drained Sirena tuna, some cooked pasta, microplaned lemon zest, a cup of frozen peas, a crushed garlic clove, salt and pepper — all sautéed very quickly in a pot with olive oil.If you feel like being cheeky, finish with some great French or Danish butter, and — after serving the kids’ plates — a teaspoon of dried chilli flakes. Tuna also makes a great sandwich filler or snack. Simply take 1 cup of drained tuna, 2 cups of hummus, a spoonful of decent mayonnaise, lemon juice and seasoning, then whip it together with a wooden spoon in a bowl. Throw it into the centre of a plate or bowl and surround with crudité vegetables.
3. Megachef Fish Sauce
This is my go-to when cooking Asian food, especially Thai, which is my favourite to cook at home and without doubt the most complex of all Asian cuisines. I add it to dressings, and sometimes even add a splash to pastas. The umami flavour elevates simple dishes to another taste level. I always have a nuoc mam dressing made up in my fridge; which is basically 2-to-1 quantities of fish sauce and lime juice, crushed garlic and chilli, then some sugar or palm sugar to taste — shaken in a jar.
2. French Butter
No other butter in the world compares. Once you taste this gold or silver-wrapped wonder food, there’s no going back. It’s the timeless ingredient that most French chefs liken to the ground zero of cuisine. Why is it so good? The French rely on the tradition of using cream. They let it develop into sour cream over nearly two days. Then, it’s churned, kneaded, and salted. That’s it. By French law it has to contain 82% butter fat, as a minimum. Nowhere else in the world does a country take so much pride in preserving their status of ‘living to eat, not eating to live.’When looking for the best brands, there are superior butters, especially Lescure. Hard to find but without a doubt the best.
1. Cep or porcini powder
I make this myself by ordering dried porcini mushrooms and then powdering them in a Nutribullet. This is my go-to seasoning in everything from button mushrooms sautéed in garlic and olive oil, to a roast chicken. I deglaze the roasting tray with some stock and add a kitchen spoon of porcini powder to the sauce and then reduce. By the way, ceps and porcini are the same mushroom, ceps are simply found in France and Porcini in Italy.
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