Storecupboard

                          

Patak’s Chilli Pickle

This is essential to me and on occasion I’ve been a bit panicky when I couldn’t find any.  It is seriously hot and a jar goes a long way.  I find the “sludge”; the oil and spices including mustard seeds, more useful than the whole pieces of chilli so when I open a new jar I purée the lot. It goes into a good deal of my cooking and I have sometimes been unfairly complimented (compliments that I gracefully accepted) on the complexity of a dish, which complexity I owe entirely to Pataks.

Balsamic Glaze

For years and years I used to make this by boiling down gallons of balsamic vinegar and then sweetening with a little honey; a tedious and smelly task which I no longer need to do; most supermarkets sell it these days. I use balsamic glaze as a delicious and attractive garnish to a number of dishes and, at home, as glorified tomato ketchup, drizzling it on everything from fried eggs or tomato salad to hummus or polenta.

Caramelised Red Onion

This is another thing which is easy to make at home but easier still to buy. Not only is this a delicious cheese enhancing chutney like thing it is also great in quite a variety of dishes. I do, in fact, often make this but like to keep some in the fridge for emergencies.  A particularly pleasant version is made by The Cherry Tree.

Sea Salt

I have always loved flaky flavoursome Maldon Sea Salt and now I love Cornish Sea Salt, which came onto the market a year to two back, for exactly the same reasons. One of the British Virgin Islands (where I lived for many years and where I often spend the winters now) is called Salt Island and the salt from there is also totally delicious. So I’ve been very lucky in the salt department! Coarse sea salts are delicious sprinkled on most things and I particularly like it on savoury pastry crusts and also sprinkled over salad.

Thai Sweet Chilli Sauce

The sweet spiciness of Thai Chilli Sauce is excellent in most tomato dishes – tomatoes always like a bit of sweetness and I, as you can probably tell, always like a bit of heat!

Black Garlic

This is a "new thing" and totally delicious.  See Black Garlic post for details, buy some and get experimenting.  I am!  <

Tomato & Chilli Pasta Sauce

I am sure there are a number of bought in pasta sauces I could use but Tesco’s Finest Whole Cherry Tomato & Chill, so far, is my favourite. I started eating it, of course, on pasta but use it to enhance loads of things now, all of them food!


Hellman’s Light Mayo

I assume that bought in mayonnaise and probably Hellman’s is a staple for almost everyone. I have often made mayonnaise but for day to day use, especially at home, Hellman’s is excellent and for me the light version is virtually identical to the “heavy” version.

Cranberry Sauce

Apart from serving alongside turkey, chicken and the like this is also delicious served with brie and smoky bacon for a splendid sandwich.  I also stir it into sauces for duck and for pork if they need a little sweetness.

Roasted Garlic 

~ Cut heads of garlic in half through their equators and stand cut sides up in a shall ovenproof dish.
~ Drizzle quite generously with olive oil, being sure to anoint the cut surfaces well, and season with salt and pepper. 
~ Cover tightly with foil and do in a medium oven till completely tender which takes about half an hour or so depending on your idea of “medium oven”.
~ Cool and then squeeze the soft garlic cloves into a clean jar adding all its oil.                 ~ Pour in extra olive oil till to cover the garlic completely, put on the lid and store in the fridge till needed.

Both the garlic and its oil can be used in all manner of ways: in mashed potato, garlic butter, salad dressings, pizzas, pastas, etc. etc. and it is particularly lovely with blue cheese.

Alcohol Soaked Dried Fruit

Almost fill a clean jam jar with dried fruit of your choice and pour in enough spirit of your choice to cover completely – this is important; if the fruit isn’t covered at all times it could go mouldy.  Put on the lid and leave alone for at least 24 hours.  Keeps indefinitely so long as covered in alcohol and your can top it up with fruit or spirit as necessary, for the rest of your life.

Jamaican Jerk Seasoning

A delicious spicy (actually very spicy) paste good for rubbing on meat or fish before cooking – especially BBQs.  As I say it is spicy so sometimes I mix it with oil before using, just to mellow a bit.  I used to have Jerk Burger with Frazzled Sweet Potatoes on a menu in the Caribbean and it was a humdinger.  You can also stir a little into things to give them a tropical lift!

Honey Mustard Dressing

This is delicious not only on salad, especially with spicy foods, but also particularly good with smoked fish and meat, including bacon.  Great in sarnies too. 

Creamed Coconut

 A long time store cupboard staple for me I even had to initiate its importation in the B.V.I. I needed it so bad!  This give a delicious creamy yet coconut textured lift to all sorts of dishes, including curries. 

Panko Crumbs

Panko crumbs are great to keep in the Storecupboard – perfect for perking up leftovers and just generally enhancing things

My storecupbaord is a little crowded!