Читать книгу Kitchen Hero - Donal Skehan - Страница 6

To really bring out the kitchen hero within, you first need to stock up on the basics. It doesn’t matter what sort of kitchen you have – big or small, new or old – what really counts is how it’s set up and that it functions for all your wants and needs. My mum always cursed her small kitchen and dreamed of an open-plan set-up with all the mod cons, rather than the galley she operated out of, where you couldn’t swing a cat. But that never stopped her producing delicious meals every day while I was growing up. The truth is that every kitchen is different and it’s all about creating something that works for you.

Essential Store-cupboard Ingredients

I am always banging on about a well-stocked kitchen, and the main reason is because I know that if I didn’t have those ingredients to hand, I just wouldn’t bother cooking. It’s really not difficult to pack your cupboards with inspirational ingredients that will have you running to the kitchen in giddy excitement. (Or maybe that’s just me!) Having a well-stocked store cupboard is the key to successful cooking. The list opposite is quite extensive, but have a read through and decide what you are most likely to use, or maybe choose a few recipes that you want to try, and make sure you pick up the essentials that you’ll need for them.

BASICS

RICE

PASTA

NOODLES

BULGUR WHEAT

COUSCOUS

LENTILS: GREEN, RED AND BROWN

TINNED TOMATOES

TINNED BEANS

JARS OF TUNA IN OLIVE OIL (NICER THAN TINNED)

OIL: OLIVE, SUNFLOWER, VEGETABLE AND GROUNDNUT

VINEGAR: WHITE WINE, RED WINE AND BALSAMIC

MUSTARD: ENGLISH, DIJON AND WHOLEGRAIN

EGGS

PEANUT BUTTER

NUTS: WALNUTS, ALMONDS, BRAZILS, HAZELNUTS, PEANUTS, PECANS, PISTACHIOS AND PINE NUTS

SEEDS: PUMPKIN, SUNFLOWER, SESAME AND POPPY

SPICES: PAPRIKA, CUMIN, CORIANDER, CAYENNE PEPPER, CURRY POWDER, TURMERIC, GROUND GINGER, GROUND CINNAMON AND NUTMEG

CURRY PASTE

WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE

TABASCO SAUCE

VEGETABLE BOUILLON POWDER

JAR OF SALSA

WHOLEMEAL TORTILLA WRAPS

HONEY

WINE: WHITE AND RED

FROZEN PUFF PASTRY

FROZEN PEAS

BAKING INGREDIENTS

FLOUR: PLAIN AND SELF-RAISING

CORNFLOUR

ACTIVE DRIED YEAST

BAKING POWDER

GOLDEN SYRUP

TREACLE

VANILLA EXTRACT

BUTTER

SUGAR: SOFT BROWN, DEMERARA, ICING, CASTER AND GRANULATED

COCOA POWDER

CHOCOLATE: DARK, MILK, WHITE AND CHIPS

CONDENSED MILK

JUMBO OAT FLAKES

ASIAN COOKING INGREDIENTS

SESAME OIL

RICE WINE

SOY SAUCE

FISH SAUCE (NAM PLA)

TERIYAKI SAUCE

OYSTER SAUCE

THAI SWEET CHILLI SAUCE

STAR ANISE

SZECHWAN PEPPERCORNS

Herbs in Pots

Growing herbs at home means you will always have a good supply to add to your recipes when you need them. Herbs such as rosemary, sage and thyme are hardy enough to keep you going throughout the year. Oregano, basil and mint tend to prefer the spring and summer months.

I’m often left with an overload of herbs, so rather than let them die during the winter, I like to find different ways to use them. You can dry thyme and oregano by cutting large bunches, shaking to remove any dirt or bugs and tying with a piece of string. Put in a warm, dry place and allow to dry out over a week, before popping in glass jars. To use, scrunch the bunches over tomato sauces or into salad dressings for a great aromatic kick. A tip for softer herbs like basil is to finely chop and mix with some good-quality olive oil, then pour the mixture into ice trays and pop in the freezer. You can stir these little herby cubes into sauces or I often defrost them and spread them over bread dough, along with a good sprinkling of sea salt, before baking it in the oven.

Essential Kitchen Equipment

In terms of equipment, some things are worth spending money on, because they will last for lengthy periods of time. Good-quality knives and decent pots and pans are most definitely worth investing in. I have a serious addiction to beautiful wooden chopping boards and, if recent studies are to be believed, they are actually the most hygienic boards to use in the kitchen, beating marble and plastic hands down.

So here’s my list of essential kitchen equipment. It is fairly substantial, but think about how you want to cook, then go through the list and see what applies to you. I’ve included the basics but obviously the list will grow as you start cooking.

3 REALLY GOOD SHARP KNIVES (BIG, SMALL AND BREAD)

2 LIGHT WOODEN CHOPPING BOARDS

COLANDER (HANDY FOR DRAINING PASTA, WASHING VEGGIES, ETC.)

SALAD SPINNER

1 REALLY BIG SAUCEPAN OR POT

2 GREAT NON-STICK FRYING PANS

2 LARGE BAKING TRAYS

2 SPRING-FORM CAKE TINS

2 MUFFIN/CUPCAKE/BUN TRAYS

2 LOAF TINS

2 LARGE ROASTING TRAYS

SIEVE

LADLE

BOX GRATER

MICROPLANE GRATER

PEELER

CAN OPENER

POTATO MASHER

2 LARGE PYREX DISHES

MIXING BOWLS

WOODEN SPOONS

MEASURING SPOONS

WEIGHING SCALES

1 LARGE WHISK

1 SMALL WHISK

SPATULA

TONGS