Essentials

FRIDGE

  • Eggs

  • Milk

  • Butter

  • Cream

  • Greek-style yoghurt

  • Cheese (parmesan, mozzarella and haloumi)

  • Wine (for drinking, but if you just cook with yours it can be kept in the pantry)

  • Fresh herbs

  • Fresh ginger

  • Mustard (dijon and seeded)

  • Capers

  • Anchovies

  • Mayo

  • Sriracha

  • White miso paste

  • Fish sauce

PANTRY

  • Flour (plain/all-purpose and self-raising)

  • Dried yeast

  • Rice (jasmine and/or basmati)

  • Dried pasta (long and short)

  • Dry rice noodles

  • Sugar (brown and raw)

  • Honey

  • Oil (olive, extra virgin olive, rice bran and sesame)

  • Vinegars (white, white wine, red wine and Chinese black; add balsamic for a 90s vibe)

  • Liquid stock (chicken, beef and veg; keep in the fridge if homemade!)

  • Chicken stock powder

  • Curry paste

  • tinned tuna in olive oil

  • Passata

  • Tinned tomatoes

  • Tinned coconut cream

  • Tinned beans, lentils and chickpeas

  • Fried shallots

  • Shaved coconut

  • Panko breadcrumbs

  • Soy sauce

  • Oyster sauce

  • An Asian chilli condiment

  • Tamarind paste

  • Potatoes(in a cloth bag to keep out the light)

  • Garlic

  • Onions (brown and red)

  • Always lemons and limes

FREEZER

  • Baby peas

  • Spinach and/or kale

  • Breadcrumbs made from stale bread

  • Bacon

  • Good sausages

  • Mince

  • Homemade wontons

  • Homemade gnocchi

  • Store-bought ravioli

  • Pastry (puff and shortcrust)

  • Makrut lime leaves

  • Bird’s eye chillies

  • Lemongrass

DRIED HERBS & SPICES

  • Peppercorns

  • Sea salt

  • Oregano

  • Rosemary

  • Chilliflakes

  • Cumin seeds

  • Coriander seeds

  • Turmeric

  • Cinnamon

  • Garlic powder

  • Onion powder

  • Paprika (smoked and sweet)

  • Bay leaves

  • Cardamom pods

Equipment

POTS

  • Good non-stick frying pan: try and get one that neatly fits the lid of your biggest saucepan

  • Big and little saucepans with lids: essential for boiling, poaching, steaming and souping

  • Shallow cast-iron pan, kind of like a frying pan but with two handles, OR a shallow cast-iron baking dish: ideal for lasagne, rice bakes, deep pizzas and much more

  • Large flameproof casserole dish or Dutch oven for slow-cooking soups and meats, etc

  • Lots of trays and tins: deepish heavy ones for roasting, lighter trays for baking, plus lightweight flat pizza trays (which are great because, being round, they don’t buckle; also perfect for crisping chips)

UTENSILS

  • Mandolin: get one, become a ninja

  • A fantastic peeler, not a shitty cheap one

  • Microplane: WTF did we do before the surgeon took a bone file home to his wife, who grated zest and nutmeg with speed and instantly trademarked this tool?

  • Citrus squeezer: Jamie Oliver’s hands are either made of asbestos or he only squeezes lemons through his fingers for TV (or when he doesn’t have a paper cut)

  • Garlic crusher: it’s not about avoiding the smell on your fingers, it’s about adding it fast

  • Noise-cancelling headphones: for full immersion cooking

  • Quick flick tools: wooden spoons, high- heat rubber spatulas, big spoons, tongs, a lifter (like a burger flip), a skimmer, some good scissors

  • Knives:

    • A chef’s knife: go and feel one, wield it unmenacingly before you buy it – it should feel good in your grip and be nicely weighted (also, learn how to sharpen it properly)

    • Utility knives (I love the little plain and serrated ones with plastic handles): get a few – you’ll never cut a tomato with more prowess

APPLIANCES

  • High-speed blender: used daily for smoothie-making, spice-grinding, emulsifying bearnies

  • Small stick blender with a food chopper attachment: perfect for blending soup, and the attachment does a great onion chop

  • Hand-held beaters or a stand mixer: the dough hook acts like a third arm, which I love (I’ve even used it to coat chicken in mayo when prepping buckets of nuggets)

TABLE

  • Deep platters, which can hold run-off juices, sauces or dressings: perfect for roasts or large salads

  • Bowls for sides and condiments

  • A sauce jug (this could also be a jar)

  • Lots of jars and bottles, saved from store-bought condiments

  • Linen napkins, because damn it, if I’ve made the effort then the sensation should last beyond chewing and swallowing. Treat yo’self.