Storecupboard

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By poisoneyes | February 4, 2008

STORECUPBOARD

PASTA:

Few storecupboards are without dried pasta. A basic selection might include spaghetti (plain and wholewheat), linguine, tagliatelle, vermicelli or capelli d’angelo, conchiglie, orecchiette, farfalle, macaroni, penne, rigatoni and fusilli. Other appealing pasta shapes include casareccie, radiatore, spirali, gnocchetti, sardi, fusilli bucati (which can be long or short), the wide ribbons known as pappardelle and the even broader pasta with curled edges called bretelloni or lasagnette.

ANCHOVIES:

These are sold preserved in salt or oil; either way you should rinse them to lose excess salt or oil, then pat dry with kitchen paper before use.

CHILLIES:

There are various ways to obtain the hot, spicy flavour of chilli. You can use fresh red or green chillies, dried whole chillies, chilli flakes, ground chilli powder (cayenne pepper), Tabasco and other hot pepper sauces (which are often made with vinegar), or the Asian variations such as chilli garlic sauce and sweet chilli sauce. In some recipes it doesn’t matter which you use; in others fresh chillies are essential to add a splash of colour as well as flavour.

FROMAGE FRAIS:

This can be used to make a light, creamy-tasting sauce but do not expect the rich ‘mouth feel’ of real cream. Fromage frais is not a direct substitute for cream and curdles over direct heat. Although you can buy 0% fat fromage frais, I find it rather thin. Instead I recommended 8% fat fromage frais, which has well under half the fat of even single cream.

GARLIC:

Simmer, bake, roast, use raw or with just a minute or two of cooking. How much you add is really up to you. If a recipe says 2-3 cloves it means 2 large or 3 small cloves.

HERBS:

Some dried herbs such as oregano, thyme and bay have their place as seasonings, but to add a vibrant flavour and a splash of colour I use fresh herbs in many sauces.

LEMONS, LIMES, ORANGES:

The tang of citrus juice lifts and enlivens sauces; just a squeeze can do the trick. The zest, pared into fine strips, adds flavour and colour.

MUSHROOMS:

When choosing fresh mushrooms, remember that button and oyster mushrooms will keep their pale colour and are best for pale and fish sauces, while open-cup and shiitake mushrooms will inevitably darken a sauce, which is fine for meat or lentil dishes. A small pack of dried porcini (cep or Boletus edulis) is a good addition to the storecupboard. They will keep for up to a year, and give a wonderful fragrance and intense flavour to mushroom sauces. They need to be soaked in warm water for 30 minutes before use; strain the water and add to sauce.

MUSTARD:

English mustard is rather harsh. I use the milder wholegrain Dijon mustard to perk up the flavour of some sauces.

NUTS:

Although these are relatively high in fat, it is mainly of the unsaturated kind and, besides, nuts are packed with vitamins and minerals. In sauces that are otherwise low in fat I have used walnuts, almonds, pistachios and pine nuts to add both flavour and texture.

OILS:

All oils are equally high in fat but most vegetable oils have a reasonably low proportion of saturated fat. For general cooking I use either groundnut (peanut) or sunflower oil but you could equally well use rapeseed or another vegetable oil.

Olive:

Olive oil is suggested in recipes where the flavour is a feature of the dish. You won’t be using much, so all the more reason to buy the best - extra virgin olive oil.

OLIVES:

Jars of green or black olives in brine may be flavoured with garlic or herbs, pitted or unpitted.

SAUCES:

Some bottled sauces are excellent time-saving additions to light pasta sauces. These include chilli garlic sauce, hoisin sauce, light soy sauce, Tabasco, tamari (see below), Thai fish sauce (called nam pla in Thailand, nuoc mam in Vietnam) and Worcestershire sauce.

SPICES:

Keep spices in airtight jars in a cool, dark place. Some useful ones a paprika, saffron strands, ground cinnamon and ground cumin. Ground spices soon lose their fragrance, so buy in small quantities and throw away old packets.

TOMATOES:

Fresh tomatoes are the archetypal partner for pasta. They must smell good when you buy them, otherwise you are wasting your money: bland, watery or woolly-textured tomatoes and vine-ripened tomatoes are usually the best choice. Canned chopped tomatoes are the basis of many low-fat pasta sauce. But do choose a good Italian brand; cheaper makes tend to be watery. Passata means sieved, and usually refers to a smooth tomato puree, sold in jars. Sun-dried tomatoes are sold in packets that last for up to a year. Tomato puree adds concentrated tomato flavour where you don’t need the bulk of tomatoes. Keep a tube in the refrigerator.

YOGHURT: