10 little luxuries worth having in the cupboard this autumn
There comes a point in autumn when dinner changes. The salads and quickly assembled suppers of summer lose their appeal and suddenly we want steaming bowls of pasta, bubbling gratins, risottos, soups and things slowly roasting in the oven. It’s also the time of year when a well-stocked cupboard really comes into its own. Because you don't necessarily need a complicated recipe to make an ordinary supper rather special. Sometimes all it takes is a spoonful of something delicious. Here are ten ingredients worth keeping within reach as the evenings draw in.
1. Really good olive oil
If you’re going to have one everyday luxury in the kitchen, make it a bottle of excellent extra virgin olive oil.
Use it to finish soups, drizzle over roasted vegetables, dress beans or simply pour over good bread with a little sea salt. It can also completely transform something as humble as a bowl of mashed potato.
This is one ingredient where quality really does make a difference, particularly when the oil is being used as a finishing touch rather than simply for cooking.
2. Dried porcini mushrooms
A small packet of dried porcini can sit quietly in the cupboard for months and then rescue dinner when the fridge is looking decidedly uninspiring.
Soak them in warm water and add them to risotto, pasta sauces, soups and casseroles. They have an extraordinarily deep, earthy flavour that works particularly well with the richer food we start craving at this time of year.
And don't throw away the soaking liquid. Strain it and add it to the dish for even more flavour.
3. A wedge of proper Parmesan
Strictly speaking, this belongs in the fridge rather than the cupboard, but we couldn't leave it out.
Parmigiano Reggiano is about far more than grating over pasta. Stir it into risotto, shave it over roasted vegetables, add the rind to a pot of soup as it simmers or simply break off a little chunk to eat while you're deciding what to cook.
A good piece lasts well in the fridge, so it’s worth buying a proper wedge and grating it as you need it.
4. Anchovies
Even if you think you don't like anchovies, a jar or tin is worth having around.
Melt a couple gently into olive oil with garlic and they almost disappear, leaving behind a wonderful savoury depth rather than an obviously fishy taste.
Add them to pizzas, tomato sauces, stews, dressings and slow-cooked vegetables. They are particularly good with lamb, cauliflower and broccoli, and excellent stirred through pasta with garlic, chilli and breadcrumbs.
5. Capers
Tiny, salty and sharp, capers are one of the quickest ways to wake up a dish that tastes as though it's missing something.
Scatter them over fish, stir them through warm potatoes or add them to tomato sauces. They’re also wonderful with roasted cauliflower, aubergines and other autumn vegetables.
Fry them briefly in olive oil and they become crisp little flavour bombs that are particularly good scattered over fish or pasta.
6. Something with truffle
Few flavours say autumn quite like truffle.
Fresh truffles may be an occasional extravagance, but truffle oils, creams and sauces make it much easier to introduce that unmistakable earthy flavour at home.
The secret is restraint. A little goes a long way.
Try a small amount with scrambled eggs, mushrooms, risotto, pasta or mashed potato. It’s one of the easiest ways to make a very simple supper feel decidedly luxurious.
7. A really good jar of pesto
Pesto isn't only for summer.
A jar of good pesto can turn pasta into dinner in the time it takes the water to boil, but it can do much more besides.
Stir a spoonful into a bowl of vegetable or bean soup, spread it over chicken or fish before cooking, add it to roasted vegetables or loosen it with a little olive oil to make a dressing.
It's also particularly useful on those evenings when cooking enthusiasm is in short supply – just add it to pasta.
8. ’Nduja salami spread
If you haven’t discovered ’nduja yet, autumn is a very good time to put that right.
Originally from Calabria in southern Italy, ’nduja is a soft, spreadable salami with a rich pork flavour and a warming kick of chilli. A little goes a surprisingly long way, making it one of those useful ingredients that can transform a simple supper.
Stir a spoonful through a tomato pasta sauce, melt it into a pan before adding prawns or other seafood, dot it over pizza or add a little to soups and stews for extra depth and warmth.
It’s also excellent spread onto toasted bread or crostini – particularly with a creamy cheese such as burrata or mozzarella to balance the heat.
Keep a jar in the cupboard and suddenly there are rather more interesting possibilities for dinner.
9. Something else with a kick
A little heat can completely change an autumn dish, and you don't need to make dinner eye-wateringly hot to benefit from it.
A spoonful of chilli and garlic paste can bring instant warmth and depth to a tomato sauce, soup or stew, while a drizzle of chilli-infused olive oil is an easy way to liven up pizza, pasta, roasted vegetables or even a bowl of beans.
Spicy pesto is another useful shortcut: stir it through pasta, spoon it alongside grilled meat or fish, or use a little to perk up a sandwich.
The trick is to start sparingly. You can always add more – and often just a touch of chilli is enough to make all the other flavours on the plate taste that little bit more interesting.
10. Balsamic vinegar
A good balsamic vinegar is another bottle that earns its place in the cupboard all year round.
In autumn, try a little over roasted squash, onions or beetroot, use it to sharpen a rich casserole or reduce it gently to serve with sausages or pork
And don't restrict it to savoury dishes. A few drops of a particularly good aged balsamic with ripe figs, pears or a piece of Parmesan can make a remarkably simple end to dinner
The secret is in the cupboard
The best store cupboards aren't necessarily the ones crammed with dozens of ingredients. They're the ones containing a handful of things you genuinely love using.
With good olive oil, Parmesan, porcini, capers and a few jars and tins within reach, a packet of pasta, some vegetables or a couple of pieces of fish can quickly become something you actually look forward to eating.
At Gastro Nicks, our shelves are packed with the Italian and Mediterranean ingredients we use and enjoy ourselves – from extra virgin olive oils, balsamic vinegars and pasta to porcini, pesto, anchovies, capers, truffle products and plenty more.
Pop in and have a browse. And if you're wondering what to do with something you've spotted on the shelf, ask us. We're always happy to suggest a few ideas – although you may find you leave with rather more than the one thing you came in for.