What a top chef keeps in her kitchen: Food author Clodagh McKenna shares her pantry staples - and the items you should scrimp and splurge on
- Irish chef Clodagh McKenna shared her pantry staples and what she has on hand
- She said good olive oil and salt are musts, as are rose water and orange blossom
- Clodagh also shared the items you should scrimp and splurge on at home
- She said canned foods are okay cheap, but olive oil and salt are worth spending
A well-stocked pantry is a must for any chef, whether home or professional - and no one knows this more than Clodagh McKenna.
The Irish cookbook author - who is in Sydney for the launch of her new book Clodagh's Suppers - said there are a number of products that are non-negotiable in her kitchen - such is their ability to lift even the most basic of dishes.
Speaking to FEMAIL, Clodagh revealed her pantry essentials - as well as the products she recommends you scrimp and splurge on.
Irish chef Clodagh McKenna (pictured) said there are a number of products that are non-negotiable in her kitchen - such is their ability to lift even the most basic of dishes
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Clodagh (pictured) said the most important things for her pantry are a range of spices, good quality sea salt and olive oil, as well as canned foods and vinegars
So what does she keep at home?
'The first thing I think any cook should have is a range of spices,' Clodagh said.
'A good range of spices can instantly change the quality of any dish, so even if it's pricey to get your hands on them, remember that they will last.'
Clodagh also thinks it's a good idea to stock up on a range of canned foods - which mean you can always put together a simple but delicious supper.
'Good quality Italian cherry tomatoes in a can, cannelloni beans and some really good sea salt - I normally use Cornish sea salt - are all really good options,' she said.
Clodagh (pictured) said she swears by rose water and orange blossom, which she said can 'instantly change a dish like a cous cous salad'
Like many other chefs, Clodagh swears by the power of a good quality olive oil.
'It's so important,' she said.
'As is a range of vinegars, from apple cider vinegar to balsamic.'
One of her more unusual items she keeps in her pantry is rose water and orange blossom water, which Clodagh said are her simple secrets for lifting a dish.
'Both of these instantly change a dish like a cous cous salad,' she said.
'You can buy them at the supermarket, but still lots of people don't know about them.
'I add them into dressings and salads to add a really decadent flavour.'
'You can scrimp on canned foods like tomatoes, cannelloni beans, cous cous and bulgur wheat,' Clodagh (pictured) said - but you should spend bigger on olive oil and salt
When it comes to the items you should scrimp and splurge on, Clodagh said she divides her pantry into two camps.
'You can scrimp on canned foods like tomatoes, cannelloni beans, cous cous and bulgur wheat,' she said.
'Keep your splurging for your sea salt and your good quality olive oil.'
The Irish chef recommends you make cutbacks with your olive oil by cooking with a 'lighter oil' like rapeseed or sunflower.
'Just use your olive oil to drizzle over vegetables or dressings,' she said.
Lastly, Clodagh shared the major mistakes home chefs make.
'The first is not having a well-stocked pantry,' she said.
'If you don't have a well-stocked pantry with the likes of the above, then how can you expect to make any sort of delicious dish.'
She also said she sees to many people overcook fish, which ruins it.
'Cooking shouldn't be stressful,' she said. 'Look at it as though it's something that is enjoyable.'
Clodagh McKenna is the author of Clodagh's Suppers. For more information, please click here.
