The well-stocked pantry

A well-chosen pantry means you can make a good dinner on a weeknight without shopping, and most of the recipes in this book only need a few fresh things. You don't need everything here at once; build it over time.

Salt, pepper and fats

• Fine sea salt for cooking; flaky sea salt for finishing
• Black peppercorns in a grinder
• Extra-virgin olive oil for cooking, and a better one for finishing if you like
• A neutral oil: rapeseed (canola), sunflower or peanut
• Unsalted butter (fridge or freezer)
• Toasted sesame oil

Acids

• Red and white wine vinegar
• Cider vinegar, rice vinegar, sherry or balsamic vinegar
• Lemons and limes (keep them in the fridge; they last weeks)

Cans and jars

• Whole peeled tomatoes, tomato paste (tubes keep best)
• Chickpeas, white beans, black beans, lentils (canned or dried)
• Coconut milk
• Anchovies in oil, capers, olives
• Dijon mustard, wholegrain mustard
• Honey, maple syrup
• Tahini, peanut butter
• Good stock, or stock concentrate, for when you don't have homemade

Dry goods

• Pasta: a long shape and a short one
• Rice: long-grain (basmati or jasmine) and a risotto or short-grain rice
• Rolled oats, couscous or bulgur, red lentils
• All-purpose flour, bread flour, cornstarch
• Sugar, light brown sugar, powdered sugar
• Baking powder, baking soda, dried yeast
• Breadcrumbs or panko
• Nuts and seeds (store in the freezer to keep them fresh)

Asian staples (in most supermarkets now)

• Soy sauce (light) and tamari if you need gluten-free
• Fish sauce
• Miso (fridge)
• Chili sauce or chili crisp, gochujang
• Mirin

Spices (buy small amounts and replace yearly)

• Ground cumin and coriander, cumin seeds
• Smoked and sweet paprika
• Chili flakes and cayenne
• Ground cinnamon, nutmeg (whole), cardamom
• Turmeric, ground ginger
• Dried oregano, thyme, bay leaves
• Curry powder or garam masala (see Four Spice Blends)

Fridge and freezer staples

• Eggs, Parmesan or another hard cheese, plain yogurt
• Garlic, onions, shallots (cool, dark place; not the fridge)
• Fresh ginger (freezer; grate from frozen)
• Frozen peas, spinach, berries
• Homemade stock in portions, cooked rice and grains
• A loaf of bread, sliced, for toast

How to store it

• Oils and spices go stale in light and heat. Keep them away from the stove and in closed containers.
• Flours and grains: in airtight containers. Whole-grain flours and nuts go rancid faster; keep them in the fridge or freezer.
• Label and date everything you decant, and use the oldest first.
• Check use-by dates on yeast and baking powder, which lose strength over time. To test baking powder, add 1 tsp to hot water: it should fizz vigorously.