Top 5 ingredients your kitchen needs

So the shopping didn’t happen, you’ve just returned from holidays or you’re simply disorganised, how do you whip up something edible from virtually nothing at all?

A cupboard or freezer packed with savvy ingredients makes it simple, so we pulled together a list of superhero staples.

Pasta, tinned tomatoes, frozen peas, spices and herbs are all essential too, but I’ve assumed that goes without saying.

ANCHOVIES IN OIL

If you’re not quite so enamoured of these pungent fish, they are well worth having to hand.

Cooked down, they serve as a flavour bullet and don’t taste fishy at all – chop them finely, fry gently in olive oil until they melt, and then add garlic and/or chilli flakes.

Throw in some lightly cooked greens – kale and spinach are good – or pasta, and toss to coat in the flavoured oil before serving. Also delicious added to stews, or minced and whipped into butter to melt over steak or fish.

FROZEN BERRIES

Another freezer favourite, frozen berries offer endless pudding possibilities.

Pop them into the food processor with some honey and yoghurt and blitz to make a batch of instant ice cream.

Cook them up with fruit that’s past its best to make a fruit crumble or tart, or cook on the hob, maybe with some sugar and spices and spoon over ice cream.

INSTANT STOCK

Once little more than nuggets of artificial flavouring and salt, instant stock has come a long way.

Good quality versions in the form of jelly, cubes, liquid or bouillon powder are perfectly acceptable to use in risottos, soups and stews.

When the cupboard is very bare, a bowl of stock with some pasta or noodles thrown in, a splash of soy sauce and some finely chopped leftover veg makes a delicious light soup.

Miso paste, available in sachets, also makes an excellent stock or soup base.

FROZEN PRAWNS

Good quality frozen prawns can be quickly turned into supper, especially if you buy them ready-peeled.

Some packets suggest it’s fine to cook them from frozen, but in my experience this results in lots of unappealing liquid being released into the pan, so better to defrost first.

Great for stir-fries and curries, or marinated in lemon juice, garlic, herbs and chilli and thrown on the BBQ. Be careful not too overcook – they’re done as soon as they turn pink.

PEARL BARLEY

More delicious and interesting than rice, pearl barley is also versatile and hearty.

Cook to tenderness with stock as you would for risotto, then add whatever you have: grated cheese, cooked vegetables, fried-off dried mushrooms, herbs, roast garlic – it’s a blank canvass.

Alternatively, drain the cooked grains, spread them out to dry, then toss with a punchy dressing and add vegetables and dried fruit for a lovely grain salad.

You can also go the pudding route: simmer in milk and then add sugar, honey or golden syrup, spices, citrus peel or dried fruit.

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