Good cooking does not require an elaborately stocked refrigerator and pantry—we swear. That said, having a few powerhouse ingredients on hand can be the difference between a completely run-of-the-mill grilled cheese sandwich and a transcendent grilled cheese sandwich. We vote for transcendence! To help us reach that higher plane of flavor, we talked to a few chefs and cookbook authors about the jars, cans, and bottles that keep their everyday cooking exciting with very little effort. They shared their go-to ingredients, where to find them in the grocery store, and how to store them so you'll always have big flavor at your fingertips.
Miso
Some famous authors use the traditional Japanese
soybean paste to up the umami in a French onion soup, season garlic
butter for shrimp scampi, and even boost caramel sauce. Or, try it in a Caesar salad dressing.
“It adds a kind of richness and pleasant funkiness common in fermented
foods,” Pittman says. For a mild, versatile option, reach for white
miso, and add it during the final stages of cooking to preserve its
delicate flavors. Look for it next to the tofu or dressings in the
refrigerated section of your grocery store. And store it in the
refrigerator at home. It will last for months.
Tahini
Tahini, a sesame seed paste widely used in Middle Eastern cooking,
creates a creaminess that’s especially handy in vegan cooking, says an author. “I use it to
thicken soups, make vinaigrettes creamier, and bring an earthy, nutty
flavor to desserts.” For a simple glaze on baked goods, Park recommends
whisking a few spoonfuls of tahini with splashes of maple syrup and
vanilla. You can also add a dollop to smoothies, drizzle it over roasted veggies,
or mix it into your morning yogurt. Tahini is often next to the nut
butters or in the international or kosher section of the supermarket.
Store it in the refrigerator or pantry.
Mayonnaise
You likely already have a jar of this silky emulsion of eggs and oil in your refrigerator for tuna sandwiches and pasta and potato salads.
But its uses don’t stop there, says Edward Lee, a James Beard
Award–winning chef and cookbook author. “If I’m making a toasted
sandwich, I’ll use mayonnaise on the outside. Its high oil content means
it heats and melts just like other cooking fats, with way more flavor.”
Lee also grabs a jar to refresh leftover cooked salmon; he flakes the
fish and mixes it with mayo, capers, and pickle juice, to eat with
cucumbers on white bread. And for a zesty condiment, try whisking it with sriracha, lemon juice,
and minced garlic or Dijon mustard. You probably don't need us to tell
you that you should store an open jar of mayo in your fridge, but there
you have it.
Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce
If you ever want to trick your dinner guests into thinking a 30-minute
pot of chili has been cooking all day, get one of these tiny cans, full
of dried, smoked jalapeños (called chipotles) in a spicy, tangy sauce.
“It’s wonderfully smoky, and it has this robust savoriness,” Pittman
says. She also uses chipotles to amp up canned enchilada sauce for a
shortcut birria-inspired sandwich. Got leftover adobo sauce? Mix a spoonful into mashed potatoes, or whip
up a quick dip by whisking the sauce with plain yogurt or mayo, Pittman
suggests. Look for these cans near the salsas and other Latin American
ingredients at the grocery store. Transfer leftover chipotles and adobo
sauce in the can to a jar, and refrigerate for a week. Or, for longer
storage, place chilis and a dollop of sauce in an ice cube tray (one
chili per section). Defrost as many you need in the microwave; about 30
seconds will do the job.
Gochujang
This chili paste with fermented soybeans goes deep, Lee says: “There’s
this haunting spice in the background. It makes you want to keep taking
another bite to figure out what it is.” In his latest cookbook, Bourbon Land, he
shows how gracefully the ingredient fits into Southern
cooking—including barbecue sauces. “It adds texture, it adds flavor, it
adds umami,”he says. Lee suggests using gochujang whenever a recipe
calls for a little heat with depth of flavor, such as in pimento cheese
or gazpacho. A spoonful also improves fried rice and marinades, and it
both batters and sauces.
In most supermarkets, you’ll find gochujang with other Asian
ingredients, like soy sauce. Store opened containers in the
refrigerator.
Tomato Paste in a Tube
Yes, the cans are great—if you’re going to use all of it at once. If not, a resealable tube is the easiest way to keep this concentrated flavor at arm’s reach. Justine Doiron, author of the upcoming cookbook Justine Cooks, says to add it to the pan when you’re cooking down aromatics for a soup or sauce. Let the paste darken by at least one shade to caramelize it, intensifying the flavor. Doiron cooks tomato paste with garlic, ginger, turmeric, coriander, cumin, and coconut milk to make a saucy base for roasted veggies. One more mind-blowing idea: She’ll add a few squeezes of tomato paste to warm brown butter with honey, cumin, and caraway seeds. “It makes a rich, spiced sauce that I slather on roasted squash.”
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