Everything A Chef Keeps In His Kitchen At Home
FRIDGE STAPLES
Sourdough Starter: I'm in the routine of making sourdough loaves on Sundays for the family to enjoy throughout the week. I find the process therapeutic and love working with dough, as it's such a different skill compared to other areas of the kitchen. I got my starter from E5 Bakery in 2018, though I'm sure it's much older than that – it adds great depth of flavour to the sourdough I make at home.
Mayo: I always have a jar of Hellmann’s (full fat – none of the light stuff) and a bottle of Japan’s finest Kewpie.
Butter: Always unsalted, so it's versatile for cooking without over-seasoning ingredients and dishes. I keep backup blocks in the fridge, but always have a block sitting out by the toaster in a butter dish, ready for spreading on hot toast.
Gapi Shrimp Paste: A staple in Thai cuisine, shrimp paste is essentially salted and fermented shrimp, which gives dishes a salty funk unlike anything else. I stock up during trips to southern Thailand, where shrimp paste production is most prevalent and the quality is at its best.
Tofu: During the week I tend to eat a vegetarian-heavy diet, and tofu features on the menu most weeks. If you can source it, Clean Bean makes organic tofu in East London and it’s delicious.
FRUIT & VEG
Mushrooms: Everyone in my family likes mushrooms. Button mushrooms pan fried in a little butter with thinly sliced garlic is a staple breakfast at home with the kids. I’m a huge fan of hen of the woods (maitake) as they’re so meaty and delicious.
Tomatoes: When in season, these are probably my favourite vegetable. We have a small allotment close to home, and picking tomatoes with my son during the summer months is a lovely activity. Straight from the vine to the plate, you can’t beat it.
Alliums: I’ve cheated here by listing a genus of vegetables that includes onions, shallots, and garlic. This humble trio forms the backbone of most of my cooking and is incredibly versatile in the kitchen.
Bananas: I'm a stickler for buying UK-grown, seasonal vegetables and fruit, but I can’t seem to go a day without having a banana for breakfast. They're affordable and easy. However, they must be ripe – I’m really not a fan of the chalky-textured, green-skinned bananas you often see on supermarket shelves.
Pears: They’re in peak season right now, and when it comes to fruit, you want to eat what's at its best for the fullest flavour.
CUPBOARD ESSENTIALS
Sea Salt: I can’t live without it. Maldon flaked salt is my preference at home and the restaurant. And its smoked salt is great to finish cooked meats and veg.
Eggs: One of the most versatile ingredients in the kitchen. My son and I love a soft-boiled egg with hot buttered toast for breakfast, so I try to make it for us at least once a week. It has to be Burford Brown eggs from Clarence Court. They're expensive, but you can taste the difference – they’re hands down the best eggs on the market.
Rapeseed Oil: I like cold-pressed rapeseed oil from Duchess. It has great flavour and is made in Hertfordshire. It's an all-purpose oil with a high smoke point for cooking, but it’s equally great for finishing dishes and dressings.
Fish Sauce: This is a total umami bomb and one of my favourite seasonings from South East Asia. It has an incredible depth of flavour and is an essential in Thai cooking.
Dry Spices: I couldn’t live without my extensive dry spice collection. I renovated my kitchen last year and, as part of the project, dedicated an entire cupboard to my spices. Having such an array at my disposal allows me to cook flavourful meals with just a few ingredients, like lentil dal, vegetable curries and stews. Ren’s Pantry is the place to go for the best quality dry spices in the UK.
SNACKS & TREATS
Crisps: Sea Salt & Balsamic Vinegar Kettle Chips are my guilty pleasure. I’ve been known to devour a family bag in a sitting with a cold beer watching the football.
Chocolate: I like a square of dark chocolate after dinner in the evenings. My preference is Tony’s, either extra dark 70% or milk caramel sea salt.
Ice-Cream: Who doesn’t love ice-cream? I’m fortunate to have a commercial ice-cream machine at home, so our freezer is always stocked with various flavours. You can’t beat a good-quality vanilla with loads of vanilla beans in the mix. A recent favourite has been coconut and fig leaf.
FREEZER ITEMS
Pizza Dough: I work with Gozney, who build wood-fired pizza ovens. I have one in my garden and, during the summer months, it sees a lot of action. I usually make a big batch of dough, portion it, then freeze portions so I can easily whip up a few pizzas for the family.
Spinach: Frozen chopped spinach is great. Little blocks that can be popped directly into a curry or risotto to give some green goodness. It’s one of my favourite frozen vegetables.
Stock: This is a job I take on every few months – cooking a big batch of stock and freezing it in portions. It’s super useful to have good-quality stock on hand, as you never know when you’ll need it while cooking. Pork and trotter stock is my favourite because it adds so much body and flavour to dishes.
Falafel: We recently discovered Ramon’s falafel in the freezer section of the supermarket and they’re delicious. I typically serve them with a salad and couscous for a light lunch.
Ice: Can't have a negroni or G&T without ice…
DRINKS
Coconut Water: I have a glass every morning before my coffee. It’s a habit I developed when I lived in Bangkok.
Wine: My wife is a sommelier, so we have a fully stocked wine cabinet at home – it’s such a luxury, and I’m not complaining. I love a white Burgundy and am very partial to a Californian Chardonnay. Au Bon Climat makes a wine called Wild Boy, which is probably my death-row bottle.
Beer: There’s always a selection in the fridge depending on my mood. I enjoy a Guinness or a hoppy IPA. We always have Brooklyn Brewery's low-alcohol beer, Special Effects, in the fridge for those days when you fancy a beer but not the hangover. It’s the best of all the non and low-alcohol options on the market.
Coffee: Always single-origin beans from Climpson & Son’s in east London. I buy whole beans and grind them once a week at home, so they stay fresh and retain their flavour.
White Tea: I like to end my day with a white tea. It’s cleansing for the body and soul, and starts the unwind process in the evening.
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SHOP JOHN'S FAVOURITES
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