Unsung Heroes Nigel Slater's Dish of the Day

I'm Nigel Slater.

I'm someone who cooks by instinct and impulse.

I tend not to follow recipes - I just make things up

depending on what I fancy and whatever ingredients I have to hand.

There's something very satisfying about an idea that works.

It's exactly the same when I shop. I just buy whatever catches my eye

and work out what I'm going to cook as the week unfolds.

Using great ingredients should always be a pleasure

and with a bit of creative thinking you really can cook delicious

food every day of the week.

I'm going to show you how I make the most of my weekly shop,

to give you ideas how not to waste a bit of yours.

For me there are lots of ingredients we take for granted,

but sometimes they can be the motivation

for creating amazing dishes.

They may not always seem like the star ingredient

but they are every bit as crucial.

This week's cooking is a celebration of often-unsung heroes.

Before I go shopping, I like to see what is left in the fridge.

So that none of the ingredients that actually I can do something delicious with

find themselves being outshone by the new shopping.

And anything in there is fair game, whether it's a bit of roast meat

from the Sunday lunch, whether it's something like this,

which is a chicken breast that I cooked yesterday and didn't use.

So I'm just going to break this up into smaller pieces,

but keeping them quite large and juicy.

Once that starts to sizzle and smoke a little bit,

in goes the chicken.

Frying the chicken until it's crisp will provide a lovely

texture and ready it for what I've got planned next.

Add a little bit of spice.

And I'm using five-spice, which has got wonderful aniseed notes.

And what this does is take something that's a leftover

and completely change it, makes it...

..something really quite exciting.

Flavouring the chicken with five-spice -

a mixture of Sichuan pepper, star anise, cloves, cinnamon,

and fennel seed means it is already delicious,

and I have the perfect accompaniment.

These lettuce leaves are just right for a fresh salad wrap.

And then, a little bit of chutney.

I just want something a little bit sweet and sour

to go with my chicken.

Such as fig chutney.

Anything would work.

And then I'm just going to wrap it up.

The contrast of the cold, crisp lettuce leaves

with hot, spicy chicken is heavenly.

That doesn't taste like leftovers at all.

Simply by inviting a few flavours into the mix,

I've made some chicken and a few pieces of lettuce

feel like a whole new lunchtime treat.

With my fridge cleared out, I can go shopping with a clean conscience.

Expensive ingredients don't always guarantee good food.

Often it's the cheaper, everyday elements that do the hard work.

Staples like bread, milk, pasta and root veg might not be glamorous,

but they can be essential for sensational dishes.

I have an idea for a recipe

that absolutely relies on basic ingredients.

-How are you, all right?

-I'm very well.

To really make a fish dish sing.

-I'm making a chowder.

-OK.

So, not a particularly expensive one,

and not a very complicated one.

My chowder needs hearty root veg, which I know I have at home,

and, of course, a good piece of fish too.

Most people would tend to go for haddock.

Generally smoked, but I've got lovely firm,

fresh Cornish haddock there as well.

Another one is clams, a lot of people make a nice clam chowder.

I am very tempted by that,

but the idea of Cornish haddock I cannot resist.

-Cornish haddock!

-Four fillets, yes.

Sunday's supper is going to be a marvellous marriage

of my lovely Cornish haddock

and of one of our most unassuming, yet versatile ingredients.

There's always one or two everyday ingredients that just get left behind.

With me, it's always milk.

I don't take it in tea or coffee, but friends do,

and I need a little bit for cooking,

and I end up with a whole load of milk that I need to use.

It's just part of those very cheap, everyday things

that it's too easy to kind of end up throwing away.

A lovely way of using it is in a soup.

Cut the Haddock into big chunks.

This dish wants to have a lovely rustic quality.

So...

I'm going to use up my milk...

..pop in the pieces of fish.

I want it to cook very gently.

I don't want them to break up into little pieces.

Now, into that, a couple of bay leaves and some black peppercorns.

As soon as the milk comes to the boil,

turn off the heat and pop on a lid.

Now, that's the liquid for my soup.

But the soup needs a base.

And I want it to be quite chunky, because this is a main course.

Start with a little bit of chopped onion.

About half a large onion will do.

So, put it on a fairly low heat, and just cook in butter.

Butter always seems right when you're using milk.

I don't want much colour here,

I don't want vegetables to sort of caramelise, and brown.

I want gentle flavours here,

I want flavours that will produce a very soothing soup.

The whole idea for this dish came about

because I happened to have some root vegetables in my cupboard.

We'll pop a little bit of carrot in, for sweetness.

You know, there are just one or two things that you continually

get left with.

Things that sit in the fridge.

And because they're cheap, and they're everyday,

you end up throwing them away.

You don't treat them

with the sort of respect as if it was an expensive thing.

It's still wasting food, it's daft.

Swedes like being cooked with other root veg,

so they're great with carrots.

You want a soup, if it's going to be a main course,

to have a bit of body to it,

so I'm keeping these veggies not too finely diced.

And because this is a chowder, it can be cream, it can be milk...

..but they nearly always have a little bit of potato in it.

We'll just sweat these for a while.

Now, that's quite a sweet base for a soup.

We need a little bit of spice. Nothing hot.

If I'm using milk or dairy produce, I like to use the softer spices.

But I've got some little mustard seeds here,

and they have a tiny bit of warmth to them,

but it's not what you'd call hot, like chilli.

And about a teaspoon of those

and a little bit of black pepper and some salt.

A little bit of ground turmeric.

This will give a beautiful colour to the soup.

And you don't want much.

Now, it's at this point I decide what sort of texture

I want the soup to have.

And because this is a main dish, I want it to be just a little bit

thick and creamy. So, I'm going to use a tiny bit of flour,

just to give it a little bit of body.

And then the liquid is the milk.

With the haddock poached in it, the milk's infused with a delicate

fishy flavour - this liquor will bring the whole dish together.

Something very soothing about fish soups that you make with milk.

They're very calming to eat.

And then they've got that little warm kick from the spice.

The fresh and mild flavour of some parsley

will brighten the whole dish.

And then just for the last couple of minutes of cooking,

I'm going to slide the pieces of fish into the soup.

Put the lid on for a minute or so.

And I can smell a little bit of sweetness,

and a very, very faint aroma of spice.

That is really quite blissful.

A very nice way to use a pint of milk.

Milk, carrots, potatoes and swede might not sound like the most

exciting ingredients, but believe me, this fish dish wouldn't taste

anywhere near as luxurious without them.

I want to make the most of the haddock from yesterday's supper...

..but I want to use it in a way

that will make it feel like a whole new meal.

For a surprisingly simple lunchtime treat,

I'm going to use my take on a pasty.

And to make things really easy,

I'm going to use some ready-rolled shop-bought puff pastry.

Set the oven to 180 degrees, and while it heats up,

cut out a circle of pastry.

Simply take chunks of fish and veg that remain from the chowder,

and pile onto the circle.

A spot of egg wash to help create a good seal.

Fold the pastry over to form a half moon shape...

..and then gently crimp the edges.

A bit more egg wash will give my pasties a golden glaze...

..while they sit in the oven for fifteen to twenty minutes.

Some people think that anything involving pastry

instantly complicates a dish,

but with the right ingredients, it couldn't be simpler.

It's a great way to use up a little bit of leftover fish chowder.

Just wrap it up in crisp puff pastry.

Made in minutes.

This week it's the everyday ingredients that are my inspiration.

A starting point for a great culinary idea

can come from even the most humble things.

You know, I really don't like to waste anything.

Not even half a swede that I've got knocking around.

It's a vegetable that people tend to ignore.

Not me, it's one of my favourites.

Just going to cut it up into cubes.

It makes a glorious mash.

Pale gold, buttery.

And it's lighter than a potato mash.

Needs a bit of salt.

A meat that has a real sweetness,

and I know will sit happily alongside swede, is lamb.

And whenever I think of lamb...

I know it's obvious, but I always think of thyme.

This is actually lemon thyme,

and it really doesn't matter which you use.

It's just that the lemon here

will actually be really, really nice with the lamb.

Now, this lamb will be lovely as it is,

but what I'm thinking is that I want a crisp crust.

This is another chance to use up something else

we all always have in the kitchen - bread.

It can be turned into ever-handy crumbs.

The lovely thing about having some breadcrumbs around

is that you can use what you want,

and then the rest, just pop them in the freezer.

And then they're there for you.

Straight from frozen, they'll be fine.

So to my crumbs, I'm going to put a little bit of parmesan.

And some black pepper in there as well.

That'll give me a really great, crisp crust.

But I kind of want more than that.

I want some other flavour going on that's going to work with cheese,

and it's going to work with lamb, and it's going to work with thyme.

And this is the moment for a spot of mustard.

And I could mix it into the breadcrumbs,

but I risk a slightly soggy mess.

I think it's far better to use it to season the lamb.

So, pepper and salt first.

And I could have used a smooth mustard,

but the joy of this are these little beads of mustard seed,

because I just want that extra little bit of texture.

Push it into the crumbs.

Just want them to stick all over it.

And then the same on this side.

And then turn the lamb over so that both sides are covered.

And then under a hot grill for a few minutes each side

until it's crisp and golden.

After ten to twelve minutes cooking, my swede is ready to be transformed

into something sumptuous.

Swede is nothing without butter.

It's almost the whole point of the vegetable.

And then, give it a good old mash.

Now, the only other thing that needs is black pepper, and plenty of it.

If anybody ever tells you they don't like swede, try it this way.

After six minutes each side,

the lamb is ready.

I can smell thyme, a little bit of cheese, and I can smell mustard.

In my next recipe I'm using some leftovers and a shop-bought shortcut

to make what you may think of as a tricky treat quite simple.

I'm a big fan of good coffee.

I love letting the aromas fill the kitchen.

If you find that you often have leftover coffee,

and you hate throwing it away,

then this is an opportunity to turn it into something really special.

Ice cream.

To make things simple I'm using shop-bought custard.

I always look out for one made with fresh cream and real vanilla.

Pour the custard and the coffee into a tray.

Give it a good stir to let the flavours get to know each other.

Then, simply freeze the mixture.

It'll take a good three hours,

and you'll need to churn it up every hour or so.

If you thought that homemade ice cream was a tricky prospect,

this blend of two simple ingredients will surely dispel the myth.

You know, this is the most wonderful way

to use the remains of the morning coffee pot.

And best of all, it's the easiest ice cream I've ever made.

While out shopping for my lovely haddock,

I got some sound advice from Kevin, a helpful fishmonger.

Things that look a little bit alien, like John Dory, is a lovely, lovely fish.

Its return on the plate is absolutely fantastic.

In exchange for his advice I've offered to cook up

an improvised dinner in his kitchen.

-Love your shop.

-Great.

-Absolutely brilliant.

-Thanks.

And thank you for inviting me back here. Can I...

-Can I just have a rummage around you your kitchen?

-Course you can.

This fascination with other people's kitchens...

Do you bring stuff home? Do you bring a lot of fish home?

Yeah, yeah, daily. I eat a lot of fish. I eat a lot of fish.

Look at those...

-I'd love to play with these prawns, can I?

-Yeah, of course!

Great. And...

OK, I'll have some of those...

The prawns look amazing,

but the other ingredients I find are equally inspiring.

And...a bit of ginger.

I've got everything I need for a gorgeous Thai-style prawn curry.

Have you got a little pan we can make a sort of stock with?

-Yeah, like a deep pan? I've got these here.

-Yeah, perfect.

Absolutely perfect. They're not going to make too much.

-Shall I start shelling, then?

-Oh, would you?

Want a little knife, think that one will do it.

It's not just everyday ingredients

that don't always get a chance to shine.

The less appealing bits of some favourites can be overlooked too.

Tip everything in.

These shells could easily end up in the bin -

but they actually contain an intense flavour -

unlocking it will provide the backbone of my dish.

I'm going to put a couple of those lime leaves in,

like that, and...this is your seasonings cupboard.

Yeah, next to the cooker, yeah.

I don't need much, just some whole peppercorns...

I'm using distinctly Thai flavours.

Garlic, lemongrass and ginger.

And there's another ingredient I want to add.

-How's your heat threshold?

-Yeah, good. I can take a bit of heat.

-Cos these little chaps...

-They're fiery, those ones.

They're fiery, aren't they?

I mean, I've always said, "The smaller, the hotter."

How neat is that?

Coriander is another classic Asian flavour.

You see, that would have taken me hours by hand.

After a mere five minutes, my prawn stock is ready to strain.

Now I fry off my spice mix, ready to make the sauce.

I want this to keep this bright colour,

so I'm not going to cook it for too long, couple of minutes.

I'm going to leave that like that,

and pour in a little bit of this stock, which I can't resist using.

I'm also be going to be adding crisp mange tout.

And what I'm really after is a little bit of coconut milk.

Ah, I can do coconut milk.

-There you are.

-Lovely.

Just put a wee bit of that in.

Just let that melt in there a bit.

-Smell good?

-That's getting good, yeah. I like that.

So, I might drop those little chaps in.

And they will only take three or four minutes.

The bean sprouts will just cook in the residual heat of the sauce

and retain a lovely crunch.

The proof of this improvised dish will be in the eating.

-So, tell me what you think of that, then.

-Well, it looks good.

Don't want to ruin it by eating it.

-Bottoms up.

-Absolutely.

Mm.

That's lovely. How nice is this? Getting cooked for.

-Thank you for letting me cook in your kitchen.

-Mm.

-That's gorgeous.

-You're welcome, any time.

There's no doubt that prawn stock, Thai flavourings

and coconut milk make a wonderfully rich yet simple curry.

With this week's dishes, I'm focusing on ingredients

that rarely take centre stage - but they can be the inspiration

to cook up something incredible.

Pasta is a perfect example,

commonly smothered in a tomato sauce.

Today I want to try a new way of serving this honest staple

by pairing it with a tasty veg.

Fennel's one of those vegetables that some people find too strong.

But if you cook it quite slowly, the flavour softens,

and you get something that is actually quite delicate.

I'm going to use all of it.

Including these lovely little fronds,

because they're very delicate and very charming,

and I'm going to use them at the very end.

The other thing that occurs when you cook fennel

is the crunchy texture breaks down and there's a delectable sweetness.

To balance that, I'm going to put some onion in.

This is a lovely banana shallot.

I'm not really after much browning here.

I don't want these to caramelise, but I do want them to soften.

So, I'll keep moving them round the pan.

I'm keeping the pieces of vegetables actually quite big.

I want something with lots more texture, and also a bit unusual.

I don't want anything I've had before.

You see, straight away you can smell aniseed,

and the sweetness of the onion.

It's quite tricky to know what herb to put with fennel,

but the one that always works for me is basil.

Both basil and fennel share that lovely hint of aniseed.

Time for the inspiration for this whole dish - pasta.

To be honest, any of the ribbon pastas will do.

I'm using a very thin linguine.

And that goes into boiling water, very heavily salted water.

For literally a couple of minutes, because it's very fine.

Now, what I'm after is a tangle of vegetables and pasta.

But this is to be my main course, so it needs something else in there.

Got lots of quite sweet flavours going on in this pan.

Some wonderful, sharp, slightly salty feta

is really going to work very well in here.

Just going to crumble this.

I don't really want it to melt,

I like the idea of different-sized lumps.

And then, that basil.

Needs a little bit of black pepper. No salt.

I've got the feta in there, I don't really need salt.

And then, those little fennel fronds that I saved.

Just toss the ingredients together.

I'm smelling that basil.

You know, that's really rather good.

I'd no idea how that was going to turn out.

I've never made a sauce like that for pasta.

Certainly never with fennel.

You know, I'm really quite pleased with that.

The contrasting flavours of sweet onion and salty feta

collide in a delicious fusion with an underlying hint of aniseed.

A real treat for the taste buds.

This week I've used the most everyday ingredients as my inspiration,

seeing the unsung heroes of my weekly shop in a different light,

providing the motivation to create new and exciting dishes.

Next time, I'll be experimenting with a few new flavours

that can transform everyday ingredients

into something very special.

Sometimes I know what I'm going to cook, and other times

I just open the fridge door and I genuinely don't know.

Supper I didn't know I'd got.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd