10 British Ingredients Nigella Lawson Can't Cook—Or Live—Without
Nigella Lawson is a household name who's been gracing kitchens with her dinner party-ready recipes since her first cookbook, How to Eat, was published 20 years ago in England. This month, she released her 11th book, At My Table: A Celebration of Home Cooking, featuring a whole new batch of approachable, creative recipes geared for home cooks. No matter how devout of a Nigella fan you are, you can't deny the charming Britishness she exudes. Since we're always looking to spice up our pantries, we asked Nigella for a list of British ingredients she can't cook—or live—without. Most of them you can get online, but for some, you'll just have to fly over to England and buy yourself.
1. Maldon Salt
"This has to top any list. There are other magnificent salts from the UK—notably Halen Mon from Wales and Cornish Sea Salt—and so many wonderful salts from around the world, but I couldn’t cook without Maldon. I love its mellow saltiness and the softness of its flakes. And I can’t eat without it, either: I always have a pinch pot of Maldon in my purse."
BUY IT: Maldon Salt, $5 on Amazon
2. Colman’s English Mustard
"The Queen of Condiments! Along with my Maldon, I always travel with a tube of Colman's. At home in my kitchen, I have it in two forms: powder and as-made mustard in a jar, to cook with and to splodge brightly on the plate when I eat. It's very different from either American or French mustard and is fiercely, sinus-clearingly hot—think of it as a British wasabi!"
BUY IT: Colman's Mustard, $15 on Amazon
3. Lyle’s Golden Syrup
"I could not contemplate a kitchen without this. It’s what we in the UK have in place of both light and dark corn syrup but it is—and I have no wish to offend—so much better than either and tastes rather like an instant caramel. Gleamingly golden, viscous and full of flavor, it's enough to eat as is, poured over ice cream, pancakes, rice puddings, or oatmeal. It makes a fine accompaniment to clotted cream and scones, and on hot buttered toast or crumpets, it is a peerless pleasure."
BUY IT: Lyle's Golden Syrup, $5 on Amazon
4. Rodda’s Clotted Cream
"This is cream so rich that it’s almost butter, and although it is an essential part of a cream tea, it is wonderful with apple pie, sticky toffee pudding—indeed any hot dessert. Its richness cuts through the sweetness. Dollop on oatmeal (made with water, not milk for the correct experience) and drizzle over Lyle's Golden Syrup for the most luxurious, over-the-top, far-from-everyday breakfast. In Cornwall, you sometimes get a mound of it on top of a cone of clotted cream ice cream."
Rodda's Clotted Cream cannot be delivered to the United States.
5. Clarence Court Eggs
"Once you’ve eaten a Clarence Court egg, you are ruined for life because every other egg will disappoint. They remind me of the eggs I collected from hens that squawked around the gardens of a house I rented in Italy one summer. I buy two sorts of eggs at the supermarket from Clarence Court: Old Cotswold Legbar with pale blue shells, and Burford Browns, whose shells are almost tan. The yolks of each are a deep orange (the Burford Browns just that bit deeper), and the taste is intense and buttery."
Clarence Court Eggs cannot be delivered to the United States.
6. Jersey Royal Potatoes
"Quite rightly, these potatoes have a Protected Designation of Origin and are the caviar of the potato world. They're kidney-shaped, always eaten small, and are grown in Jersey, in the Channel Islands, in mineral-rich soil that gives them an exceptional flavor. You should almost be able to taste the sea in them. These potatoes are simply steamed or boiled in their thin skins, then dressed with melted butter and fresh mint. And that’s it: no one with any respect would do anything more to a Jersey Royal (though you're allowed to skip the mint if you like)."
BUY IT: Jersey Royal Potatoes, $15 (plus shipping) for 500 grams at Fine Foods Specialist
7. Gentleman’s Relish
"If you're an anchovy lover, this has your name on it. Also known as Patum Peperium, this is an anchovy paste made with butter and herbs that's typically spread—thinly or thickly—on hot buttered toast. It's an essential ingredient of an old fashioned British dish called Scotch Woodcock, which is simply hot buttered toast spread with Gentleman’s Relish and topped with soft scrambled eggs. It is also wonderful on a toasted English muffin with a poached egg on top. Add to stews or meat sauces for instant umami."
BUY IT: Patum Peperium Gentleman's Relish, $12 on Amazon
8. Farrington’s Mellow Yellow Cold Pressed Rapeseed Oil
"Rapeseed oil is common, if erroneously, translated as canola oil in North America, but we're not talking about the same thing here at all. Rapeseed is a mustardy plant grown across the UK that when cold-pressed yields a golden, full-flavored oil that is, in a sense, Britain’s version of extra virgin olive oil. It is wonderful drizzled over chicken before roasting, over soups on serving, or in vinaigrettes."
BUY IT: Farrington's Mellow Yellow Cold Press Rapeseed Oil, $13 on Amazon
apples on board
9. Bramley Apples
"Both America and Britain claim apple pie as their own, but this is the apple that makes each conception of it very different. The Bramley apple is what we mean when we call for a cooking apple, which is the apple used for pies, crumbles, and chutneys. It's intensely sour and, upon cooking, turns to fluff. For that reason, to an English person, the texture of the fruit in an American apple pie makes it taste uncooked and too sweet. I often mix a Bramley with eating apples to get both sour-applesauce and chunks of apple in a pie, but for a crumble, I only use Bramleys. They make the best applesauce in the world. Add a little Colman’s Mustard Powder to eat with roast pork."
Bramley apples cannot be delivered to the United States.
10. Marmite
"Although I am a bit of a traitor to my country, often favoring Australian Vegemite over British Marmite to spread over my toast (excellent as a basis for avocado toast, incidentally), when cooking it is Marmite all the way. If you haven’t yet encountered Marmite, I must explain it to you, but it doesn’t sound pretty—it’s made from something called yeast sludge, which is what’s left from the yeast when brewing beer. Commonly referred to as yeast extract, Marmite is really just a glossy black-brown salty spread that's full of vitamin B. Apart from eating it on toast, or in sandwiches (when my children were little I used to beat butter and marmite together until I had a peanut-butter-colored spread for sandwiches), it's very useful in providing instant umami flavor. Melt with butter and emulsify with some pasta-cooking water to make a quick sauce for spaghetti, or add a tiny bit to stews and meat sauces while cooking. And you should try adding a tiny spread of Marmite to your grilled cheese."
BUY IT: Marmite, $8 on Amazon
