British cook, author and TV presenter Nigella Lawson is loved for her fuss-free approach to decadent, hearty dishes – and she's equally famous for her bizarre but brilliant cooking tips. From throwing banana skins in curries to cooking ham in Coca-Cola, it's fair to say she likes to do things a little differently. But who are we to argue, when she usually turns out to be right? To help you on your way to a delicious Christmas (and beyond), we've ranked Lawson's greatest-ever pearls of culinary wisdom.
Click or scroll through our gallery to discover Nigella Lawson's best recipe ideas and cooking tips – counting down to her most unmissable piece of culinary advice.
Lawson almost broke the internet in 2020 when she dared to offer a ‘recipe’ for buttered toast on her BBC Two TV series Cook, Eat, Repeat. In one episode, she spent a full five minutes explaining her ‘two-stage buttering approach’, which involves buttering the toast straight out of the toaster, letting it settle for a minute, then adding more butter, followed by a sprinkle of sea salt. Despite the uproar, we can’t see how more butter can ever be a bad thing.
You either love it or hate it, so the tagline goes, and this is definitely the case with Lawson’s divisive Marmite-heavy pasta dish. Her super-simple recipe calls for cooked spaghetti to be coated with butter, Marmite and plenty of Parmesan cheese for an explosion of umami flavour. The dish first appeared in her 2010 book Kitchen, and it still ignites fierce debate to this day (it was famously labelled an 'abomination' on social media).
Viewers were pretty taken aback when a thrifty Lawson suggested adding banana skins to a curry. On an episode of 2020’s Cook, Eat, Repeat, her recipe called for the fruit skins to be covered in boiling water along with turmeric and salt, before being cooled, chopped and added to a coconut-rich curry sauce. By way of explanation, she said: "It’s all about the texture, and these always go so velvety and just swell and soften with the flavour of the curry sauce."
Another polarising ingredient, liquorice is a flavour that people either loathe or love, and Lawson is firmly in the latter camp – so much so that she keeps several varieties in her kitchen. While she concedes it can be ‘challenging’ and ‘corrosively salty’, Lawson uses liquorice to make a rich and sticky sauce for her Basque burnt cheesecake, and she declares the pairing to be sensational.
Lawson's cookbook Feast features a vibrant beetroot and cranberry soup, aptly named Red Soup. In this recipe, Lawson advises that you don your rubber gloves well before the cleaning up starts. In fact, she says, you should put them on before you peel the beetroot to prevent the vegetable from staining your hands a deep purple colour.
When you’re setting yeasted dough aside to rise, it needs to be covered with a tea towel or set into a proving bag to prevent it from drying out. Lawson has an alternative suggestion, though, which could come in handy if you’re looking for a reusable cover that easily slips over a bowl. In a special Christmas episode of her show Cook, Eat, Repeat, she used a shower cap to cover her dough, making use of the elastic to create a seal before leaving it to rise.
Making your own mayonnaise? Lawson says that there are two easy ways you can fix it if things go wrong. Mayonnaise typically splits when the oil is added too quickly, and often a small drop of boiling water can remedy the problem. Otherwise, she says to take a new egg yolk and whisk the split mixture into it very slowly.
Chopping dried apricots (and other dried fruits) is a fiddly job, as the sticky pieces tend to cling to the knife. Nigella Lawson doesn’t have that problem, though, as she uses scissors to cut them instead. Cleverly, she also uses scissors to snip, rather than chop, bacon.
If pancakes are a regular feature in your kitchen (or if you want them to be), a homemade pancake mix is a thrifty way to make them quickly. Rather than buying pancake mix, Lawson recommends mixing your dry ingredients – 21oz (600g) plain flour, 3 tbsp baking powder, 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda, 1 tsp salt and 1.4oz (40g) caster sugar – and storing them in an air-tight container. To make a batch of pancakes, just mix 150g pancake mixture with a large egg, 8.5fl oz (250ml) milk and 1 tbsp melted butter.
Black pudding isn’t for everyone, but those who love it will be delighted to know that it’s not just for slicing onto a cooked breakfast plate. Lawson's recipe for black pudding meatballs (from her book Cook, Eat, Repeat) sees the spicy, salty blood sausage mixed up with minced beef and served in a rich tomato sauce. She loves the meaty bites so much that she says, "I honestly feel so much better about life knowing there's always a container or three of them in the freezer."
Leftover mashed potatoes don’t go to waste on Nigella Lawson's watch. Instead, she ups her weekend brunch game, gets out her waffle maker and uses the extra mash to make crisp potato waffles. A genius idea if there ever was one…
Frozen peas don’t always have to be a side dish. They’re one of the star ingredients in Lawson's chicken traybake recipe – just add a layer underneath the chicken for tasty results. Lawson tends to make the traybake with leeks, garlic, dill and chicken thighs (skin on for a crispy finish), but she says any ingredients can be used; the peas will absorb the flavours of whatever’s sitting on top of them.
Every professional cook seems to have his or her own expert tips for perfect poached eggs – Lawson included. She takes a gentle approach to the breakfast dish, recommending that you crack a cold egg into a cup and add a teaspoon of either lemon juice or vinegar (white wine or cider) over the white. Don’t boil your water; have it barely bubbling when you slip in the egg, leaving out the watery bit that’s dropped to the bottom of the cup, and cook it on low for five minutes.
Ever wished you could have just one cookie without baking up a whole batch? Do as Lawson does, and freeze your cookies on a tray before you bake them, stashing them in freezer bags once frozen. You can then take out however many you might want, whether it’s one or the whole batch, and bake them on demand.
Instead of coating homemade fish cakes in breadcrumbs, for a properly crispy, crunchy outer layer, Lawson recommends covering the raw patties with crushed Ritz Crackers or matzo meal. She also steers clear of frying her fish cakes, particularly when cooking for a crowd; instead, she bakes them in the oven.
In need of a last-minute dessert? Lawson has some sneaky advice for you: use a store-bought cake. For an indulgent pudding, the TV cook recommends breaking up pieces of gingerbread or ginger cake, then layering them up with boozy cream. Of course, this one's an endlessly adaptable hack; you can use different cake flavours and various sauces and toppings.
If you've ever ended up with a slightly runny sauce when making cauliflower cheese, try Nigella Lawson's method. Put the cauliflower florets into cold water, bring them to the boil, then drain them immediately. Refresh with cold water to stop them cooking, then leave them to drain fully in a colander. You can then arrange the florets in an even layer in an ovenproof dish until needed, safe in the knowledge that they won't release excess moisture and water down your cauliflower cheese.
If you’re scared to freestyle when cooking, one easy way to get started is by adapting an existing recipe. Lawson suggests using her Fear-Free Fish Stew recipe as a starting point, as it features a spiced sweet potato and tomato base that you can easily use for different stews. If you don’t want fish, simply swap it out for vegetables or legumes, or try using meat instead.
Nigella's take on classic bread and butter pudding is steeped in the nostalgia of her childhood, when she would make the dish with her grandma. There's one surprising added ingredient, though – Laughing Cow cheese triangles, which Nigella says were considered a treat when she was growing up. These give the dish a wonderful cheesecake-like taste, which pairs beautifully with the crunchy, sugary top.
When giving her top 12 Christmas cooking tips to Delicious magazine, Lawson let readers in on her secret for adding oomph to any roast: a jar of the aromatic chilli paste, harissa. She explained that she uses the ingredient to quickly make a marinade, together with oil, cinnamon, and the zest and juice of a satsuma. Apparently, the marinade works particularly well with vegetables.
Somewhat indulgently, Lawson uses sirloin steak to make her cheeseburgers. She trims off the fat, cuts the steak into strips, sprinkles it with a little sea salt, then leaves it, covered, in the fridge overnight. The next day, she brings the meat to room temperature and minces it (she suggests using a food processor if you don't have a mincer), before forming the mix into patties. She brushes the patties lightly with oil, cooks them in a griddle pan, then tops them with Swiss cheese.
When she makes fish fingers or goujons, Lawson prefers to use panko breadcrumbs (seasoned Japanese-style breadcrumbs) in place of the everyday white variety. She feels they give much lighter, crispier results, while still producing a delightfully crunchy casing.
Nigella Lawson's tip for boiling eggs? If they’re fridge-cold, they should go into cold water and then be brought up to the boil. If they’re at room temperature to begin with (which is preferable), they should be lowered into the water once it starts boiling. Lawson has also said that she loves her breakfast eggs boiled for four minutes, for the perfect ooze.
We all have days when we just don’t have the energy to spend a long time cooking, and Nigella Lawson is no exception. She’s no stranger to frozen vegetables, either, and recommends keeping a bag of frozen broccoli in the freezer for days when you’re not feeling so sprightly. Not only is it handy for whipping up a quick broccoli and Stilton soup, but she says it's better than fresh, too.
For Nigella Lawson, orzo, a small rice-sized pasta shape, is a 'non-negotiable staple'. She says it's extremely versatile and works wonders in a variety of recipes – from salads to one-pot pasta dishes – or swapped in as a side in place of potatoes or rice.
A lot of people avoid making homemade chips or fries, thinking it’s too much trouble. However, Lawson's method for making Tuscan fries isn't remotely daunting. After chipping your potatoes, she says you should add them to cold oil; bring it to a boil, then cook for around 25-30 minutes until crispy. Adding a clove of garlic, some fresh herbs and a scattering of sea salt will ensure your fries are flavoured perfectly.
Rather than using a garlic press, which can be a bit of a pain to wash up, Lawson crushes her garlic cloves with a pestle and mortar. She also adds a pinch of her favourite Maldon Salt to help the process along.
Nigella Lawson isn't a fan of adding 'digestion-searing' raw onion to her guacamole. Instead, she suggests using spring onions – which have a milder flavour but still provide a deliciously oniony kick.
We’re used to seeing French toast served with fresh fruit, lashings of syrup and icing sugar, but Nigella Lawson bucks the trend by soaking her bread in a savoury mix of egg, Parmesan, paprika, mustard and Worcestershire sauce, before frying it in butter until perfectly crisp. She says: “While obviously a contender for weekend brunch, this savoury take on French toast is, for me, a perfect early supper when I feel like something comforting and quick.” A garnish of chopped spring onions and parsley finishes the dish off nicely.
It's now more than 20 years since Lawson introduced fans to the idea of cooking ham in Coca-Cola. The recipe, which appeared in the Nigella Bites cookbook, has more than stood the test of time. As she said in 2014: “Only those who have never tried this raise an eyebrow at the idea. Don't hesitate, don't be anxious: this really works.” Lawson also has recipes for ham cooked in ginger ale and cherry cola, but the sticky-sweet original is the standout favourite for us.
Veering firmly away from tradition, Nigella Lawson doesn’t cook her stuffing inside the bird when making a roast dinner. Instead, she’s a fan of baking her sausage-meat stuffing in a dish alongside the roast, which she says makes life easier – particularly when cooking for a crowd. “A roasted slab of stuffing can be carved up to feed great numbers of people easily," she explains.
Rather than having half-empty bags of self-raising flour hanging around, Lawson suggests making your own by using 2 tsp of baking powder per 6oz (150g) plain flour. Even more unusually, she also makes the case for replacing plain flour with 00 flour (typically used for pizza and pasta) when making cakes and pastry. Because 00 flour is more finely milled, she explains, this results in lighter bakes and pleasingly elastic pastry.
Because joints of meat and chicken can contain a high proportion of water, Lawson suggests turning off the fan function in your oven, if you can. This prevents all the water from evaporating and should ensure that the meat remains tender and juicy, rather than ending up tough and dry.
Lawson is a big fan of the mezzaluna, or 'half-moon' chopper, for its speed and ease of use. She uses it instead of a knife to chop everything from fresh herbs and chocolate to anchovies. She also favours a food processor for quickly dicing onions and garlic for pasta sauces – a process that she says makes them meld into the sauce better.
Anchovies lend deep flavour and saltiness to dishes, but they’re not vegetarian or vegan friendly. If you want a plant-based alternative – or if you just don’t like them – Nigella says olives are a great alternative. Not only does their briny flavour make them a suitable substitution, but they also have the same texture and umami taste as anchovies.
Gnocchi is readily available to buy, whether fresh or dried, but Nigella Lawson isn't keen on it. She much prefers making the potato dumplings from scratch, and she has her own way of doing it. Rather than boiling the potatoes, she recommends baking them instead. This, she says, ensures they’re as dry as possible, meaning they’ll require less flour. As a result, they'll come out lighter when it’s time to either boil or fry them.
In her 2017 cookbook At My Table, Nigella Lawson provided a delicious-sounding recipe for garlic and Parmesan mashed potatoes. But instead of discarding the water the potatoes were cooked in, she suggested using it to make vegetable soup. Lawson whipped up 'the best vegetable soup in the world' by adding frozen peas to the water, then blitzing until smooth.
While there are plenty of fiddly ways to remove the seeds from a pomegranate (using a needle to do the job being one of them), Nigella Lawson's no-nonsense approach wins points from us. She suggests that you simply halve the pomegranate, hold it cut side down over a bowl, then give it a good whack with a heavy wooden spoon. The seeds should come tumbling out.
There’s no need to throw out tomatoes ever again with Nigella Lawson's hack for bringing out their flavour. When you’re not sure what to do with a tomato surplus, make Moonblush Tomatoes, Lawson's overnight version of sun-blushed tomatoes. Cut them in half, add herbs, sugar, salt and olive oil, then put them in a hot oven that's been switched off. Leave them overnight and you’ll get sweet, flavourful tomatoes that are perfect for salads, pasta and more.
One chicken carcass is never really enough to make a good, full-flavoured chicken stock, so Lawson suggests you save the bones and carcasses from a roast and stash them in the freezer. Once you’ve got at least three, you can crack on with your stock making.
Forget about slicing potatoes for fries by hand. Instead, follow Lawson's example and make your spiralizer do the hard work for you. You’ll save on time and effort and end up with wonderfully crispy, crunchy chips. Serve them with a burger made with sirloin steak (another top Nigella Lawson tip), and you’ll have yourself a seriously tasty meal.
Schmaltz is the Yiddish word for chicken or goose fat. For perfectly crisp roast chicken skin, Nigella Lawson suggests you take the nugget of fat out of the cavity of the chicken, render it down to a liquid in a small saucepan, then brush it over the bird before cooking.
When cooking pasta to go with a sauce, Lawson always reserves a ladleful of the pasta water before draining it. She then adds it to the sauce, which helps to give it an appealing, silky-smooth texture. Don't even think about tossing your cooked pasta in oil, either, or the sauce won't cling to it.
With so many recipes and different cuisines out there, it can be tempting to try something new every time you cook. But before you leave a recipe behind, consider making it again. Speaking at an event on the launch of her book My Table, Lawson said, “You must repeat recipes. When you repeat recipes, you get to know them so well that you don't really regard them as recipes and indeed, you start understanding what that dish is.”
For the perfect steak, Nigella Lawson always cooks her meat over a very high heat for a short time, just until the outside is charred and crisp. She then rests it under foil for around 10-15 minutes, without slicing or touching it, before sprinkling it with sea salt and serving.
When Lawson makes her 'special chicken soup', she says using chicken wings is one of the best, and least expensive, ingredients to use, since they deliver an abundance of flavour. She also freezes extra matzo balls (fluffy dumplings) for a quick midweek supper to eat with rice, toasted pine nuts and fresh parsley.
Lawson says that are three crucial things that will guarantee you great roast potatoes – and sprinkling them with flour isn’t one of them. Instead, she recommends using searingly hot fat (her preference is goose fat) and opting for relatively small potatoes, to optimise the contrast of crunchy outside to fluffy interior. She also says you should dredge the parboiled potatoes in semolina, rather than flour, and rattle the pan around to rough the potatoes up on the outside, so they catch in the hot fat.
Lawson isn’t interested in turkey unless the notoriously dry bird has been brined. She explains her thought process in her cookbook Feast, saying that: “For me the only turkey is a brined one. Not only does it tenderise and add subtle spiciness, but it makes carving the turkey much easier.” Nigella also waxes lyrical about the simplicity of this approach. “How hard is it to fill a pan or large plastic bin or bucket with water and spices and lower a turkey into it?” Well, when you put it like that...
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Last updated by Laura Ellis.