The five ingredients you couldn't live without

Everyone has favourite things to cook with – what are yours?

What are the best ingredients to cook with? An impossible question perhaps because it depends on what we're cooking and what's available. But we all have favourites that end up in a large proportion of our cooking, simply because we think they're amazing.

Which spices do you automatically reach for when you're getting busy in the kitchen? What ingredients are your 'go-tos' when you need to add a bit more flavour or bulk to a recipe? And what's always at the front of your cupboard?

Matt's favourite five

Onions
Chopping up strong onions is a universally hated activity (top advice: shallots are easier on the eye), but once diced and cooked, onions soak up the flavour of all the other ingredients while giving back a slight tang and various textures depending on how they're cooked up.

They're also really versatile, fitting in everything from stir fries and curries to pasta bakes and beyond. A cheap way of bulking out meals, and very good for you!

Mushrooms
Another delicious way to add to a recipe without detracting from the main elements, mushrooms are nutritious and have the same advantage as onions in that they soak up flavour as well as giving some of their own back to the dish as a whole.

There are lots of edible types of mushrooms to experiment with, from well-known button and chestnut mushrooms to the more exotic varieties like shiitake, oyster, and many more.

Chilli
For me, chilli will always be the king of spices. From smoky chipotle to lava-hot habanero and everything in between, chillies offer a world of flavour all of their own.

The sharp, fiery burn is great in so many dishes, and it's incredible how a drop of Tabasco or a sprinkle of chilli flakes can work wonders to make a boring lunch into an interesting one.

Garlic
Another kitchen staple, I work through a lot of garlic at home, using it to add flavour to Asian-style cooking, Italian tomato sauces and stuffed by the clove into roast meats for Sunday lunch.

It may well be known for its pungent odour and lingering taste, but it's by far one of the best ingredients to have on hand in your kitchen.

Cheddar cheese
Where would we be without cheddar? The pride and joy of English cheese, a mature block of cheddar grated over toast makes one of the simplest yet deeply satisfying meals I know of.

A sprinkling of cheddar over pasta dishes is perfection, as is a lump of the stuff served as part of a ploughman's lunch alongside a tangy onion chutney.

What are your favourites?

Do you think grated ginger is great, or could you not cope without potatoes? Which herbs and spices always need restocking, and what do you use them in? What ingredients could you not live without?

Let us know your favourites using the Comments box below.

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