Cooking is both a delightful and therapeutic hobby, and with the vast array of ingredients available in supermarkets, you can whip up something entirely different every time. Choosing what to pop in your shopping basket can sometimes feel overwhelming, so to lend a hand, some of Britain's finest chefs have revealed the underrated ingredients they simply can't get enough of.
These celebrated chefs, culinary icons and food aficionados are gearing up for the return of Pub in the Park, Marlow, now entering its ninth year. To mark the comeback of this beloved foodie festival, some of the UK's top chefs shared their views on which underrated ingredients deserve a spot on everyone's radar - and which ones should be heading straight into your next shopping trolley.
The likes of Raymond Blanc OBE, Saturday Kitchen presenter and chef Matt Tebbutt, and celebrity chef James Martin shared their essential spring-summer cooking ingredients. If you're keen to discover what your favourite chefs always seek out when rustling up a mouth-watering dish, take a look at the list below.
Raymond Blanc OBE - Herbs
Legendary chef Raymond suggested: "Summer herbs e.g. parsley, coriander, nasturtium and courgette flowers."
Matt Tebbutt - Lovage
The Saturday Kitchen star recommended: "Lovage....is strong and dominant but used carefully it's delicious and is so punchy."
James Martin - Seafood and lamb
James told The Express: "All chefs go on about seasonality and everything else, I think lamb is fantastic and fish. Really in the summer you've got such an abundance of great seafood and fish. We just exported too much of it, vast amount of it so if you try and get into buying more fish you can certainly get it online now that's the secret of it, gone are the days where you've got a local fishmonger in every town sadly but all this is available online, from fresh mussels to crab to brill to sea bream and the like. I try and do that regularly on the Saturday Show, every Saturday to show people an ingredient what we offer but certainly in the summer. We are spoilt for choice with vegetables and everything else but certainly supporting the fishing industry and buying fish in this country, which would be a big thing as it's better for you."
Genevieve Taylor - Salt
Genevieve said: "That's a difficult question, I don't know. I don't tend to follow kind of trends of ingredients and stuff. Sometimes I think people don't understand salt properly, salt is amazing, it's like a miracle thing and if you use it properly it's absolutely bang on as we say in Bristol."
Adam Purnell aka Shropshire Lad - Chicken wings
Adam went for a budget-friendly option, saying: "Chicken wings are probably up there, they're super cheap and can be done in a million different ways. Very rarely are they less than amazing."
Big Nath's BBQ - Carrots
Nathan Ritchie, the brains behind Big Nath's BBQ, said: "I quite often think that a simple carrot is so underrated. They are great, you can use them in so many ways, puree, roast, char, use them in sauces or even smoke them. I like to just char it on the BBQ and then use lemon juice, a pinch of salt, a light honey glaze and a sprinkle of crispy garlic. Simple, overlooked, cheap and delicious."
Andy Clarke - Tarragon
Food and drink writer and broadcaster Andy said: "Tarragon. Great on meat, fish and veggies on the BBQ and fab in mayo."
Helen McGinn - Love
Drinks expert and Saturday Kitchen favourite Helen simply said: "Love!"
Jack Blumenthal - Anything you can smoke
Jack, the brains behind Ginger Wings and son of legendary chef Heston Blumenthal, said: "Apart from fried chicken, I now have a new obsession for BBQ and smoking. We've been smoking chicken, short ribs, peppers, veg and sauces, even bananas. There is something beautiful about the flavour of softly smoked food on a bbq/smoker. So as an ingredient I would say it's the smoke, the smell and beauty of it is what's amazing about summer time."
LumberJaxe - Seasoning
Brendon and Jaydon, the creators of family-owned seasoning and sauce brand LumberJaxe, said: "LumberJaxe seasonings of course! Huge flavour with no added colours or preservatives."
John Chantarasak - Fig leaves
John, co-founder of Michelin star restaurant AngloThai and Great British Menu star, simply said: "Fig leaves."
Melissa Thompson - Pork belly
Melissa, an award-winning food writer and cook, shared: "Pork belly slices are an absolutely brilliant cut of meat for the barbecue and they are criminally underused in my opinion. Most people go for ribs, chops or shoulder but belly slices are so flavourful and forgiving because they're layered with fat. You'd have to try really hard to make them dry."
Karan Gokani - Seafood
Karan, the brains behind Sri Lankan restaurant Hoppers, told The Express: "More fish and seafood, we don't cook enough of it at home and it's sad to see fishmongers disappearing."
Simon Rimmer - Pulses
Simon, chef and star of Channel 4's Sunday Brunch, said: "Pulses - I use lentils and the like in stews, salads, with protein. Take in all flavours."
Atul Kochhar - Mushrooms
Atul, Michelin-starred chef and restaurateur, said: "Mushrooms because they're packed with umami, incredibly versatile, and can transform dishes, yet are often treated as just a side rather than a main ingredient."
Thuy Diem Pham - Fish sauce
Thuy, a best-selling cookbook author and chef, revealed: "Most underrated for me is fish sauce. If only people knew what it does to western flavours."
Candice Brown - Salt
Former Great British Bake Off winner Candice said: "Do you know what, for me, salt! It's taken for granted, it goes in everything but it takes a dish from mehhh to amazing!! Also salt with sweet - on chocolate is EVERYTHING!"
Chris Bavin - Anchovies and herbs
TV presenter Chris suggested: "Anchovies and fresh herbs. I think these 2 things can elevate a dish incredibly. Anchovies melted down on meat or vegetables just gives a wonderful depth of flavour and seasoning (not fishy I promise)."
Pub in the Park returns to Higginson Park, Marlow from Thursday, May 14 to Sunday, May 17. Tickets are available to purchase now, starting from £47.
