5 HOME COOKING HACKS
Charlie Bigham built his brand from scratch to create delicious dishes for foodies, so who better to serve up some culinary pearls of wisdom?
Being a great home cook doesn’t have to mean spending hours in the kitchen. ‘We give people a chance to enjoy quality meals without the prep, because even the best cooks deserve a day off,’ says food entrepreneur Charlie Bigham. Here, the man behind our favourite homemade ready meals shares his top tips and shortcuts to help you impress more and stress less. 1 READY, SET, RUB ‘Hosting and pushed for time? Throw garlic, onion, butter, spices and your choice of herbs into a blender and blitz. Rub over meat, fish or vegetables before baking. Maximum flavour, minimum effort.’
2
KEEP VEG VIBRANT
‘When boiled, broccoli loses its colour and crunch. To make greens mouthwatering, dry fry in a hot pan with garlic and chilli. Top with flaked almonds and serve with a squeeze of lemon juice.’ 3 MINIMISE WASTE ‘My tip for cutting down on food waste? Open the fridge. Necessity is the mother of invention, so if you can find three ingredients that just about work together, you’ve got enough for dinner that night.’ 4 ELEVATE PLATES ‘For a simple way to make food look fantastic on the plate, invest in a set of generously sized white serving dishes and pile everything into the middle, leaving space around the edges. A drizzle of pomegranate molasses will bring colour and taste.’
CHOOSE SUPERIOR SEASONING
‘Good quality seasoning and colourful garnishes enhance any dish. My essentials are Maldon salt, Kashmiri chillies and heaps of fresh parsley.’
6 GO FOR EASY WINS
‘Don’t feel under pressure to always cook everything from scratch. It’s okay to use ready-rolled puff pastry, enjoy houmous from a tub, or buy bread rather than bake it.’
Having launched as a small brand himself from his own kitchen, Charlie Bigham is proud to support this October’s Wells Food Festival, which celebrates Somerset’s finest food and drink artisans. For more information, visit wellsfoodfestival.bighams.com