Five staple ingredients, five delicious budget recipes | Food
How we did it
Aside from allowing for basic store cupboard ingredients – such as salt, pepper, olive oil, flour, dried herbs – we asked our cooks to calculate the cost of shopping from scratch at major supermarkets. You will have some leftover ingredients which will, of course, keep for other meals. The cost of each recipe was correct at time of going to press.
The ingredient: cheese
The recipe: Joe Woodhouse’s cheese souffle
This dish feels luxurious beyond its humble ingredients, with the pink quick-pickled onions keeping the richness in check. I love it as a main that everyone can get stuck into around the table.
Cooking in a bain-marie really helps the texture and results in a steady rise. I use a cast iron enamel pot to cook it in. A cake tin or a deep pie dish would also work. Using a wholegrain flour adds a little nutty note to the souffle.
Mustard powder really shines here, but dijon also holds its own. Add half and taste: I like it quite noticeable, so I use the full amount. You can let the cheese sauce cool before adding the eggs, if you want to get ahead. But working swiftly while everything is hot gets a jump start on the cooking. Serve it straight from the oven at the table, steaming away in all its glory.
Serves 4
red onions 2, about 400g, finely sliced
red wine vinegar 3 tbsp (cider or white wine vinegar also work fine)
flour 60g (brown adds a nuttiness, but any works)
unsalted butter 125g
full fat milk 300ml
cheddar cheese 175g
eggs 6 medium, separated
dijon mustard 1-2 heaped tsp, or mustard powder
new potatoes 750g
leeks 250g, roughly sliced
Joe’s total cost: £7.98 (items bought from Sainsbury’s)
Set the oven to 200C fan/gas mark 7. Firstly, mix the red onions with the vinegar and a pinch of salt, and set aside.
Over a medium heat, toast the flour in 60g of the butter for 2-3 minutes until golden and aromatic. Add half the milk, and with a spatula or a whisk incorporate it fully into the flour and butter. Add the rest of the milk and mix until a…
..