Lockdown larder: Five London chefs tell us how they cook with tinned tomatoes

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Ailis Brennan12 May 2020

If your self-isolation diet has been less “eat the rainbow” and more “50 Shades of Beige”, it’s time to brighten things up a little – and you needn’t look much further than your store cupboard.

We’re all trying to go to the shops less frequently during the lockdown, which means making the most of what’s been hanging around at the back of the larder since last week, last month, or for an indiscriminate amount of time that's probably best not to think about too much.

It’s easy to get stuck in our ways with certain food stuffs, so every week we’re asking five London chefs how they use a common cooking ingredient in a way that most of us might not have thought about – you can see the full spread of recipes from previous weeks here.

This week’s staple in the spotlight is the tin of chopped tomatoes – it’s helped you out with many a pasta sauce over the years, but what else can you do with it?

We've got the battle of the condiments this week as two chefs suggest relish-style recipes (put them to the test to decide which is best), while our other chefs gather inspiration from the Middle East, India and France.

From spiced-up brunches to sauces to pimp up your burgers, this is what top London chefs suggest you cook with your tinned tomatoes.

Michel Roux Jr, Le Gavroche and more

“I use chopped tinned tomatoes for consistency in taste, and my relish is great with burgers, grilled meats and strong cheese. Take a tin of chopped tomatoes, a chopped onion, brown sugar, garlic, grated ginger, cider vinegar, curry powder, cumin, cloves and chilli powder. Just put all the ingredients except for the tomatoes and simmer in a pan for five minutes, then add the tomatoes and simmer for a further 30 minutes until thick. It will keep for a couple of weeks in the fridge.”

Shaun Rankin, Ormer Mayfair and more

“People think curries take ages, but as long as you have the core flavours, it's a great fall back to whip up in a hurry. Like all great curries, it does taste even better the day after! Get yourself a tin of tomatoes, a small onion (peeled and chopped in half), 150g of butter, one teaspoon of garam masala, a bay leaf and two cloves of garlic – add everything to a pan and cook on low for one hour. Blend it all, and season with salt and pepper – it’s a cracking quick curry sauce.”

Carl Clarke, Chick ‘n’ Sours and more

“Tinned tomatoes are such a versatile ingredient and one of those things I always have in my dry store for emergencies. Cook them in a pan for 20 mins on a low heat with gochujang, garlic, sesame oil, a little light soy, a dash of ketchup and pinch of sugar. Crack a couple of eggs into the pan and bake in the oven for around 10 mins for a nice little spicy twist on shakshouka.”

Nicholas Balfe, Salon and more

“This quick ratatouille is great with couscous, rice or with a piece of roasted fish or lamb. Roast some peppers, courgette and an aubergine with olive oil and salt. Meanwhile, sweat down an onion, a couple of cloves of garlic and some thyme leaves if you have any, then add a tin of chopped tomatoes. Season with salt, red wine vinegar and a pinch of sugar then remove from the heat and stir in your roasted veg. You can eat it straight away, but it's one of those dishes that tastes better if you leave it a few hours – or better still overnight – so the flavours meld together.”

Sally Abé, The Harwood Arms

“I make a delish homemade tomato ketchup from tinned tomatoes – it’s amazing slathered over homemade chips or nachos. Simply caramelise a diced onion, add the tin of tomatoes with a little brown sugar, cider vinegar, cinnamon and allspice, cook until thickened then blend until smooth.”

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