A detailed tour of my spice cabinet – one of the most photographed corners of my kitchen back in the supper club days. (Guests would hashtag it “goals”, although I’m still not entirely sure what hashtags are!)
The big jars are the ones I use most: paprika, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, turmeric and Kashmiri chilli powder. I keep cumin and coriander whole and grind them as I need them – they’re so much fresher.
I arrange the rest roughly by flavour profile:
- Middle Eastern: sumac, dukkah, baharat (a seven-spice blend) and Aleppo chilli – lovely, mild and fruity.
- Warm spices: whole nutmeg, good-quality cinnamon, Chinese five spice, star anise, cloves, whole cardamom and allspice.
- Curry corner: a medium roasted curry powder (perfect for coronation chicken), Madras curry powder, roasted ground fenugreek, garam masala and cayenne.
- Seeds: caraway, fennel (always cook them a little), poppy, pink peppercorns, mustard seeds and pre-roasted cumin – brilliant stirred into something like tzatziki at the end.
- Oniony bits: celery salt, onion granules and garlic granules.
- Dried herbs: oregano, Italian herbs, marjoram, tarragon – and dried mint, which can be a real revelation.
Top tip: M&S “Everything” seasoning is much cheaper than Everything Bagel seasoning and tastes the same!