´óÏó´«Ã½

Producing Nigel Slater’s Simple Suppers, I find the only downside of working with Nigel Slater is that you spend your days constantly feeling hungry. We tend to film three recipes a day and the smells that waft around the kitchen leave all the crew salivating.

Ìý

Even just watching Nigel cook and seeing the end result is enough to make you want to dash home and rustle up what he’s just made. I love his simplicity and the fact that Nigel’s dishes rarely involve fancy ingredients that you don’t have, or that you bought once three years ago and went off soon after.

I particularly love Nigel’s knack of coming up with delicious suppers from seemingly very little. I remember Nigel saying that for him, it’s this kind of cooking – making things go further – that most excites him.

Nigel has some ingenious ideas to make a little go a long way, whether it’s a leftover bit of salmon or a few berries from the garden. His lamb and bulgur wheat patties are a classic example. I’d never have thought to add shredded beetroot and bulgur wheat to lamb mince. But not only does it up the quantities, I thought the extra ingredients made the rustic burgers taste better than if they were made of just pure lamb. You get a more interesting texture too.

Outside of the kitchen we spent many a happy hour filming Nigel in his back garden where he’s grown his own veg and fruit for the last ten years. One of his big delights this season were peas, but even Nigel would admit they weren’t exactly a bountiful harvest. So the challenge was on to turn a precious handful into a filling supper. The result, as you’ll see in the show, was a fabulous peas, pasta and parmesan dish than could have easily fed two or more. Genius!

So what was my favourite recipe in this week’s show? I think because of these chilly nights it’s got to be Nigel’s sausage and bean soup. It’s so useful to have charcuterie knocking around in the kitchen to add a burst of flavour to casseroles or soups. Yes it’s a bit pricey, but a little spicy chorizo lasts ages and because the flavour is so intense, you don’t need to add much. A little definitely goes a long way and I for one have now made it a storecupboard essential.

How do you like to make your ingredients go further? Do you like to bulk out dishes with beans or use leftover meat to make hearty soups? Share your suggestions here or read food writer Diana Henry's tips for eating good food on a budget.

Jennifer Fazey is the producer of ´óÏó´«Ã½ One’s Nigel Slater’s Simple Suppers.

Ìý

Ìý