Kitchen Showdown
Rosemary Shrager's top ten kitchen essentials

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Rosemary Shrager's top ten kitchen essentials

What items do you think no kitchen should be without? That's what we asked Rosemary Shrager and here's what the presenter of Kitchen Showdown had to say...

Wooden rolling pin

Wooden rolling pin

A wooden rolling pin is very necessary in my life. It has to be one solid, long piece of wood. You need this for large tarts, big pieces of dough. When I take puff pastry from the fridge, a heavy pin is perfect to knock it into a workable state.
Non-stick pans with removable handles

Non-stick pans with removable handles

I use the range from Berndes. They never stick, and being able to remove the handle and put the pan in the oven, is very useful. The most versatile size is the 28cm with a lid. It’s the one I use most of all: I fry, casserole, make sauces, cook vegetables and roast in it. That’s what I call a useful pan! If you need to start replacing your pans, this is the one I’d start with.
Large rubber spatula

Large rubber spatula

I have a pet hate: using small spatulas. Why? It’s so much easier to use a bigger spatula, that’s why! Better for scraping out bowls, folding egg whites and other ingredients into a mixture. I use these spatulas every day of my life.
Flexible balloon whisk

Flexible balloon whisk

This implement makes it easier to whisk air into your ingredients, increasing the volume. It’s very important to get as much air in when you are making cakes, pancakes, whipping of whole eggs or egg whites,. It’s also works quicker, so less strain on the arm!
Fine strainer

Fine strainer

This is essential. I use it for sauces, custards, to strain fruit pulp to make a fine fruit puree, any thing that needs to be fine and silky.
Ladle

Ladle

I use the ladle to ease sauces and fruit pulp through a strainer and of course for the usual ladling of liquids.
Knives

Knives

Different knifes for different jobs: I use a Cook’s knife for chopping vegetables and meat; a flexible Filleting knife for skinning and boning fish - it’s a lot easier to remove a fillet of fish with this sort of knife; a Boning knife is invaluable for removing meat from the bone. Use a Carving knife for slicing meat; a Serrated knife helps to cut pastry and stop it from crumbling. But the most important thing in your knife set is a knife sharpener.

And if you were to ask me which knife I’d take on a desert island? It has to be the Furi East West Knife. It’s a Cooks knife-come-Cleaver. Global also make a similar one.
Palette knife

Palette knife

This is useful for smoothing the top of desserts before cooking or setting. You can use it for mousses and soufflés to name just two. You can also ease cakes and biscuits from their tray or tin.
Electric mixer

Electric mixer

This saves me time and energy so I think this it’s an indispensable piece of machinery. The blender on top and the attachments are a must.
Paint scraper

Paint scraper

Choose a very fine, flexible (and clean!) one. I've used this for 30 years and find it’s very good for removing biscuits, brandy snaps and tuiles off the baking trays. I also use it to slide mini gratins and mousses onto plates - so useful all round. Everyone should have one: go down to your local DIY shop and buy one now!
 

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