After sharpening her skills in the world’s best kitchens, such as The Ledbury, Bras and Mugaritz, top chef and author Analiese Gregory now lives on a rural property outside Hobart with a fridge full of condiments. “My sister organised my fridge recently and she was like, ‘This whole shelf is condiments!’” says Gregory. “It made me realise I do keep a lot of them because it makes it so easy to add depth of flavour to your cooking.”
Gregory says artisan sauces, mustards, pastes and dressings often save the day when she needs to make a quick, flavoursome dinner. “If I have rice, eggs, potatoes and some greens in the house, there’s any number of combinations that can be made,” says the star of SBS series, A Girl’s Guide to Hunting, Fishing and Wild Cooking. “I throw some brown rice in my rice cooker, make a little egg and soy omelette for the top, then load it with chilli crisp, togarashi, pickled mushrooms, pickled mustard leaves – you name it.”
Gregory orders a fresh vegetable box every week, and often grills vegetables slathered with condiments such as lemon shio koji from Tasmanian producer Rough Rice. “My ‘girl dinner’ is making a delicious dip with heaps of vegetables, which makes me feel virtuous.”
When the ex-Franklin head chef is making another favourite, beef tartare, she’ll pump up the volume with doenjang (Korean soybean paste) and fermented chilli sauce. “I use them to add base flavour and umami to food which I’ve made quickly, without needing to be in the kitchen for hours.”
A keen traveller, Gregory likes to bring back unique offerings from overseas. “I do what I call ‘condiment tourism’, where I bring back a condiment as a souvenir from everywhere I visit,” she says. This means Old Bay spice mix from San Francisco, artichoke tapenade and piment d’espelette (a mild chilli powder) from France, preserved olive plant and soybeans from Hong Kong. “When I use these at home, the flavours transport me back to my travels.”
But Gregory’s favourite meal-saving condiment can be found in your local supermarket. “I am very partial to the original Lao Gan Ma chilli crisp,” she says. “I’ve been known to put it on everything, from a cheese toastie, to gnocchi, to congee … I have a family-sized jar, even though it’s just for me.”
Analiese Gregory teams up with Melbourne cheesemonger Maker & Monger to serve the cult French dish aligot on Saturday July 13, ahead of Bastille Day. Tickets via Broadsheet Access.
