Anyone who has watched celebrated British food writer and television personality Nigella Lawson cook will attest to the fact that it’s a highly pleasurable activity. It’s not just the elegance and grace she brings to the screen but also the passionate way she talks about food that draws you in. Her love for cooking is palpable, and it inspires viewers to dive into their own kitchens with renewed enthusiasm.
Known for her warm, approachable style, Lawson has become a culinary icon thanks to her bestselling cookbooks and beloved TV shows like ‘Nigella Bites,’ ‘Nigella Kitchen’ and ‘Nigella’s Cook, Eat, Repeat.’ She has revolutionised home cooking by focusing on the joy and comfort that food can bring, offering bold flavours and traditional British dishes in a way that feels accessible and deeply satisfying.
In her series, ‘Nigella’s Cook, Eat, Repeat’ (available to watch on BBC Player on Prime Video Channels), she shares her favourite recipes and inspiration, offering a window into her culinary world. From a decadent chocolate peanut butter cake to a luxurious crab mac ‘n’ cheese, Lawson showcases her culinary expertise through indulgent dishes.
In an exclusive chat with ELLE India, Nigella Lawson reveals her kitchen secrets and tricks of the trade.
ELLE: What’s your approach to creating new recipes?
Nigella Lawson (NL): For the most part, I rely on an organic process. That’s to say, I let recipes emerge out of greed, appetite and my everyday cooking. I find that setting out to write a recipe for its own sake stifles my spontaneity and creativity. I prefer to cook without weighing, measuring or overthinking, and afterwards, if I feel the dish has potential, I start to work on it to turn it into a recipe. I cook it repeatedly to ensure it’s the best it can be, arriving at a process and instructions that are as simple and reliable as possible. I am also inspired by travelling abroad and eating at restaurants.
ELLE: What is the most important element of a memorable meal?
NL: I am not a sentimental person, and I care very deeply about the food I eat. But, hand on heart, the most important element of a memorable meal is the people around my table. That’s really another way of saying that it’s important to cook to give pleasure, not to impress. So, when I’m cooking for friends, I take their tastes into account just as I take the time of year and the season into account. It’s also essential to create a menu that’s balanced in terms of taste, texture and appearance. And, crucially, I have learnt there is no point in making memorable food if the cook is super-stressed trying to achieve that.
ELLE: Any tips you’d like to share for home cooks to achieve this?
NL: The most important thing is to concentrate on making food that fits into your life and schedule. There’s no point deciding to cook dishes that are fiddly or those that take a long time to make if it means you have to rush everything. My advice would be to make sure that a good proportion of what you’re going to cook can be made in advance, just needing to be reheated on the day itself. And, of course, many desserts can easily be made in advance and require no reheating. I know people are either list-makers or not, but even if you’re not (and I very much am!) I implore you to write out your proposed menu and then jot down a timeline for the evening to help you get everything on the stove, off the stove, and on the table at the right time. And don’t start cooking before you’ve chosen the dishes you’re serving. It sounds like a small point, but the more organised you are before, the more relaxed you can be during.
ELLE: How do you handle recipe failures or kitchen disasters, and what have you learnt from them?
NL: Failure is an inevitable part of cooking and one of the greatest teachers. It’s not the opposite of success, but a frequent step towards it. None of us enjoys failing, but how you respond to it matters. This is as true in the kitchen as it is outside of it.
Photograph Courtesy: BBC
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