22 dried foods chefs always have in teir pantries
You can never go wrong with seaweed, shrimp, and spicy beef jerky.
I'm Lebanese, and one of the reasons I love za'atar is because it reminds me of breakfast with my family. I love mixing it with a good quality olive oil and spreading it on toast or sprinkling it on my salads. The key is to source quality ingredients and make sure your herbs are clean before drying. I thought of creating a za'atar and feta scone at Tapisserie, since it's something I would like to have for breakfast—and they usually sell out within an hour!" — Nesreen Mroueh, pastry chef of Tapisserie, pâtisserie
Za'atar Baked Eggs
In her teens, Top Chef judge Gail Simmons spent a summer on a kibbutz in Israel, working in her first professional kitchen. She was assigned to breakfast duty and fell in love with scrambling, poaching and frying eggs by the dozens. “Today, one of my go-to brunches is baked eggs in a cherry tomato–pepper mix seasoned with the Mediterranean spice blend za’atar,” she says. “It never fails to conjure happy memories of that magical time.”
Bay leaves
"I get bay leaves from a neighbor's tree, dry them, and grind them with black pepper. Almost any red meat I grill or put on the fire I season a day ahead of time with salt and that mix. It's a throwback to the first restaurant I worked at in Portland, whose bacon cure included bay leaf and black pepper, ground together." — Timothy Wastell, executive chef.
Mushrooms
"Dried mushrooms are great because their flavor is intensified, compared to fresh mushrooms, and they are great additions when making soup or stews. They are rich in umami and add a nice, earthy depth of flavor." — Tyson Cole, executive chef and founder of Restaurants.
"I love having Gustiamo's Borgotaro Dried Porcini Mushrooms in my pantry. There is truly nothing like them and they're so versatile. I prep them by soaking them in tepid water for 30 to 45 minutes and use them for everything from risotto to pastas. Don't forget to save the water—it's an amazing broth that is great for cooking or sipping as a snack." — Bianca Kenworthy.
Jackfruit
"Dried jackfruit is a staple in my pantry. It's loaded with antioxidants and essential nutrients, low in sugar, and high in fiber. I'll usually enjoy it as a snack straight up, or chop it up to add into yogurt with granola. You can also use it in tropical rice dishes and baked goods." — Cesar Zapata, owner and chef of Miami's.
Risotto rice
"My pantry feels empty without risotto. If I was Italian, I would be from the north." — Julian Baker, executive chef.
Roasted salted pecans
"Growing up, the number one best dried food that we kept on hand was roasted salted pecans. I think this tradition started with my grandmother; I remember her always having a metal tin full of them. For the best ones, buy them directly from a pecan producer—not from the grocery store. They are delicious by the handful, or roughly chopped and thrown into sautéed spinach, folded into roasted Brussels sprouts, or with boiled green beans with butter." — Katie Button, chef.
Spicy beef jerky
"I love to serve it with chorizo and eggs. Make your eggs and chorizo and roast some sliced potatoes with diced beef jerky until brown. It's much better than SPAM!" — Dewey Losasso, corporate executive chef.
Ume kombu cha (plum kelp tea)
"I have a dried product in the kitchen pantry called ume kombu cha, a type of green tea used in Japan. It is incredible, and we use it on a number of dishes as a seasoning."— Brian Sutton, executive chef of Joseph Phelps Vineyards
Anchovies
"I love adding these to start a really hearty umami broth. You can add anchovies to the base of any sauce—even a hearty pasta sauce." — Valerie Chang, chef.
Dates
"Not only is its longer shelf life practical, dried dates are a natural sweetener perfect for baking, snacking, elevating a simple salad, or sprinkled on a delightful goat cheese pizza. Dates also bring a tasteful crunch to any dish."— Bruno Lopez, executive chef Santa Barbara
Apricots
"I love to have nice, dried apricots in my pantry. They are great for snacking on, but also make for a killer addition to rice, couscous, or even a sauce."— Greg Baxtrom, chef.
Kelp and kombu
"New England is home to vast kelp prairies, which are among the most sustainable crops to harvest. Sugar kelp, horsetail, dulse, and sea lettuce can all add so much to your cooking. Used as the base of a broth, or steamed with veggies or fish, or powdered as a finishing salt, dried seaweed is a delicious and often surprising addition to many dishes that too few people know about." — Will Emery, chef.
"Kombu (dried kelp) is something I always have on hand. It is a classic Indonesian/East Asian ingredient and staple in almost every sauce, stock, and soup that I make to provide a layer of umami and depth of flavoring. It's incredibly universal and shelf-stable, as it's dried, which is my preferred way to use it."— Cedric Vongerichten, executive chef.
Nori
"I always have sheets of nori (seaweed), since you can wrap pretty much everything in nori and it tastes delicious." — Oliver Lange, corporate executive chef restaurants in the U.S.
Furikake
"I make mine with dried scallops and different vegetables, seaweed, and sesame seeds. It's always nice to have around to make even simple rice taste over the top." — Michael Treanor, executive chef of Hotel.
Bottarga (the "truffle of the sea")
"Bottarga is a traditional delicacy in Sicily. It is a salted, pressed, and dried roe pouch of tuna; it's intense, very aromatic, and full of sea flavors. At I use the bottarga by grating it over a classic linguine with clams." — Nino La Spina, chef de cuisine.
Oregano
-Oregano is one of the few herbs that has a better flavor when dried. Growing up in Italy, I will never forget my mother and grandmother gathering bunches of oregano branches from Sicily and drying them in a small bag under the kitchen sink. To this day, I can still smell and taste the aromatic oregano, taking me back to the warm summer afternoons spent with my family on the coast of Italy." — Antonio Mermolia, executive chef of Restaurant at The Surf Club
Bonito flakes
"Bonito flakes—grated, dried flakes of skipjack tuna—are perfect to use as a topping over ceviche or in a broth, and deliver a mild, smokey fish flavor." — Jean Delgado, executive chef.
Hibiscus flowers
"I always keep dried hibiscus flowers on hand. I use them to make the best simple syrup for tequila and lime spritzers with colorful tang. They're also great to use for aguachile. Soak and press them, then blend them with habanero and a touch of olive oil. Pulverized dried hibiscus flowers also add color and acidity similar to sumac when sprinkled on hummus, ceviche, and even cucumbers." — Sophina Uong, chef.
Shrimp
"Dried shrimp is commonly used in Asian cuisines, but it's also great for salsas, vinaigrettes, and perfect to toss into a salad or grind up for a sprinkle garnish of umami, similar to using fish sauce." — Scott Linquist, executive chef.
Korean chili flakes
"They have tons of deep pepper flavor, but not too much heat. At Rolo's, we finish our polenta bread with chili butter and a generous sprinkling of Korean chili flakes. They're also great to have around for kimchi." — Howard Kalachnikoff, chef.
I'm Lebanese, and one of the reasons I love za'atar is because it reminds me of breakfast with my family. I love mixing it with a good quality olive oil and spreading it on toast or sprinkling it on my salads. The key is to source quality ingredients and make sure your herbs are clean before drying. I thought of creating a za'atar and feta scone at Tapisserie, since it's something I would like to have for breakfast—and they usually sell out within an hour!" — Nesreen Mroueh, pastry chef of Tapisserie, pâtisserie
Za'atar Baked Eggs
In her teens, Top Chef judge Gail Simmons spent a summer on a kibbutz in Israel, working in her first professional kitchen. She was assigned to breakfast duty and fell in love with scrambling, poaching and frying eggs by the dozens. “Today, one of my go-to brunches is baked eggs in a cherry tomato–pepper mix seasoned with the Mediterranean spice blend za’atar,” she says. “It never fails to conjure happy memories of that magical time.”
Bay leaves
"I get bay leaves from a neighbor's tree, dry them, and grind them with black pepper. Almost any red meat I grill or put on the fire I season a day ahead of time with salt and that mix. It's a throwback to the first restaurant I worked at in Portland, whose bacon cure included bay leaf and black pepper, ground together." — Timothy Wastell, executive chef.
Mushrooms
"Dried mushrooms are great because their flavor is intensified, compared to fresh mushrooms, and they are great additions when making soup or stews. They are rich in umami and add a nice, earthy depth of flavor." — Tyson Cole, executive chef and founder of Restaurants.
"I love having Gustiamo's Borgotaro Dried Porcini Mushrooms in my pantry. There is truly nothing like them and they're so versatile. I prep them by soaking them in tepid water for 30 to 45 minutes and use them for everything from risotto to pastas. Don't forget to save the water—it's an amazing broth that is great for cooking or sipping as a snack." — Bianca Kenworthy.
Jackfruit
"Dried jackfruit is a staple in my pantry. It's loaded with antioxidants and essential nutrients, low in sugar, and high in fiber. I'll usually enjoy it as a snack straight up, or chop it up to add into yogurt with granola. You can also use it in tropical rice dishes and baked goods." — Cesar Zapata, owner and chef of Miami's.
Risotto rice
"My pantry feels empty without risotto. If I was Italian, I would be from the north." — Julian Baker, executive chef.
Roasted salted pecans
"Growing up, the number one best dried food that we kept on hand was roasted salted pecans. I think this tradition started with my grandmother; I remember her always having a metal tin full of them. For the best ones, buy them directly from a pecan producer—not from the grocery store. They are delicious by the handful, or roughly chopped and thrown into sautéed spinach, folded into roasted Brussels sprouts, or with boiled green beans with butter." — Katie Button, chef.
Spicy beef jerky
"I love to serve it with chorizo and eggs. Make your eggs and chorizo and roast some sliced potatoes with diced beef jerky until brown. It's much better than SPAM!" — Dewey Losasso, corporate executive chef.
Ume kombu cha (plum kelp tea)
"I have a dried product in the kitchen pantry called ume kombu cha, a type of green tea used in Japan. It is incredible, and we use it on a number of dishes as a seasoning."— Brian Sutton, executive chef of Joseph Phelps Vineyards
Anchovies
"I love adding these to start a really hearty umami broth. You can add anchovies to the base of any sauce—even a hearty pasta sauce." — Valerie Chang, chef.
Dates
"Not only is its longer shelf life practical, dried dates are a natural sweetener perfect for baking, snacking, elevating a simple salad, or sprinkled on a delightful goat cheese pizza. Dates also bring a tasteful crunch to any dish."— Bruno Lopez, executive chef Santa Barbara
Apricots
"I love to have nice, dried apricots in my pantry. They are great for snacking on, but also make for a killer addition to rice, couscous, or even a sauce."— Greg Baxtrom, chef.
Kelp and kombu
"New England is home to vast kelp prairies, which are among the most sustainable crops to harvest. Sugar kelp, horsetail, dulse, and sea lettuce can all add so much to your cooking. Used as the base of a broth, or steamed with veggies or fish, or powdered as a finishing salt, dried seaweed is a delicious and often surprising addition to many dishes that too few people know about." — Will Emery, chef.
"Kombu (dried kelp) is something I always have on hand. It is a classic Indonesian/East Asian ingredient and staple in almost every sauce, stock, and soup that I make to provide a layer of umami and depth of flavoring. It's incredibly universal and shelf-stable, as it's dried, which is my preferred way to use it."— Cedric Vongerichten, executive chef.
Nori
"I always have sheets of nori (seaweed), since you can wrap pretty much everything in nori and it tastes delicious." — Oliver Lange, corporate executive chef restaurants in the U.S.
Furikake
"I make mine with dried scallops and different vegetables, seaweed, and sesame seeds. It's always nice to have around to make even simple rice taste over the top." — Michael Treanor, executive chef of Hotel.
Bottarga (the "truffle of the sea")
"Bottarga is a traditional delicacy in Sicily. It is a salted, pressed, and dried roe pouch of tuna; it's intense, very aromatic, and full of sea flavors. At I use the bottarga by grating it over a classic linguine with clams." — Nino La Spina, chef de cuisine.
Oregano
-Oregano is one of the few herbs that has a better flavor when dried. Growing up in Italy, I will never forget my mother and grandmother gathering bunches of oregano branches from Sicily and drying them in a small bag under the kitchen sink. To this day, I can still smell and taste the aromatic oregano, taking me back to the warm summer afternoons spent with my family on the coast of Italy." — Antonio Mermolia, executive chef of Restaurant at The Surf Club
Bonito flakes
"Bonito flakes—grated, dried flakes of skipjack tuna—are perfect to use as a topping over ceviche or in a broth, and deliver a mild, smokey fish flavor." — Jean Delgado, executive chef.
Hibiscus flowers
"I always keep dried hibiscus flowers on hand. I use them to make the best simple syrup for tequila and lime spritzers with colorful tang. They're also great to use for aguachile. Soak and press them, then blend them with habanero and a touch of olive oil. Pulverized dried hibiscus flowers also add color and acidity similar to sumac when sprinkled on hummus, ceviche, and even cucumbers." — Sophina Uong, chef.
Shrimp
"Dried shrimp is commonly used in Asian cuisines, but it's also great for salsas, vinaigrettes, and perfect to toss into a salad or grind up for a sprinkle garnish of umami, similar to using fish sauce." — Scott Linquist, executive chef.
Korean chili flakes
"They have tons of deep pepper flavor, but not too much heat. At Rolo's, we finish our polenta bread with chili butter and a generous sprinkling of Korean chili flakes. They're also great to have around for kimchi." — Howard Kalachnikoff, chef.