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Fridge tapas tips from Mark Hix

Renowned restaurateur, Mark Hix, shares his tips for creating something great from the contents of your fridge.

Fridge tapas tips from Mark Hix

**Mark Hix is a celebrated food writer and renowned restaurateur. Previously Chef Director of Caprice Holdings, he left in 2007 to open Hix Oyster & Chop House in Smithfield and Lyme Regis, Dorset. In 2008 Mark won GQ's Chef of the Year Award, the Academy Award for Outstanding Contribution to London Restaurants and the Restaurateur of the Year at 2009 Tatler Awards. Here he shares his tips on rustling up something out of nothing.**

One of the fun things with cooking is concocting something from nothing when you think the fridge is bare, that's how the Caesar salad was invented when the hotelier Caesar Cardini had a coach load of unexpected guests turn up at his hotel and he had no choice but make do with what he had in the fridge, and what a great concoction it is. There are a few things that I always have in my fridge (in addition to the obvious butter, milk, eggs):

  • A stick of bottarga (dried mullet roe) which makes the most luxurious and

    unusual pasta dish in just no time, especially if you use Cipriani pasta.

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  • I’m a big fan of Brindisa’s canned products especially the Nardin smoked

    anchovies, delicious just simply laid on hot buttered toast or on

    thinly sliced cooked beetroot.

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  • A hard cheese like cheddar is always a good nibbling snack or grated into a welsh rabbit mix or just melted onto toasted crumpets.

     

  • I like to try to keep a few jars of freshly made pesto in the fridge.

    Pesto is a great and quick pasta fix simply tossed into hot buttered

    linguine try using it as a spread on toast or mix it with mayonnaise

    for a dip for crudités or asparagus.

     

  • Smoked salmon makes a great midnight snack after a few drinks, on hot buttered toast with a smear of horseradish.


    • Read up on more useful food & drink tips from Tio Pepe's online guide, the Art of Good Taste. Tio Pepe is bringing the Art of Good Taste Guide to life in July with an interactive masterclass with experts from the online guide and lots of good food and drink to match. The event will be held at award winning bar and restaurant, Camino, in Kings Cross, on the evening of Tuesday 21 July. Tickets are free and available on a first come, first served basis, visit www.artofgoodtaste.com for more information.