Kitchen Cupboards #2: Alexandra Stacey, French Family Food

A peek into the pantry behind one of my favourite lunch-lust Instagram accounts.

Welcome to Kitchen Cupboards, a monthly ingredient column where, rather than exploring some of my favourite ingredients, I’m taking a peek into some of my favourite food writer, creators and producers kitchen cupboards to talk about which ingredients shape their everyday cooking.

Going forward, Kitchen Cupboards will be for paid subscribers of ingredient, but to give you all a little taste of things to come, I’ll be popping the first few interviews in front of my paywall. You can either subscribe or upgrade your subscription here, and not only will you get a peek into a new set of kitchen cupboards every month, but you’ll also receive new and exclusive recipes right into your inbox as well as the essays and monthly links roundups available to free subscribers.

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As a professional creator of food content, I have a very complicated relationship with Instagram. However, it will always be my favourite app because - queue the food blogger cliche here - it lets me take a sneak peek into what people are having for lunch (or dinner). One of my favourite accounts to follow for such edible inspiration is French Family Food. Seriously, just look at some of those compositions.

Half English through her mother, and French on her father’s side Alex grew up in Versailles, but moved to London via Oxford as a student, and now feeds her British based family beautiful seasonal meals that remind me of the very best French home cooking.

Where do you usually shop? You’ve got so many things in your pantry I’ve got on my own shelves, both from the UK and from French supermarkets - I spy a lot of Waitrose, Ocado (who are brilliant for French supermarket stables I’ve discovered!), and a lot of organic produce?

You're absolutely right- I do have a weekly delivery slot with Ocado and I also shop from time to time in my local Waitrose supermarket. When I travel back to Paris every couple of months to visit my parents, I do like to pop into the Super U hypermarket (Rachel: where I also shop in France!) in the nearby town to buy a few bits and pieces to bring back in my suitcase. There's always so much choice and variety in French supermarkets.

Speaking of organic, I’ve noticed you tend to buy exclusively organic where you can. Is this something you’ve always done, or is this a more recent switch?

I love to buy organic produce where possible, not only for its environmental credentials but also because it invariably tastes better! My mum has always been a huge champion of organic and locally sourced food, so my siblings and I grew up eating organic fruit and veg long before it became known as that. We were so lucky that growing up in France we had access to gorgeous seasonal ingredients from the terroir. We used to holiday in the Périgord region every summer, and my parents loved nothing more that visiting local farms and sampling the food in fermes auberges- I'll never forget the day (aged about 10) I tasted organic Raspberry nectar (Nectar de Framboise) or the first time on a farm near Sarlat! To this day, I have not managed to find any fruit juice that can match the intense flavour and sweetness of that nectar. When I became a mum myself, I felt very strongly that I wanted my children to experience the kind of food I had so enjoyed as a child.

Do you shop differently for staples in the UK from how you do in France? Do you think being here has changed the way you buy your ingredients much?

Yes I definitely shop differently here. As I mentioned earlier, I just love the fact that there is so much choice in French supermarkets - so many varieties of vinegar, mustard, peppers and cornichons. The French supermarkets also do a good job of highlighting products from the different French regions - you can find Pine tree honey from the Vosges, dried herbs from Provence, prunes from Agen in the Lot-et-Garonne, sea salt from Guérande in Brittany (Rachel: near where my parents used to live so my kitchen is never without Fleur de Sel from Guérande!) or Piment d'Espelette from the Pays Basque. Buying staples from a French supermarket is like going on a mini Tour de France of delicious ingredients.

Here in the UK, I shop around. I do rely quite heavily on Ocado as they have such a good range, and they do feature many different brands and small producers too. Through Ocado I discovered The Greek Kitchen who have a fantastic range including a delectable organic olive oil and rich vibrant raw honey from Crete. I also discovered a brilliant brand called Steenbergs via Abel & Cole. I think their organic dried herbs are some of the best I have tasted. I could not be without my organic Balsamic Glaze from Mr Organic which, along with a good glug of olive oil and a pinch of sea salt is the most perfect addition to a speedy salad rustled up after a busy day.

From following you on Instagram for so long, I’d describe your cooking style as classically French - are there any international flavours that have crept in you think since arriving in London?

My cooking style has definitely been influenced by the time I have spent living in London. I am probably braver with combinations of ingredients than I might once have been when I first arrived from France. I am more relaxed about substituting ingredients if I can't get hold of them here. In some ways, not having all the French ingredients at my fingertips has probably made me more creative and allowed me to discover the fabulous brands I mentioned above.

We are so lucky here in the UK to have these small brands that champion really high quality super flavoursome ingredients.

Most of your meals are driven by seasonal produce. Do the pantry ingredients you reach for depend on the seasons?

I absolutely love this question! I definitely use my pantry ingredients all year round- they're absolutely essential to the dishes I prepare regardless of the seasons.

And finally what are the five ingredients in your kitchen cupboard you consider staples, that you always replace and that you would not be able to live without?

Dijon Mustard - I think I use Dijon Mustard almost every day- it's the key ingredient for most of my dressings and we also have a spoonful on the plate when eating grilled meat. I associate the smell of Dijon mustard with my mum's kitchen - she also uses it a lot. I love the way it makes my nostrils tingle and my mouth water. My favourite childhood sandwich was the summer special of Merguez sausages in fresh baguette with a thin layer of Dijon mustard accompanied by a glass of chilled fizzy Orangina.

Vinaigre de Xerxes - This is aged Sherry vinegar which is very popular in France - it adds a wonderful depth to a vinaigrette or a mayonnaise. It's aged in oak barrels and has a rich woody flavour and smell.

Olive Oil - I used to buy different organic olive oils from the supermarket or from organic online grocery stores, but I recently discovered The Greek Kitchen organic extra virgin oil from Crete and it's incredible. Its cold pressed and unfiltered which must be why it tastes so wonderful. We love it and the kids particularly like dipping bread into a little saucer of this glorious olive oil.

Grapeseed Oil - My mum introduced me to Grapeseed oil when it became quite popular in France. It's great for making my homemade mayonnaise.

Sea Salt - It's so satisfying to use really good salt when cooking, I do think you can taste the difference and I love pure natural sea salt such as Cornish Sea Salt or Sel de Guérande. (Rachel: this is the same brand sea salt I use for finishing dishes, but as mentioned I get the Fleur de Sel.)