TV Chef Gizzi Erskine Reveals Her Ultimate Food Favourites and Culinary Tips
In an exclusive interview, TV chef Gizzi Erskine, 46, opens up about her personal food preferences, from premium olive oils to guilty pleasures, offering insights that every food enthusiast can appreciate. Her candid responses highlight a blend of luxury and practicality in the kitchen.
Premium Olive Oil and Cooking Advice
When asked about her favourite brand of olive oil, Erskine enthusiastically recommends Picualia. She describes it as made from the first Spanish harvest, with a fluorescent green colour and a peppery taste. However, she advises using it sparingly as a finishing oil due to its high price. For cooking, she suggests opting for a cheaper alternative, warning that using expensive olive oil for everyday cooking is akin to falling for a PR scam.
Top Restaurant Picks and Bread Choices
Erskine's dream restaurant to revisit is Cervejaria Ramiro in Lisbon, where she praises the outrageously good fish. Her recommended order includes clams, spicy dressed crab, and percebes barnacles, which she notes look like dragon's feet but taste amazing. On a simpler note, her favourite bread is toasted supermarket white bread with a thick layer of butter, which she considers the perfect breakfast. For this, she exclusively uses Guernsey butter, calling it the best in the world due to its creamy cow's milk base.
Essential Condiments and Bakery Favourites
Erskine swears by Worcestershire sauce as a condiment that improves any meal, using it on dishes like cheese on toast, shepherd's pie, and macaroni cheese, as well as in Bloody Mary cocktails. Her go-to bakery is Dusty Knuckle, with locations across North London, where she raves about their insane baguettes.
Foodie Dreams and Sunday Roast Secrets
For a dream foodie holiday, Erskine expresses a desire to visit the Philippines to try lechon, the national dish of whole suckling pig cooked over charcoal with crispy skin. When it comes to Sunday roasts, she recommends Island at Mare Street Market in Hackney, where she serves as creative director. The food is prepared by two Michelin-starred chefs in a relaxed setting, costing £34. The best part, according to Erskine, is the gravy, which she preps four days in advance using a red wine and beef reduction combined with bone stock.
Kitchen Gadgets and Coffee Preferences
As a self-proclaimed knife fanatic, Erskine's most useful kitchen utensil is a high-quality knife. She recommends visiting the Japanese Knife Company for expert advice. For takeaway coffee, she admits to being generally disappointed by UK options but praises Midnight Pantry in King's Cross for its amazing Vietnamese coffee with condensed milk, which she finds sweet and nostalgic.
Luxury Items and Secret Ingredients
Erskine always keeps caviar in her fridge, favouring Exmoor caviar from £14, which she enjoys as a starter. If limited to one type of potato for life, she chooses roast potatoes for their versatility, offering both mashed texture and crispiness. Her secret ingredient is sherry vinegar, which she prefers over balsamic for its lighter, flavour-enhancing qualities in salads.
Tinned Fish and Takeaway Orders
For tinned fish, Erskine recommends Pinhais sardines from Portugal and suggests beginners try a selection box from thetinnedfishmarket.com starting at £15.95. Her repeat Deliveroo order is a kebab from Gunes in Walthamstow, East London, cooked on an authentic Turkish grill with meat that's pink inside and crispy at the edges.
Chocolate and Final Thoughts
Erskine's top chocolate pick is Up-Up Sweet Orange Milk Chocolate, which she buys from a local fancy corner shop. Fans can catch her series, Messy Lunch, available now on YouTube, for more culinary insights and entertaining content.
