master-cooks | The Underrated Pantry Ingredient Guy Fieri Never Goes Without

Guy Fieri, the celebrity chef known for his bold flavors and adventurous culinary style, has a particular pantry staple he never goes without: hoisin sauce. This versatile ingredient, often associated with Asian cuisine, is a thick, fragrant sauce that combines sweet, salty, and tangy flavors, making it a perfect addition to a wide array of dishes. Fieri appreciates hoisin sauce for its ability to enhance both simple and complex recipes, adding depth and richness to meats, vegetables, and marinades. Its balanced flavor profile allows it to act as a glaze, dipping sauce, or even a secret ingredient in barbecue sauces. The sauce’s unique blend of soy, garlic, vinegar, and various spices offers a distinctive umami taste that elevates dishes beyond the ordinary. Fieri often incorporates hoisin sauce into his cooking to surprise and delight diners, showing how this underrated pantry ingredient can transform everyday meals into something extraordinary. His advocacy for hoisin sauce encourages home cooks to explore its potential and experiment with its flavors, showcasing the sauce's remarkable versatility and its ability to complement diverse cuisines.

Uses for powdered chicken stock

Guy Fieri is a big fan of powdered chicken stock because it provides a quick route to Flavortown. It's not only convenient and easy to use, but it also eliminates the hassle of simmering stock on the stove for hours while you prepare your meal. "When you typically need chicken stock but want to avoid adding extra liquid, this little trick — I like to call it the magic flavor enhancer — is a game changer. Just keep it on hand," he shared with Food & Wine. "A quick sprinkle into your chicken dish will give it that extra flavor, that little touch of sodium."

To use powdered chicken stock in the traditional way, simply dissolve it in hot water to create a broth, which can then serve as a base for soups, sauces, stews, gravies, or any recipe that requires chicken stock. What makes Fieri's approach so clever is that it effectively transforms chicken stock into a seasoning. This allows you to sprinkle the dry powder directly onto grilled chicken for an added burst of poultry flavor. You can adjust the amount you use in your dishes to suit your taste (whether you prefer a little or a lot), but it's best to start with a pinch and adjust from there.

Other pantry staples to keep on hand

In addition to powdered chicken stock, there are several other essential pantry items you should always keep stocked. One indispensable ingredient is dry mustard. This versatile spice is incredibly adaptable, offering a subtle yet tangy heat without the moisture of regular mustard. Just a pinch can enhance your next dry rub for meat or be added to sauces and salad dressings. Naturally, poultry and mustard are a classic pairing, so you can mix it with your powdered chicken stock and other spices to create a gourmet rub.

When it comes to canned goods, essential items include canned tuna, meat, and corn. These pantry staples are invaluable not only when you're short on time to shop but also during emergencies or power outages. Canned meat and fish are particularly convenient since they don’t need refrigeration and require minimal preparation. Canned corn, on the other hand, closely mimics the flavor of fresh corn. Celebrity chef Guy Fieri even shared with Taste of Home that one of his favorite canned items is peppers, which he cans himself.

The Underrated Pantry Ingredient Guy Fieri Never Goes Without

Uses for powdered chicken stock

Other pantry staples to keep on hand

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