12 Chefs Reveal the One Ingredient You Should Always Have in Your Kitchen

“After frying up bacon at home, I alwayssave the bacon fatin a jar and keep it by the stove as an essential addition to other dishes. It enhances foods like beans and greens—anywhere you want a rich smoky flavor. Grease a pan for eggs with a little bacon fat instead of butter. You’ll never turn back.”

-Austin Kirzner,Executive Chef,Red Fish Grillin New Orleans, LA

“Lemons, limes or grapefruits—you can use the zest, juice and fruit to brighten any dish. This also limits the need for extra salt. From a simple Bibb lettuce salad to a roast duck (my favorite meal), citrus is always my must-have.”

-Tom Douglas, Executive Chef,Tom Douglas Seattle Kitchenin Seattle, WA

“It’s one of my favorite kitchen staples, either canned or jarred with olive oil and salt. A little anchovy can go a long way to add depth and complexity. The briny punch of anchovies adds contrast and new layers of flavor to really elevate the otherwise simple dish.”

-Nicholas Stefanelli, Chef and Owner,Masseriain Washington, D.C.

“Good soy sauce is essential. I mainly use it to get the kids to eat! A great tip: Mix it with mayo for a dipping sauce for chicken. Or combine it with rice wine vinegar and chili sauce for a quick pork or beef marinade. Sometimes I'll even sneak it into New Orleansred beans and rice.”

-Chip Flanagan, Executive Chef,Ralph's on the Parkin New Orleans, LA

"Use it for breakfast with fresh fruit and granola, for lunch as atzatziki sauceon pita with grilled chicken or vegetables, as a salad dressing, or a marinade for lamb or beef. Its thick tanginess makes it a healthy, flavorful substitute for mayonnaise or sour cream.It can even been used in baking."

-Brandon Shapiro, Chef de Cuisine,原始丛林的厨房in Bethesda, MD

“Good salt is essential for the home kitchen. I preferDiamond Crystal kosher saltfor day-to-day use andJacobsen sea salt(total name coincidence) for finishing."

-Roger Jacobsen, Executive Chef,American Whiskeyin NYC

“Celery salt is an ingredient I always have on hand. It has an earthy, natural saltiness (umami) that works well as an all-purpose seasoner."

-Chris Clime, Executive Chef,PassionFishin Reston, VA, and Bethesda, MD

“I cook with meat all day and have three go-to ingredients that are easy to find:unfiltered organic olive oil, kosher salt and fresh black pepper. When cooking with meat, keep the seasonings simple so the quality of the meat can shine through.”

克里斯蒂娜Scifo、行政总厨Maxwell Chophousein NYC

“我已经成为一个大风扇的米德(一个酒鬼液态d made by fermenting honey with water). Anything made from honey is going to add complexity and flavor to whatever you’re cooking. Mead has yeasty undertones that give it a completely unique component. I've found people are often left scratching their heads as they try to figure out what they're tasting that gives off those smooth, soft, yeasty and sweet notes.”

-David Guas, Chef and Owner,Bayou Bakery, Coffee Bar & Eateryin Arlington, VA

“It's aged and fermented in oak barrels, soaking up the flavors and aroma of the wood—it creates a rich but slightly sweet nutty vinegar. In any professional kitchen, you'll find a variety of vinegars being used, but in most homes I rarely see any. Sherry vinegar can be used to finish sauces and gravy, liven up soups or stews or mixed with olive oil. You can also use it to dress chicken, romaine lettuce and grated Parmesan cheese for a fast and healthy dinner. Look for the wordsoleraon the bottle, which is the traditional aging method.”

-Alan Wise, Former Executive Chef,Magnolia RestaurantandLovage Rooftop & Indoor Loungein NYC

“I keep a few cans of condensed milk in my pantry and ice cubes of passion-fruit puree in the freezer. Condensed milk is a surprisingly delicious way to sweeten things when baking or lightly soaking cake layers. Passion fruit was everywhere for me growing up in Hawaii. If you can't get it fresh, having it on hand in frozen form works nicely to add tartness and light floral notes that stand out from standard lemon juice or zest.”

-Tiffany MacIsaac, Pastry Chef and Owner,Buttercream Bakeshopin Washington, D.C.

"Black & Bolyard’s Bay Leaf Brown Butter is a super-easy way to instantly elevate any classic dish. I like it on soft-shell crabs, which are now in season.”

-Dave Seigal, Executive Chef,Cull & Pistol Oyster Barin NYC