_If you have a passion for good food, but very little money, what do you eat? How do you organise your kitchen? Where do you shop? Well that's the situation I'm in, and that's what this site is about. A few years ago I went from being an affluent and avid restaurant-goer and home cook who spent a fortune on food to living as a homeless, hostel-dwelling member of the underclass: alcoholic, on benefits and in the care of my local mental health service. It was a bit of a shock, actually. Still, I found I could live without many of the trappings of my former life – career, friends, car, clothes and travel etc. - but not good food. And that, when you’re hovering around the poverty line, can be an issue. As what might fancifully be called an urban peasant, it pisses me off that there isn’t a greater love of rustic cookery ingrained into the British cultural DNA. It's true that peasant food, particularly that of Spain and Italy, has never been more popular here than it is today, but its consumption seems, with bitter irony, to be very much the preserve of the middle class. And even there, 'consumption' seems to mean watching people cook it on TV rather than eating it at home on a daily basis. TV cookery is very like internet porn - the overwhelming majority of its audience will never ever get to act out what's happening on screen. Also, most of the advice regarding cooking on a budget seems to fall into two camps. Firstly, there’s the patronising and slapdash, knocked out by celebrity chefs for the Sunday colour supplements whenever there’s a financial crisis. Secondly, there is the '100 Things To Do With Leftover Rice And A Tin Of Sweetcorn’ school of cookery writing. I was looking for some other way - one that was more about economising in other areas of my life in order to keep on enjoying, as much as was feasible, delicious meals. I began to see that eating well on a budget wasn't so much about individual recipes but more to do with developing a new approach to how I planned and sourced my meals. Being a skint foodie, therefore, is about following a few simple guidelines. It's about prioritising your budget - aside from utilities, I've cut out almost all other expenditure apart from food shopping. It's about how you plan your weekly menu. It's about investing time and effort into shopping. You can read more about this in the how, shopping and spending pages. This isn't at all, let's be clear, the same as feeding yourself on as little money as possible - which is sadly the only option available for many of the most poorly paid or unemployed. If you're on Job Seeker's Allowance then, to quote from a recently leaked government email, 'you're pretty much fucked, son'. I'm in complete accord with the Minimum Income Standard research project which 'aims to set a benchmark for minimum living standards that we should be aiming for as a society, based on what members of the public think is acceptable'. Their weekly food allowance for a single person in their latest report is £46.31. I try and budget for around £40 per week, out of a total household allowance of £60. But I'll often spend more, so the MIS figure strikes me as being just about spot on. Some of you probably often spunk that much on lunch. Yet others will think it an exorbitant amount. The thing is, I suspect many of that group delude themselves as to what they actually spend (I most emphatically do not refer here to those under extreme hardship who quite simply have no more than £15-£20 to play with). What I mean is that the weekly cost of your food isn't just the supermarket bill. It has to include: the butcher/fishmonger/greengrocer (obviously); all non-alcoholic drinks; anything you eat or drink while at or travelling to/from work; any restaurant meals or takeaways; school lunches and pocket money that goes on snacks; anything. Enough of all that. What about the food? Well, here's how a chicken provides (for one) four different meals plus a pan of glorious, fragrant stock, the surface glistening with little globules of fat. (As a matter of fact, the rest of the recipes on this site are also mostly for one or two people. Because that is how an increasing number of us live and I feel that almost all cookbooks, TV programmes and newspaper columns don't reflect that). Buy the best quality chicken you can afford. From Poulet de Bresse (£15 per kg) via Label Anglais (£7.70) down to the cheapest Class A boiler (£2.39), there's an enormous choice. A reasonable compromise would be something like Asda's free-range corn-fed Norfolk chicken at £4.58 per kg. Let's assume you've got that free-range corn-fed bad boy back in the kitchen and that a roast is first up on the agenda. Halve it lengthways and divide one half into a breast quarter and a leg quarter (or get your butcher to do it for you). Put the two quarters in the freezer for later use. roast chicken for one (with leftovers) ½ chicken 15g unsalted butter, softened salt + black pepper 3 cloves of garlic, unpeeled, smashed with the back of a knife 1 sprig rosemary 1 sprig thyme 1 onion, peeled and cut into eighths a little olive oil 175ml of chicken stock An onion is added to brown in the tray, to provide depth of colour to your gravy. Otherwise it can look a little insipid. Preheat the oven to 220C/200C fan. Rub the skin of the chicken with the butter and season generously. Put the herbs and garlic in a roasting tray and place the chicken half, skin side up, on top. Scatter the onion pieces around it and drizzle them with a little oil. Roast for 15 minutes. Turn the oven down to 190C/170C fan and baste the chicken with the juices in the tray. Roast for another 30-40 minutes or so (depending on the size of your ½ chicken), basting every 10 minutes until the skin is a deep golden colour and the juices run clear (this should coincide almost exactly with the time it takes to do your roasties - result). Remove the chicken to rest and spoon out most of the fat/oil. Place the roasting tray over a medium heat. At this point you can sprinkle over a spoonful of flour if you fancy a thicker gravy - if so, cook it off for a minute. Throw in the chicken stock, scraping and stirring to deglaze - it's important to loosen all those delicious crusty bits. Bring to a simmer and cook for a 3-5 minutes. The gravy should be a satisfyingly deep brown colour. Check for seasoning and strain into a serving jug. Serve yourself a portion of the chicken. Apart from roasties, the only other accompaniments I tend to have are bread sauce, redcurrant jelly and watercress. Oh, and mustard. Must have mustard. After your meal, remove the remaining portion of meat from the carcass for the next day's sandwich. Reserve the carcass for stock making. You can, of course, make your stock straight away from the half you have. But I prefer to freeze the carcass and make a stock when I've got two or more to play with. The recipe below assumes you have about 1kg of chicken carcass. chicken stockIt's a very forgiving process, stock making. A chicken carcass, an onion, a carrot and a stick of celery, a few peppercorns and some aromatics and you're hot to trot. However, here's the recipe I usually follow. It's based on one from Giorgio Locatelli's Made In Italy - the only time I've seen juniper berries as an ingredient for chicken stock. 1kg chicken carcass, or wings 1 scant tsp tomato paste 1 onion, quartered 1 carrot, large chunks 1 stick celery, large chunks 1 bay leaf 3 black peppercorns 2 juniper berries, crushed 3 litres of water Break up the carcass into large bits. Roast at 200C/180C fan for 15 minutes. Brush with the tomato paste and roast for a further 5 minutes. Put in a pot with the remaining ingredients and cover with the water. Bring to the boil, skimming off any scum that rises to the top. Simmer for three hours, replenishing with water as necessary. Cool. Spoon off the excess fat that rises to the surface, then strain into freezer containers. I'll usually freeze the stock in 500ml and 250ml tubs and also maybe freeze some in ice cube trays and keep them in a bag. The next day for lunch make... a fried chicken sandwichIf you haven't got any breadcrumbs to hand, and can't be arsed making any, crushed cream crackers make an excellent substitute. serves one a handful of leftover chicken flour 1 egg, beaten breadcrumbs 1 tbsp olive oil slices of onion + tomatoes a handful of watercress mayonnaise redcurrant jelly lemon juice salt + black pepper 2 slices of light rye bread Dust the chicken pieces with flour. Dip them in the egg, then roll in the breadcrumbs to coat. Heat the oil and fry the chicken until crispy and golden. Drain. Smear one of the halves of bread with mayonnaise and add onion and tomato slices. Place the chicken pieces on top, season and squeeze some lemon juice over. Pile the watercress over the chicken. Spread the other half of bread with the jelly and complete the sandwich. The following week make... sautéed chicken with rosemaryserves one 1 chicken leg quarter 1 tbsp of olive oil 2 garlic cloves, squashed but intact 2 small sprigs rosemary a glass of white wine salt + black pepper You want a smallish, deep-sided pan and a lid for this. I use a 20cm wok. Heat the oil and sauté the chicken skin side down until crisp and golden. Turn over and throw in the garlic and rosemary. After 5 minutes, strain off most of the oil and add the wine to deglaze. It will quickly start to bubble away. Turn the heat down low, put a lid on the pan and gently simmer for about 30 minutes. Check now and again to make sure the liquor hasn't completely dried out - add a bit more wine if needed . You want a couple of tablespoons left at the end to pour over your chicken and the mash which you'll no doubt be serving with it. And the week after that make a mid-week supper of: griddled chicken with a chorizo + white bean stewserves one a couple of small cooking chorizo sausages, in small chunks 1 garlic clove, crushed ½ onion, thinly sliced ½ red pepper, in small strips 1 large tomato, skinned and chopped 150g cooked cannellini beans 150ml chicken stock a breast of chicken olive oil lemon juice salt + black pepper chopped parsley Sweat the chorizo slowly in a pan to release the oil and brown slightly. Remove with a slotted spoon. Fry the garlic, onion and red pepper gently until starting to colour and soften. Add the tomato and beans and enough stock to barely cover. Season with black pepper and simmer gently for 15-20 minutes. Heat a griddle until it's fairly hot. Whisk together a little oil and lemon juice and brush onto the chicken. Season. Place skin side down on the griddle and cook, turning once, until just cooked through. The chicken should be golden on both sides and criss-crossed with markings from the griddle. Spoon the stew onto a deep dinner plate, scatter over some chopped parsley and place the chicken breast on top. and finally...Well that's it then - my first ever blog post. I hope you might find time to look at the rest of the site, if for no other reason than that there are already over 200 recipes recorded here that I think you'll enjoy. I certainly do - after all, it's what I eat all the time. This is simple everyday fare, but no less scrumptious for that. I would also hope that you might find some encouragement here if you are living on a tight budget like me, or are a first-time or hesitant cook or especially if you are living alone (again like me) and feel that it isn't worth cooking just for yourself. It is so worth cooking for yourself. I'm off my tits on Planet Loony Tunes half the time, and I can tell you that getting back into the kitchen, laden with fruit, vegetables, a slab of pork belly, a chunk of good cheese and a bag of espresso beans acts as a wonderfully restorative anti-depressant. Food is, quite simply, the bollocks.
68 Comments
Scott
7/1/2012 03:45:56
Very good blog, I admire your stance of good cooking against the TV plebs. I agree with you whole hearteldy and will be refering back to your recipes again. Scott
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7/1/2012 04:02:43
Excellent post. Can't wait to see more. Will certainly have a look around the website. I love the 'cooking on a budget' concept and would find it really interesting to know the approx cost of each recepie.
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Michael
8/1/2012 09:06:57
You could easily work this out for yourself, surely.
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@JanieStamford
7/1/2012 07:11:56
Brilliant first post! Favourite line: TV cookery is very like internet porn - the overwhelming majority of its audience will never ever get to act out what's happening on screen.
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Princessginger
7/1/2012 08:10:26
Love this blog, looking forward to more. Glad to hear your story and that you seem to have come back from 'rock bottom', need more ppl like you to mentor others in similar situations - healthy food = healthy mind. Good luck, will be following with interest :-)
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It's amazing how far you can make a chicken go, it's a great way of stretching a food budget. I wrote a comment only recently about it on someone's blog.
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Jenny
8/1/2012 10:11:59
chickens from argos?!
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The Skint Foodie
7/1/2012 09:20:19
Thank you guys for your very kind comments. It means a lot. Regarding the point that everymealmatters made:
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Trudie
7/1/2012 09:25:42
Love it! I found your blog via a friend who shared the link on FB. I too will be following with interest.
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Jonathan Castle
7/1/2012 11:30:04
Great post! Thank you. The tip about brushing the bits of carcass with tomato paste is one I haven't tried, but will. Good stock is at the heart of all great home cooking.
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Have you see the Less is More blog?
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Debbie
8/1/2012 05:19:13
Already following you on FB and love the new blog! I shall definitely use your recipes and ideas for inspiration as a fellow skintfoodie in Peckham!
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Penny
8/1/2012 07:13:19
So glad to have found you and I'll be recommending you to absolutely everyone! You're a man after my own heart. After a long and fairly comfortable life, my husband and I lost our business (bankruptcy) and are now living on considerably less than when we married 50 years ago. We will be regular visitors to your wonderfully upbeat and inventive blog. Meanwhile, can I recommend rowanberry jelly (free berries, scrumped apples, sugar) to accompany any meat you like? All the best.
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Bex
8/1/2012 08:07:01
I love this concept and have decided that this year is the year for cutting down on my food budget without compromising my love of food. I'll be eating less meat, but I won't be going without tasty meals. I've just done my first weekly shop for me and my 6 year old daughter and it's come in at £29, which included a bottle of wine.
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8/1/2012 08:42:52
Thank you very much for starting this blog. I have a family of four to feed and suffer with the same problem of feeding them healthy, nutritious meals whilst sticking to a tight budget. Hope you will be able to provide me with some new ideas in future posts! x
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I am totally with you on all of this . . . it's the economies of scale thing that we seem to have lost in this country . . . buy a whole chicken and don't waste a thing. Oh that and the fact that everyone watches tv cooking but doesn't actually know how to cook or to shop! Keep up the good work!
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8/1/2012 14:15:31
Urban peasant, love it. nice voice, great writing and bloody funny! cheers.
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9/1/2012 00:40:01
Great site, really good read, thinking about your food Gives rise to a more enjoyable meal, it's a good way of life and I think you will find a lot of people enjoying your recipes
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Woody
9/1/2012 02:43:30
This is almost exactly how I eat - roast a chicken, have it for 4+ meals, use the stock to make vegetable soup for 4+ lunches, lentils, beans and chorizo all over the place - not because I'm skint (although it certainly helps when I do have a skint moment), but because it's a great way to eat! Delicious, simple, healthy, straightforward food.
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magyarmike
9/1/2012 05:14:43
Love the story, the lack of rancour, the humour and especially the recipes. You could inspire many others, keep it going.
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Liz Hore
9/1/2012 06:05:41
I love this blog and I am soo going to be a regular reader!! We've just bought a house so will be eating at home much more now than in the pub we run - but a new house means additional costs so this site is a great idea!!!
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Kate
9/1/2012 06:48:23
Great blog, good tips - love the stock tip I bet the juniper adds an extra oomph!
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Babieswhobrunch
9/1/2012 07:25:24
Superb post. And I don't even eat chicken.
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Simon
9/1/2012 09:11:49
Inspiring stuff! i'm a mental health nurse (and foodie) and work with people on a daily basis who struggle to put together a decent meal on a budget. Sometimes it's as much about confidence as well as money. As well as continuing to follow your progress, i'll be recommending your site to many of my clients. Good luck in all you choose to do.
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Maurits Kalff
9/1/2012 09:15:04
What a lovely blog! Living in SE1, close to Peckham, I will venture out to SE15 and try out the recommended shops. Your remarks about ASDA, Lidl, Brindisa and Ginger Pig spot on. Tip: juicing citrus fruits are very cheap now. Fresh orange juice for breakfast and use the leftover pulp to make a delicious pudding.
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cate
9/1/2012 09:50:23
Thanks - an excellent blog. I look forward to reading more and wish you all the very best
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Lesley Reardon
9/1/2012 09:52:20
Just found this via India Knight's twitter. Great blog and I echo what everyone else has said about the quality of the writing and recipes. I'm totally in agreement with your philosophy. Your butcher/farm shop can be your best friend as I find they love to help people who appreciate all parts of the animal. There are so many cheap cuts of meat but you won't find them shrink wrapped at the supermarket.
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Louisa
9/1/2012 13:22:34
What a great blog! Have you bookmarked and will be waiting eagerly for your next posting. Wishing you Bon Appetit, and all the best!
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10/1/2012 01:45:31
What a super, honest, refreshing blog post and great start to proceedings. Food expenditure in our house is a big thing, a contentious thing and one that seems to spiral out of control at times so will be coming back to try and pick up some tips. In the meantime, all the best and keep blogging.
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10/1/2012 02:59:05
this is a superb blog. genius moves sir and respect is due.
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Hannah H
10/1/2012 07:38:46
I admire you as a writer, as a fellow budget-friendly foodie (and one who is trying to get their other half to see how satisfying it is to boil up some old leftover chicken bones!) and as an honest, humble, cheery blogger. Proof that not all who exercise self expression online talk out of their arse!
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The Skint Foodie
11/1/2012 02:30:11
To every single one of you a great big thank you! I hope I've expressed my gratitude adequately in the second post.
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Elaandthej
11/1/2012 08:35:40
Fascinating, informative, warm, open and beautifully written.
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Richard
11/1/2012 14:05:19
I love this blog, keep up the good work. I'm a chef in the US and Recovering alcoholic so I appreciate your journey and you sharing it.
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The Skint Foodie
12/1/2012 17:53:57
I just wanted to comment on what Simon wrote - you are absolutely right. It's vital to understand (to quote Audrey Gillan) 'the absolute importance of food and treats to [our] psychological survival'.
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Paola
3/2/2012 22:48:31
You are inspirational...
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Deborah
20/2/2012 06:21:53
Fantastic blog. Came across you in Jamie Olivier's magazine and am so glad I did. Thanks for giving us all inspiration. I am going to tell all my foodie friends about you!
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The Skint Foodie
20/2/2012 08:49:56
Paola, Patricia and Deborah - thank you so very much! You're kind comments are much appreciated.
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Zoe
29/2/2012 17:37:29
Amazing blog, both in form and content.
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Andrew
29/2/2012 18:17:49
Pls dont disappear; but if you do, we will all still be here when you get back.
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rebekah
1/3/2012 00:57:41
Great first post! As a fellow South East londoner, I just wanted to add that the local butchers will often give away fresh chicken carcasses if you ask - I've done it several times now. Nothing like the smell of chicken stock to raise the spirits.
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The Skint Foodie
1/3/2012 13:16:41
Totally agree (see item 6 on 'How' page)!
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Just got here after reading an article on the Guardian about this blog. I must say, that I completely and utterly agree with you about food being the best anti-depressant. I find cooking itself quite therapeutic. Anyway after perusing this blog I feel a little guilty about the amount I spend on food now, not that I am rich but after bills, mortgage etc this is my one big spend. I am guilty as charged! Will be a frequent visitor here. Take care x
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Francesca
1/3/2012 02:37:09
Hey, Just read about you on the Guardian...you are such an incredible soul! Be well, and keep up the good food! Will be spreading the word about your blog here in Italy. X
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Sux
1/3/2012 04:04:49
Dear Skint Foodie, I just read the Guardian article. I love what you are doing. I have just started a new job on a much lower salary than I'm used to. The higher salary was great but the job wasn't and the people I worked for were not a nice bunch. I have had to review everything I spend and after bills I have a limited amount for food. And I love food. I'm going to keep reading your blog and I'll be very interested in your suggestions for summer eating. I find cooking stews, casseroles, pies for winter eating very economical but summer food can be expensive (salads, good lamb, steak, fish). I love love love your blog.
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liketocook
1/3/2012 05:44:38
Found your blog via the Guardian article. Love your food and your tour of the local shops. Makes me very nostalgic for when I worked just off Rye Lane in the mid 1980s. I had my first meal in an Indian restaurant in Lordship Lane and used to adore the markets and ethnic stores. It was a real eye-opener for young lass from a small Scottish town I can tell you!
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Bobby_oh
1/3/2012 06:31:01
Fan-fuckin-tastic!
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HG
1/3/2012 07:40:41
Love this. BF and I have been doing similar to try and save cash while eating healthily. Love your notion of peasant food- it's true and shame there isn't more of UK equivalent. Constand supply of beans, chroizo and good veg seems to be the way forward. I'll keep reading your blog and do your recipes. Well done on a great idea - all the best.
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E
1/3/2012 08:24:40
Treated myself to poached eggs in a cafe by the beach after taking my black dog for treatment and had a free read of the Guardian. More power to you. I disappear too. I'm currently trying to come back.
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Ian
1/3/2012 11:32:04
Yes, yes, this is all a very touchy-feely love-in but, and it's a biggun, mustard with chicken? What base level of perversion is this?..... Actually, after near on 50 years of looking askance at my ma as she ate christmas cake and cheddar cheese every year until last year when I actually gave it a go and sussed that it was outrageous, mebee I will smear some Dijon on the next Bresse.......an act which is probably illegal in some US states......
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The Skint Foodie
1/3/2012 13:19:37
The mustard is really more for the roasties than the chicken. And it's good. Like a lot of other acts which are illegal in some US states.
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Catherine Brady
1/3/2012 21:08:08
I love your philosophy and postings. You are such a great antidote to 'master chefs' and their wastefu, prissie ways. Keep it up. I'll be telling all my friends about you. Hope the Guardian give you a column!
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Sanne
2/3/2012 01:27:57
Love this blog. Stumbled across this blog by accident - now think I'll be dropping by more often. Please keep your posts coming....they are making me very hungry! x
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Arrived via an imaginary internet friend via the Guardian.
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Anna
13/7/2012 15:34:12
Thank you for continuing writing this blog. X
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The Skint Foodie
14/7/2012 14:23:55
You are most welcome! x
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Rita
27/11/2012 14:21:58
Thank you for such a lovely and inspirational blog. We are on a tight budget (£20 a week for food for 2) and I am in such a cooking rut I am bored with food. All my energy has gone on cutting costs - time to put some into being creative in the kitchen I think. I feel as though I'm in a bit of a food desert - nothing but supermarkets for miles. I think I need to also put some energy into trying to source some good, interesting ingredients at an affordable price. Thank you for your inspirational recipes and your excellent writing, just what I need to help me out of my rut.
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The Skint Foodie
2/12/2012 11:20:18
Hi Rita
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