21 essential recipes to learn for life

For more, check out our guide to 25 skills every cook should know, from chopping an onion to melting chocolate.

1. Steak

Whether your preference is a luxury fillet steak, flavour-packed sirloin or juicy bavette, a good steak recipe is one that you’ll come back to time and time again. Cooking a steak well is a true test of skill in the kitchen, mastering the balance of high heat, resting time and seasoning. Magazines Editor (and steak super-fan) Keith Kendrick says ‘steak is expensive so you need to get it right. No-one wants to spend a chunk of their salary on a piece of meat that ends up as tough as an old boot, so I go with the reverse-sear method every time. Take a thick cut (about 5cm) of your favourite cut, cook it in a low oven (100C) then finish it in a searing hot pan for a beautiful crust and a juicy inside before resting. The best experience money can buy.’

See our full guide to how to cook the perfect steak to master the key techniques, tips and tricks that will guarantee a perfectly-cooked steak every time.

2. Victoria sponge

If you want to learn to bake, a simple Victoria sponge cake is a sensible place to start: Food Content Producer Helena promises ‘it teaches you the foundations of cake baking which, once mastered, give you the confidence to level up your skills’. She has strong opinions about what should go in the middle too: ‘Is there anything more joyous than a thick wedge of tender sponge with tart jam and billowy cream? Purists may say its jam only but I simply will not accept a lack of cream!’.

Nevertheless, once you know the classic recipe, it’s endlessly versatile to adapt to other flavours: add lemon zest for a bright lemon drizzle version, try a traditional coffee and walnut or fill with different fruits throughout the seasons, such as blackberries in autumn or sweet apricots in summer. It’s great for having something to take to cake sales or pop candles in the top for a birthday celebration.

3. Thai green curry

Fragrant, spicy and creamy, Thai green curry is a dish full of bold flavours. Learning to make your own curry paste from scratch elevates the dish, but even using a shopbought version for a shortcut works for a quick meal. Make our next level Thai green curry for the ultimate version. It’s important all the flavours are balanced: Skills and Shows Editor Barney Desmazery says, ‘a Thai curry should deliver a big punch of hot, sour, salty and sweet. Taste at the end and adjust each element so each flavour is balanced with the rest.’ If you love the flavours, try a Thai green roast chicken next.

4. Shortcrust pastry

Shortcrust pastry is more than just a recipe to know, it’s a handy kitchen skill. Basic pastry can be used for a huge variety of dishes – stamp out simple jam tarts with the kids, bake a quiche for a picnic, slice up a Bakewell tart for afternoon tea or serve an impressive lemon meringue pie at a dinner party. At it’s most simple, it only requires two ingredients: butter and flour. You can use an egg yolk to bind instead of water to enrich it, or add a few tablespoons of sugar to sweeten.

5. Lasagne

Barney Desmazery describes a well-made lasagne as ‘the ultimate make-ahead comfort food crowd-pleaser’. It’s a great recipe to know for a dinner party dish, family favourite or stocking the freezer for busy periods. Cooking a lasagne combines several different skills: making the rich meat ragu, a creamy béchamel and properly cooked pasta – all helpful skills that can be transferred to different recipes too. Follow Barney’s top tip of adding any spare parmesan rinds to your ragu sauce for extra depth of flavour.

6. Ramen noodle soup

A few different techniques are involved in making a great Japanese ramen: learning to make a rich broth, perfectly cooked noodles and experimenting with different toppings such as soft boiled eggs, tender meat, pickles and roasted veg. Make your own broth from scratch for this hug-in-a-bowl chicken bone broth ramen with pulled pork, topped with a soft boiled egg and greens.

When you’ve got less time, adapt this cheat’s chicken broth ramen to be your perfect combination of toppings.

7. Roast chicken

A beautifully roasted chicken is a centrepiece for any Sunday lunch. Seasoning well, roasting at the right temperature, and resting the bird properly ensures a juicy and flavourful result. Making gravy from the juices is another great skill to be confident in. Leftovers can be used for sandwiches, soups and salads throughout the week.

There are many different roast chicken techniques to try. Keith says, ‘I use the rotation method – a technique that ensures even cooking and crisp skin by starting on the hob and finishing in the oven. It focuses on searing each leg individually before roasting the whole bird’ – a method that helps ensure the chicken cooks evenly.

Start with a classic roast chicken recipe to build your confidence, then get creative with all sorts of flavours – from a nduja and rice stuffing to saffron butter or a vibrant pea and tarragon cream.

8. Roast potatoes

And to go with that roast chicken, you’ll surely need some perfect roast potatoes… Golden and crunchy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside – the ultimate roastie takes some mastering but is a popular skill to have. Parboiling, roughing up the edges, and roasting in hot oil or fat ensures the best texture. As Managing Editor Lulu Grimes says ‘people judge you on your roast potatoes’, so these are a good life skill to have’. Keeping the potatoes simple means they will pair with any roast, but you can add extra dimensions too: try coating in parmesan or paprika, or make in your air fryer to save on oven space.

9. Beans and pulses

An essential chosen by Lulu Grimes, who says ‘we should all be eating more beans and pulses (think chickpeas, kidney beans, lentils and more) as part of a sustainable diet’, so knowing how to cook them well is a valuable skill that will unlock a whole world of affordable and nutritious recipes. Rich in protein, fibre and essential minerals, they make an excellent meat alternative in meals like chilli, soups, curries and salads. Learn to soak and cook dried chickpeas and beans or save time with tins for quick midweek cooking.

Food Editor Ailsa Burt created a clever lentil base you can use in three meals – she recommends raiding your spice cupboard to make saucy lentils that can then be used in a chickpea brothy pasta or green baked eggs.

10. Chocolate chip cookies

The temptation of warm chocolate chip cookie fresh from the oven never fades. We’ve got plenty of chocolate chip cookie recipes to choose from so you can decide a signature style to master. Barney has a clear idea about what makes the ultimate cookie: ‘a great cookie should be more than just sweet. It should have contrasting textures, with a crisp exterior and chewy middle, and be punctuated with pockets of dark chocolate. You should be left wanting more.’

Freeze cookie dough in balls and you’ll never be too far away from fresh cookies – simply cook from frozen. Our next-level chocolate chip cookies have a crisp exterior, chewy middle and chunks of dark chocolate throughout.

11. Smash burger

Knowing how to recreate a juicy, crispy smash burger at home will make you feel like a star chef – and mean you can ditch the takeout. The method of ‘smashing’ burgers creates the ultimate crispy crust – follow our smash burgers recipe and load up with lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and all your favourite sauces. Top tip from Keith: ‘for an added umami hit, slather the patties with mustard before you sear’.

12. A staple stir-fry

Knowing how to cook a good stir-fry will make your midweek meal cooking a whole lot easier, giving you a quick and easy dinner you can make in less than 30 minutes. You may be familiar with the supermarket stir fry kits but it’s just as easy to make at home and master the skills of softening the veg, tossing noodles and balancing a flavour-packed sauce. Mix-and-match different veg and proteins to make it different every time. Try our easy pork noodle stir-fry recipe to get started.

13. Choose a soup

A good soup is comforting, nutritious, and endlessly versatile. Learning to make soup from scratch will save you money on buying ready-made versions (which helps you avoid UPFs), is a handy way to increase your plant foods and can help use up anything you have left in the fridge at the end of the week. Whether it’s a rich tomato soup, a hearty vegetable broth or a creamy mushroom blend, you’ll be bowled over by your homemade results.

14. Yorkshire puddings

For some, a Sunday roast just wouldn’t be complete without fluffy Yorkshire puds on the plate. Perfect Yorkshire puddings should be tall, crisp and golden. Achieving the right rise depends on a hot oven, a well-rested batter and plenty of fat. Did you know you can use the same mixture to make pancakes? Simply ladle into a crêpe pan instead and add your favourite toppings.

15. Chicken tikka masala

A British-Indian classic often named the most popular dish in Britain, chicken tikka masala is rich, creamy, and packed with spice. Marinating the chicken in yoghurt and spices before cooking ensures maximum flavour – techniques you can use for other curries, barbecuing or grilling meats too.

Try our fun twists on this staple next: make chicken tikka masala pizzas in just 20 minutes or try an all-in-one roasting tin chicken tikka.

16. Perfectly cooked fish

Cooking fish well can seem intimidating, but it’s an essential skill to learn – especially as it is recommended health advice to eat two portions of fish a week. Whether pan-frying, grilling, or baking, learning to handle fish properly ensures a tender, flaky result. If you want to cook fish when entertaining, try Head of Food Cassie Best’s fish tagine – Cassie recommends making a batch ahead and freezing.

17. Risotto

A well-made risotto is silky, creamy and full of depth. It’s said that a risotto should ‘sigh’ as it is spooned onto a plate – meaning the risotto relaxes and spreads, rather than sitting in a stiff dollop. The trick to getting this silky finish? Barney argues the final step is key: ‘beating in cold butter and cheese to thicken – it’s a trick Italians call mantecare’.

Making a risotto can be a meditative process of slowly stirring warm stock into the rice until you have the perfect texture. It’s a flexible base that has endless twists: make a luxurious crab and saffron risotto, raid the freezer for a chorizo and pea version or make an earthy mushroom risotto. Risotto is also easily scaleable, whether you want a romantic Italian night in for two or a one-pot recipe to impress a dinner party crowd.

18. Excellent eggs

There are so many classic egg skills worth knowing that it is hard to pick just one. From poached to fried, scrambled to perfectly soft-boiled, eggs take just minutes to cook and are easy to learn how to do. If you’ve got an air fryer, you can even put this to use with our recipes for air fryer boiled eggs or air fryer fried egg. Once you’re confident in the simplest of methods, many more egg dishes await, like a Spanish tortilla or basic omelette that you can fill with ingredients of your choice for lunch in minutes.

19. Cottage pie

A traditional cottage pie is a timeless favourite. Barney explains why he loves it: ‘it can be an eat-with-a-spoon comforting dish, but it can also be an impressive and more structured centrepiece.’ A shepherd’s pie uses lamb mince and a cottage pie uses beef – or use lentils for a veggie version. Making one combines several skills in one dish, from sweating the soffritto base, cooking meat down, making fluffy mash. Similar skills can be used to make a fish pie, our sausage and mash pie or a vegan lentil and sweet potato cottage pie.

20. Meringue

Meringue forms the foundation for many classic desserts, from pavlovas to Eton mess and roulades. Looking impressive but only needing two ingredients in it’s most basic form (egg whites and sugar) makes it a recipe worth knowing. Learning to whip egg whites and sugar to the perfect consistency teaches valuable baking skills, such as achieving stable peaks and understanding sugar’s role in structure. Plus, it’s a great way to use up leftover egg whites, reducing food waste in the kitchen.

21. Dhal

Dhal is a traditional South Asian dish made from lentils or other pulses, cooked with spices to create a hearty, nutritious and flavourful meal. It is an excellent dish to have in your repertoire as it is affordable, protein-rich and easily adaptable – have it on it’s own or as a side dish, keep it veggie or top with protein (we love jammy eggs). Don’t forget flatbreads for scooping too. Try our creamy black dhal topped with crispy onions, up the plant points with this sweet potato dhal with curried vegetables or make a traybake version with curried chicken baked dhal recipe.

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