Tucked into a dimly lit corner within a tall, navy townhouse in Hackney, Nigella Lawson is mulling over her five desert island ingredients. ‘If you’re going to restrict me to five… absolutely golden syrup, which I’m very, very keen on and is one of the great ingredients. Lemons. Salt, obviously. And how many have I got to?’ she asks worriedly. ‘Five isn’t nearly enough, I must think of some other things…’
Cheese? ‘All of them!’ Thyme? ‘Cooking is also aromatherapy, remember. I find it just relaxes me, makes me feel I’m living in a beautiful world.’ Dried chillies and Colman’s English mustard make the cut, too. By now, we’re well over five. Oh, and she’s also fanatical about anchovies and capers. ‘Not everyone loves them. There’s always someone who’ll say, “I cannot bear that.”’ Fresh or tinned, the domestic goddess says she devours them on thick slices of double-buttered toast. We should know by now that Nigella Lawson doesn’t believe in scrimping, after all.
