10 classics every cook should know

Do you have yourself down as a great home cook? Check out these 10 classics every cook should know, from silky smooth hollandaise sauce to light, airy Victoria sponge. See whether you've mastered these top ten dishes and use our handy tips to crack them if you've still got a way to go.

Crumble

With its golden topping, and autumnal fruits bubbling underneath, it's easy to see why crumble is a pudding classic. The make-or-break element of this dish is the topping. Blitz butter, flour and sugar in a food processor to make the crumble topping at lightening speed. If you're doing it by hand, the trick is not to overwork things. Rub the butter and flour between your fingers until you have a crumble-like texture, and then combine with the sugar. Sprinkle over fruit and sugar, and you're almost done.

Cheat's tip:
Don't have time to make a crumble from scratch? Use Sainsbury's All Butter Crumble Mix and Bramley Apple & Blackberry Compote to make a speedy cheat's version.

Victoria sponge

The perfect jam-to-cream ratio for a Victoria sponge is always up for debate, but a soft, light sponge is an absolute must. Line your baking tins with the parchment reaching a few inches above the top of each tin, to stop the sponges catching at the edges. Gradually add beaten eggs to creamed butter and sugar, and fold in flour that's been sifted from a height to guarantee you have a light and airy sponge.

Roast potatoes
An essential part of any Sunday roast, crunchy roast potatoes with a golden finish are one of the best bits. This recipe from Many Faces of Potatoes suggests rinsing your potatoes once peeled to remove excess starch. Par boil the potatoes for 10 minutes and drain them, before shaking the pan to roughen up their edges. Coat in hot oil, season to taste and roast in the oven at 200C/425F/gas mark 6, for 45 minutes, until you have crispy golden roasties.

Recipe suggestion:
Roast potatoes go perfectly with roast pork, crisp crackling and all the trimmings. Try this easy Sainsbury's Meal Planner recipe for roast pork shoulder with roast potatoes, carrots and broccoli for your next Sunday roast.

Gravy

The sign of a good gravy, is one that makes you want to lick your plate clean. Good stock is important and blitzing a few roasted vegetables into your gravy is a great way to thicken it without using flour. If you're cooking up gravy for a roast, pop some onions with their skins on in with the meat. They'll give the juices a darker colour so you won't have to use any gravy browning.

Hollandaise sauce

This luxurious sauce tastes delicious with asparagus or poached eggs. Though using a blender or a food processor takes furious whisking out of the equation, patience is still needed to add gradually white wine vinegar and melted butter to the blitzed egg yolks. The result? A glossy, luxurious sauce that takes home cooking up a notch. Try serving hollandaise with fish - a classic combination.

Did you know?
Sainsbury's Woodland eggs are laid by hens free to roam and every time you buy a dozen, Sainsbury's donates 1p to the Woodland Trust to support Britain's native woods and wildlife.

Crème brûlée
This is a classic dessert that treats your tongue to something indulgent and chic all in one mouthful. Cream, eggs, sugar and vanilla are whisked into custard form before being cooled and topped with caramel. Keep your sink half full of cold water while you're making the custard, so you can plunge the pan into it if there's a sign the mixture might curdle. It's worth mastering this dessert just for the glory you'll get from friends and family when they tuck into it.

Cheat's tip:
If you don't have time to create a dinner party dessert from scratch, why not try Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Limoncello Gateau? We won't tell if you don't...

Tomato sauce
Making your own tomato sauce from scratch creates a tasty, versatile sauce that you can make in batches, and freeze for use later. Use the best tomatoes you can find and blanch them briefly so you can peel the skins off easily, then chop. Fry some diced onions until golden, add the chopped tomatoes to the pan, along with crushed garlic and herbs. Season to taste after simmering for 90 minutes and blend for a really fine sauce.

Recipe suggestion:
Tomato sauce is the perfect complement to plain pasta, but if you're looking for something more substantial, try the Sainsbury's Meal Planner recipes for pasta.

Roast chicken

Delicious roast chicken is home-cooked comfort food at its best. There are a few simple rules to follow: buy the best chicken you can afford. The better the quality of the chicken, the better the flavour. Take the chicken out of the fridge 30 minutes before roasting, rub it all over with olive oil, season to taste and place in a hot oven to seal the bird. Turn down the heat and cook for 1 hour - 90 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken. Adding water to the roasting pan helps to keep the flesh juicy, and covering it with tin foil can help to stop the skin burning at the last minute.

Did you know?
Sainsbury's is the largest retailer of Freedom Food products, selling over 300 lines that meet the strict welfarestandards devised and monitored by the RSPCA. Find out more on the Sainsbury's Live Well For Less site.

Steak

Using decent steak is the key to this classically carnivorous option. Rib-eye and sirloin are good cuts for their juicy flavour, while fillet is best for that melt-in-the-mouth texture. Being brave with the heat is needed when it comes to cooking your steak, and electronic timers are handy too.

Did you know?
If you're looking for a quality steak for a special dinner, you should know that Sainsbury's Taste The Difference range includes delicious 21-day-aged steaks, including rump, rib-eye and sirloin.

Poached eggs
Tricky to master, but poached eggs are so worth cracking as an accomplished home cook. Using fresh eggs is paramount, and adding vinegar to the water will help to keep the egg whites together when you're poaching. An easy method for perfect poached eggs is simply to break fresh eggs into a pan of barely simmering water and cook for 1 minute. Turn the heat off and leave for 10 minutes until you have poached eggs that are ready to pat dry before serving.

Recipe suggestion:
If simple poached eggs on toast won't cut it, why not visit the Sainsbury's meal planner for more ideas, from Mexican ranch-style eggs to smoked salmon and scrambled eggs.