Frozen food doesn’t have to mean fish fingers and waffles. Former MasterChef champ Shelina Permalloo tells Jeananne Craig about her ice and spicy Sainsbury’s campaign.
MasterChef judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace aren’t known for getting emotional on screen (unless the latter is enthusing about a buttery biscuit base).
But 2012 contestant Shelina Permalloo’s Mauritian-inspired cooking left the firm but fair pair all a-flutter.
First, there was Torode, who welled up after tasting Permalloo’s exotic deep-fried soft shell crab.
“He had tears in his eyes; I think he said he’d come home,” former charity worker Permalloo recalls. “It was one of those turnaround moments, when I realised you shouldn’t fake what it is that you love, and if you love what you cook, other people love it too.”
Then there was former greengrocer Wallace, who described Permalloo’s cooking as “sunshine on a plate”.
“When I discovered he loved mangoes nearly as much as me, I shoved mangoes in everything,” she says, smiling.
Born in Southampton to Mauritian parents, Permalloo has been busy with two cookbooks, restaurant work and foodie roadshows since her MasterChef triumph.
Her latest project is the Love Your Freezer campaign with Sainsbury’s, which aims to inspire families to get the most from their freezers.
“Frozen food doesn’t have to be the breadcrumbed, heavy things that people typically think of. It can be light, fresh, and perfect for winter as well,” says Permalloo.
“I think freezers have had a bad rep for a long time, and the most important thing about using your freezer is making the most of it – making things colourful, fresh and full of flavour.”
The 31-year-old does admit to having found a few random ingredients in the “abyss of the freezer” from time to time – including an exploded bag of frozen thyme.
“It happens to the best of us!” she says. “Organising your freezer’s really important, labelling it properly and cycling it the way you would with your fridge.”
Much of Permalloo’s cuisine is inspired by her mother, Sheila, who she recently enjoyed a trip to Mauritius with.
So who’s the better cook these days? “My mum’s food is what I crave whenever I’ve been away or I’m feeling low, or I’ve got a cold. Technically, I’ve got more skills than her, but she’s definitely the better cook,” Permalloo says with a laugh.
“Mum loves my food, she’s really supportive. She’s all about taste and smell – an old school cook, no measurements, just feeling as she goes along. I think that’s the best way to cook.”
Permalloo is also proud aunt to four nephews, who range in age from one to nine.
“All the kids love getting involved in food, they get really excited. If they can be involved in the process, they want to eat it,” she says.
“Kiran, who’s seven, is a little foodie. I can definitely imagine him being the next judge on MasterChef – he’s very, very shrewd with his words.”
Permalloo admits it’s been “an incredible couple of years” since she picked up her MasterChef trophy.
However, even though some “really great experiences” have come her way, “don’t ever forget where you came from”, she adds.
“Being close to the family for me is what food was always about. I can’t live without them at all.”
Here are three of Permalloo’s recipes to take you from freezer to fork.
(All of the frozen ingredients below can be used straight from the freezer without the need to defrost, apart from the prawns in the Bejewelled Rice and the mince in the One-Pot Chilli.)
MEXICAN STYLE CORN CHOWDER
(Serves 6 as a starter or 4 as a main)
2tbsp olive oil
4 spring onions, finely chopped
15g frozen garlic
100g mixed frozen peppers
1tsp cumin seeds
1tbsp crushed coriander seeds
1 chipotle chilli (pre-soaked in hot water for 15 minutes, drained and finely chopped)
A dash of Worcester sauce (1-2tbsp)
2 medium potatoes cut into 1-inch cubes
800g frozen sweetcorn
A couple of bay leaves
400ml chicken stock (or vegetarian stock)
Salt and black pepper to taste
200ml semi-skimmed milk
Soured cream, fresh coriander and jalapenos for serving (optional)
Place a large saucepan over a medium heat and add the olive oil, spring onions, garlic, peppers, spices, chilli, and bay leaves and cook for five minutes, until they have softened.
Stir in the potatoes, half of the sweetcorn, the stock, salt and pepper and Worcester sauce.
Bring the mixture to a boil before reducing the heat to allow it to simmer for around 15 minutes.
While this is simmering, puree the remaining sweetcorn with the milk in a blender until smooth. If the mixture is too thick, add a little water to help loosen it.
Stir the sweetcorn puree into the soup along with some black pepper and simmer for five to 10 minutes, or until the soup thickens.
Serve with soured cream, fresh coriander, jalapenos or a garnish of your choice.
BEJEWELLED RICE WITH PRAWNS
(Serves 4)
6tbsp olive oil
6 cardamom pods
2 bay leaves
1 cinnamon stick
200g basmati rice, rinsed and drained
400ml chicken stock or vegetable stock
4tbsp pomegranate seeds
225g frozen prawns (thoroughly defrosted)
Small pinch of saffron
2tsp cumin seeds
100g toasted flaked almonds
150g frozen chopped onions
Pinch of salt
Green salad, to serve
On a medium heat, fry off all of the spices (cardamom pods, bay leaves, cinnamon stick) in one tablespoon of oil for approximately two minutes, and then add the rice and toast (cook in the frying pan) for a further two minutes.
Add the stock and bring the mixture to a boil before covering it with a tight fitting lid, and then turn the heat down to a low simmer to cook for 10 minutes.
Stir in the pomegranate seeds and the defrosted prawns and cook for a further five minutes.
Add the saffron to a small splash of boiling water and scatter it on top of the cooking mixture. Cover the pot again, turn off the heat and let it sit for five minutes.
Meanwhile, over a medium heat, fry the cumin seeds with the frozen onions and a pinch of salt in the remaining oil until they turn golden. Add the almonds to this mixture then turn off the heat.
To serve, carefully toss the onion mixture into the rice and serve alongside a green salad.
LONG AND LAZY ONE-POT CHILLI
(Serves 4-6)
For the chilli:
1tbsp olive oil
500g beef mince (thoroughly defrosted)
50g frozen chopped onions
1 large carrot, finely chopped
20g frozen garlic
1tsp frozen chopped chilli
1tsp hot chilli powder (add more if you like it really hot)
2tsp (heaped) paprika
1tsp unrefined golden caster sugar
100g mixed frozen peppers
400g tin chopped tomatoes
400ml beef stock
400g tin cooked kidney beans, washed and drained
20g (or to taste) frozen coriander
Salt and pepper to taste
For the nachos:
4 flour tortillas
1-2tbsp olive oil
1tbsp dried ground cumin
1tbsp smoked paprika
For the garnish:
Pickled red onions (slice red onions and leave to sit in lime juice for 3-5 minutes)
Low fat creme fraiche
Lime segments
In a large casserole dish, add the mince, onions, carrots and garlic and cook over a high heat until the mince begins to brown and the carrots begin to soften (approximately 10-15 minutes).
Add all of the other ingredients except the kidney beans and coriander and cook over a low to medium flame with the lid on for one hour, stirring occasionally. Once the hour is up, add the kidney beans and cook for a further 15 minutes.
During this time, brush the tortillas with oil and sprinkle over the spices. Cut each tortilla into eight triangles and bake in the oven for 10 minutes until the tortillas are brown and crispy.
By this time, the chilli should be ready. Simply stir in the frozen coriander and the amount of seasoning you prefer, according to taste.
Serve the chilli with the garnish and the baked nachos straight from the oven.
Want to love your freezer? For more inspiration and ideas, visit www.sainsburys.co.uk/shop/gb/groceries/get-ideas/features/love-your-freezer