Professional chefs use these cheat ingredients to get through the festive season

Food writers and chefs tell Caroline Hennessy about the ingredients they use to spend less time in the kitchen 

Food doesn’t have to be stressful to be special and clever cooks always have some cheat ingredients stashed away to make life easier.

With seasonal advice everywhere on subjects such as curing your own salmon starter, baking bread for stuffing and even rearing the turkey, you could be forgiven for thinking that you have to make all the edibles yourself for the festive season.

That’s not so. Food doesn’t have to be stressful to be special and clever cooks always have some cheat ingredients stashed away to make life easier.