Luxury food on the cheap - our top tips

Writer: Helena Bergström

We like to eat well and a little luxuriously, it must be admitted. It may not be cheap every time, but we try to find affordable alternatives and often find that we manage to cook really luxurious party food, sometimes without it having to be expensive.

Cheap food - but luxurious

Cheap food, but luxurious ... is it possible? Yes, to some extent. However, we should be clear that we fully understand that you may have limited time for cooking or not want to invest in new kitchen appliances etc. Here we share some thoughts on things you can if you want to cook some extra luxurious party or weekend food, without breaking the bank.

1. root vegetables

Root vegetables are fantastic! Not only are they cheap, filling and nutritious, but they are also great for high-end dishes. We often cook potatoes, carrots, beetroot and parsnips. Sometimes we experiment with other root vegetables, such as celeriac or Jerusalem artichoke.

2. cabbage

Cabbage is cheap, but also delicious... and often fits perfectly in luxurious meals! What's more, cabbage keeps for a long time in the fridge. We love white cabbage, red cabbage and pointed cabbage. Fantastic products!

3. onions

You can't live without onions! As we all know, onions are cheap, but they are a natural part of most luxurious dishes. Browse wildly among yellow onions, red onions, charlotte onions, scallions and leeks!

4. Legumes

Lentils, beans and peas are both cheap and good sources of protein. In a vegetarian meal, these ingredients can easily take centre stage. When we cook more luxurious meals, it is more common to let them play a flavourful supporting role, which on the other hand allows you to reduce the meat/fish portion.

5. Affordable sources of protein

You don't have to buy fillet of beef or lobster to make a luxurious dinner. In high-end restaurants in France, we have learnt to appreciate chicken much more than we used to - carefully cooked, chicken is a fantastic product. Other sources of protein that are often affordable include pork, minced meat, eggs, beans, salmon and sometimes some other types of fish.

6. Less meat

It is usual to expect around 100-125 grams of meat per portion. If the meal includes other sources of protein (e.g. beans, bacon, cheese, eggs or a starter containing meat or fish), you can easily reduce the amount of the ”main protein”. Enjoying a small A piece of exclusive meat doesn't have to be too expensive.

7. more vegetables

Vegetables are not always cheap, but some vegetables can be affordable. If you also choose vegetables that are filling, you can reduce the meat portion, and the meal as a whole is often cheaper. Vegetables also contribute with fantastic flavours! Think carrots, peas, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, radishes and other goodies.

8. Vegetables in season

Choosing vegetables according to their season is often a better environmental choice, and often better value for money. Autumn and winter are the seasons for root vegetables and cabbages, while in spring and summer you can enjoy more things like lettuce, fresh leaves, tomatoes, sugar peas and asparagus.

9. offers/prices of the week

Food prices can vary greatly. By checking current offers and what's cheap ”at the moment”, you can make bargains. We like to buy fresh fish at the fish counter, but we generally buy whatever seafood happens to have a good price at the moment...

10. Not throwing away food

One of the best ways to save money in the kitchen is of course not to throw food away. Sometimes it's necessary of course, but we always our very best so as not to have to throw away. We try to make small portions, we use leftovers for lunch and we freeze leftover sauces, etc. Vegetables that are getting a bit sad fit perfectly in soup.

11. Inventory the cupboards

This point is somewhat related to the previous point. Seriously, how easy is it for things to get stuck in cupboards... and when you finally find them, the contents have to be thrown away because the date expired years ago? Maybe there are lots of interesting things there: spices, broths, sauces, nuts...

12. cooking from scratch

No, you don't always have time to cook from scratch. But if you have the time and the opportunity, it can be an affordable way to get luxurious food. Homemade vegetable soups, for example, are both delicious and luxurious. We love cauliflower soup, broccoli soup, spinach soup, asparagus soup and pumpkin soup. You can also cook your own stock on meat bones or cook prawn soup on prawn shells. We (read: Peter!) do the latter regularly.

13. cook with care

What is luxurious? Is it that the raw material was expensive, or is it that it has been carefully prepared? In our world, the latter is the most luxurious. We love our sous vide, which of course has a purchase cost, but in our case a extremely good Another option is to use a thermometer for the meat or fish to get the right temperature.

14. Luxury and affordable raw materials

There are a lot of ingredients that can be perceived as luxurious, while they can be quite affordable. We like to luxuriate with mussels (not too expensive) and we like to buy fresh prawns with shells, when it happens to be a good price. Other things that can feel luxurious without being particularly expensive are, for example, crushed tomatoes of a slightly better brand, fresh pasta and sourdough bread.

15. Luxury and affordable flavourings

There are also many tasty seasonings that can spice up the simplest of dishes and instantly give it a more luxurious feel. Our favourites include Dijon mustard, honey, garlic, good oils, olives and capers.

Luxury food at a cheap price - more tips?

Do you have any more tips on how to cook luxurious food on the cheap? Do you have any favourites that you usually buy or cook?