What should always be in a well-stocked kitchen pantry

Even though we all love to cook with fresh, seasonal ingredients, there are times when we must cobble together a meal that doesn’t entail a shopping trip or planning ahead. That is where a well-stocked pantry comes in. Here are just a few ingredients—some familiar, others perhaps unexpected—that will help you pull together delicious dishes in a snap.

1. Mustard: A coarse- or whole- grain mustard is good for brat or burger night. A dollop of a traditional smooth Dijon gives terrific body to a vinaigrette, simple pan sauce or herbed coating for chicken or lamb.

2. Miso: This protein-packed fermented soybean paste comes in various strengths. Yellow (shin-shu) miso, which has a mild earthiness, is the most versatile. Use it to impart the savory quality called umami to salad dressings, soups, marinades and glazes for roasted, grilled or steamed vegetables.

3. Dried beans: Canned beans are extremely handy, but nothing beats dried beans for value and flavor, and quick-soaking them takes just an hour. Lentils, which do not need a soak, are the fastest-cooking legume. If you see the little green French ones called lentilles du Puy—which are peppery and minerally, yet delicate—pounce. Cooked with sautéed onion, carrot and a bay leaf, they make an excellent bed for sliced kielbasa or duck breast. Combine cooked white beans, cooked fresh green beans and cherry tomatoes and serve with seared fish or canned tuna. Scoop cooked black beans into a baked sweet potato or serve with rice, avocado slices and cilantro. Serve bowls of pinto beans with cornbread for a taste of the mountain South.

4. Hot sauce: It’s high time to think out of the Tabasco box. Sriracha, which comes in a handy squirt bottle, is a garlicky chili sauce that adds a spark to everything from scrambled eggs to lentil soup or a mayonnaise dressing for coleslaw.

5. Spices: Whole black peppercorns, ground fresh, are one of life’s most inexpensive luxuries. Cayenne pepper is for more than spicy dishes; a pinch enlivens twice-baked potatoes or mac- and-cheese. Spanish smoked paprika is fabulous on everything from popcorn to roasted chicken, and dried red-pepper flakes are especially wonderful with sautéed greens and garlic.

6. Canned fish: Tuna is a no-brainer, but don’t forget a few tins of small forage fish. Chopped anchovies give depth to a lemony vinaigrette, tomato sauce, or salsa verde. Broken-up sardines, integral to Sicilian pasta con le sarde, are at home on tomato-rubbed bruschetta. Smoked oysters or mussels are a great pantry hors-d’oeuvre.

7. Worcestershire sauce: This distinctive aged blend that includes anchovies, vinegar, tamarind, cloves and molasses is nothing short of an umani bomb. Try it in turkey burgers or meatloaf, or stir a little into a bean salad. And here’s a quick pan sauce for bunless burg-
ers: While the meat is resting, combine Worcestershire, a pat of butter and a squirt of lemon juice in the pan and simmer brie y, scraping up the brown bits. Pour over the burgers and serve immediately.