I’m a chef and these are 6 ingredients you throw away that you can turn into something delicious

Wake up and smell the coffee grounds.

That’s the message from a creative chef who reveals it’s one of many “ingredients” commonly tossed in the trash that can be upcycled to make something mouth-watering.

Kieran Duffy is head chef at York restaurant Food Bar & Kitchenthat reuses and upcycles ingredients to create “delicious menu dishes.”

He says, “There are a lot of things that we think should be thrown away – such as vegetable peels, stems and meat skins – that, if stored and reused properly, can be really tasty and useful for cooking.”

Read on for his list of six ingredients you throw away that can be reused.

1. Coffee

Coffee-rubbed pork from Forage Bar & Kitchen

Kieran said, ‘After brewing a pot of coffee, don’t throw away your used coffee grounds, as they can be turned into a delicious meat rub. Remove the leftover or excess coffee grounds from your machine or coffee pot and mix with salt, pepper and spices such as smoked paprika, chili flakes, garlic powder, ground coriander and cayenne pepper. This creates a tasty rub that you can smother on pork belly, beef brisket and even steak to bring out the tasty flavours.’

2. Artichokes

Kieran said, ‘Artichokes are really versatile and can be used in many ways. Many people like hearts on pizza and charred as antipasto. In the restaurant we make it into a silky smooth hummus, but we don’t throw the peels away, but dry them out and then fry them to use as a crisp or mix them into a salt to season.

‘You do this at home by drying out the skins, then seasoning with salt and pepper and adding a dash of olive oil and lemon juice. Then put them in the oven on low heat for three to four hours. Or if you have an airfryer, fry them in it for extra crunch. You now have healthy, tasty chips that you can dip in hummus or aioli.’

3. Chilli peppers

Forage Bar & Kitchen’s onglet steak with pickled peppers

Kieran said, ‘If you’re using fresh chillies at home, it’s common practice to discard the stems and ends of the chilli, especially if you don’t want to add too much spice. Instead, save the tops and stems and dip them in olive oil, creating a chili-infused oil that will take your cooking to the next level. We use this method to enhance our dishes and make a spicy emulsion for our “Forage Fried Chicken”.

Chillies are also often bought in packets, so you may not get a chance to use them all up before they start spinning. We like to make chillies to use in our seasoning zhug – a thick hot sauce that accompanies shrimp on our menu – and this method can preserve the vegetables longer. Put your excess whole chiles in a mason jar, then boil off some vinegar, coriander seeds, mustard seeds, salt and sugar in a saucepan. Pour this liquid into the jar and let it sit overnight and you will have delicious pickled peppers that can be enjoyed for months.’

4. Garlic and onion peels

Kieran said: ‘Onion and garlic are staples in most dishes, and the amount of discarded onion and garlic skins quickly adds up. You can use the husks to make spices, saving you money on store bought onion or garlic powder. Quickly rinse the skins and let them dry on a wire rack, then bake in the oven for about three hours. When they come out crispy, put them in a blender and you’ll have homemade garlic or onion powder.

“You can also use the skins to make your own broth, by boiling in water with carrots, celery, herbs and spices with any meat juices left over from cooking.” Then strain and you have a delicious broth.’

5. Strawberry leaves

Forage Bar & Kitchen (above) reuses and upcycles ingredients to create “delicious menu dishes.”

Kieran said: ‘Strawberries are a delicate summer treat and while we use them for drinks and desserts many people cut off the tops and throw them away. However, the leaves are perfectly edible and you can use them to transform a regular vodka or gin into a tangy-sweet, strawberry-infused spirit – similar to how we do it at the Forage distillery.”

‘Take all the caps from a 500 g box of strawberries and put them in a jar or glass bottle. Pour over vodka so that the vessel is filled, then let it sit for a few days and you’ll have your strawberry-topped vodka to use in cocktails, or to drink on its own with soda and lime.

“If you want a great cocktail right away, you can also make a delicious daiquiri by blending a few shots of rum, juice of one lime, two tablespoons of sugar syrup, some ice and a few handfuls of whole strawberries – with the tops on!”

6. Goosebumps

Kieran said, “Instead of throwing goosebumps off your Sunday Roast, heat it in olive oil and fry it for three to four minutes until golden brown. These little crunchy pieces can be used throughout the week to flavor stir-fries, salads and other dishes. Don’t forget to keep the oil you cooked your chicken skins in – the fat will have combined with the oil to be extra tasty and you can use this in cooking, for example making tasty roasted vegetables.’