These Are Bobby Flay's Favorite Pantry Staples

It's not often your favorite chef takes you on a tour of their pantry, let alone tells you what their favorite pantry staples are. You'll know you've hit gold when chefs stutter when asked what their "top five favorite pantry essentials are," and that might be the hint you need to bring out the pen and paper and start writing down anything you see or hear mentioned. With some luck, and a few pauses and rewinding, you too will be able to get your pantry to look semi-professional. After all, we're no Bobby Flay — right?

In this rare opportunity — and let's face it, a dream come true for many foodies out there — the iconic chef and restaurateur Bobby Flay has openly shared his preferred kitchen basics in a recent video the star chef uploaded to Instagram. Asked by Misfit Markets to share his top pantry must-haves, Flay has gone above and beyond to provide the content all amateur chefs and home cooks dream of hearing. So what are his top five staples? Truth is, it's a bit more complicated than that.

Some people can't live without garlic salt, others can't fathom a world without avocado oil, but for Bobby Flay there are just so many delicious things to reach for that picking only five is simply impossible. "Five would not be enough, but I'll give you a few ideas," says the chef as he prepares viewers for a grocery list of pantry must-haves.

Starting with the basics, Flay mentions extra virgin olive oil and canola oil are at the top of his list, along with flours for pizzas or pastas. Moving towards the Mediterranean sections, Flay shows cans of whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes, Calabrian chilis, Spanish Piquillo peppers, Spanish paprika, and capers.

Of course, there are tons of mustards, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauces, starches like long grain and short grain rice, paella rice, polenta, breadcrumbs — both traditional and panko — and various pasta shapes. Other staples include rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce, fish sauce, coconut milk, chickpeas, black beans, and chile de arbol (via She Knows). (Like we said: complicated.)