Our Easter Extravaganza

Happy Easter Feasting

Easter stands for so many different things in many different parts of the world. From religious suppers to family feasts; through time immemorial; crossing countries and cultures - Easter is a celebration that won't pass without the sharing of great food and wonderful company.

Families gather to catch up after the long winter months, as spring once again smiles on us with hope for a fulfilling year ahead.

Easter eggs, bunnies, bonnets and even barbecues get dusted off and paraded for all to join in the fun.

But - what do we eat? Every family has their favourite foods to feast on and traditions to follow and share. What we'll do this week (and develop over the coming weeks) is to suggest some of our own ideas and recipes that offer a twist on tradition and bring Stokes' ethos to your table, with our promise of ... FOOD MADE BETTER.


Tweet of the Week

Here's a simple yet delicious dip tweeted by @BryonyEHopkins.

It combines the sweet chilli flavours of Stokes Chilli Jam with the creamy deliciousness of ripe avocados.

Mix cream cheese and crushed avocado to the consistency you prefer, then add our Chilli Jam gently until it just bites back at you through this cooling creamy combination.

Thank you Bryony - keep tweeting: tweet here, or post here. 



Roots, roasts and cold cuts

If you are cooking beef or lamb this Easter, here is a great website to help you on your way. It's produced by the Agriculture and Horticulture Marketing Board, the AHMB and helps you choose a local butcher, understand the right cut and cook it superbly.

If you are planning to have a lovely pork joint, don't forget that last month's Newsletter had some useful tips for the perfect crackling. If you missed it, just scroll down and see if you agree.

If you have any ideas to help readers with tasty tips for Easter we'd like you to share your ideas with our growing network friends: tweet here, or post here. 

Whether you are planning pork, lamb, beef, fowl or fish this Easter, Stokes have the perfect accompaniment to dress the side of the plate, add a tasty twist to the gravy, or bring your cold cuts back to life:

Roasting Roots intensifies the natural sweetness of the carrots, parsnips, onions or beetroot (I personally love a mix of all four, particularly if they are basking slowly under a shoulder of lamb - part roasting, part lapping up the lamb juices as it cooks).

You can develop the flavours further by drizzling some runny honey over them first, then spooning in some Stokes Cider & Horseradish Mustard - it's simply delicious.


Groovy Gravy

You've made your roux, added your stock, it's simmering, you taste it - and it's ok ... just ok. At this stage, how do you turn 'ok' to 'wow'.

The first is a non-Stokes tip. A larder must have is a bottle of Knorr's 'Touch of Taste' concentrated liquid stock. I always have a bottle of beef and one of chicken to hand. A little in your simmering gravy is a transformation.

But, there's more. If your gravy is to go with lamb, add a spoon or two of Stokes Mint Sauce. The vinegar sharpens it and the mint flavours it. If it's for beef, add a spoonful of Chilli Jam (for a gentle chilli lift); Classic English Mustard (for a warming heart); Stokes Brown Sauce (for the blend of our secret spices that makes the sauce so special).

Play with it - you'll be pleasantly surprised. 



For the love of Mackerel

I love mackerel and apparently it loves me back, thanks to the healthy hug of its oily fish Omega 3. But Mackerel also absolutely adores horseradish and loves beetroot equally.

So, here are a few mackerel based ideas for starters and snacks to enjoy this Easter (or any time quite frankly). The picture above shows a simple mackerel salad of roasted squash, cooked beetroot, flaked smoked mackerel tossed together with rocket leaves and a drizzle of olive oil.

Two delicious accompaniments for this are Stokes Creamed Horseradish and Stokes Beetroot Relish - the latter complimenting the beetroot, the former loving the mackerel. Try mixing equal amounts of each for a pink beetroot dipping sauce with smooth horseradish tang.

For a lovely smoked mackerel pate, flake your mackerel into a bowl and mix with a few capers and chopped spring onion, then combine with equal quantities of Stokes Creamed Horseradish Sauce and crème fraîche. It's very tasty on water biscuits or spread it on toast, grate mature cheddar cheese on top and grill it until the cheese browns and bubbles.

Pan-fried mackerel fillets with beetroot and fennel.

This is another great recipe from BBC Good Food which includes a useful hint for filleting the mackerel:

Put one of the mackerel fillets on a board and cut a ‘V’ down the centre, either side of the pin bones, to create two smaller fillets, then remove the bones.

Try it with the horseradish and beetroot relish combo mentioned above. Click here or on the image for the recipe.


Comfort Food

Comfort food - it's not just for the children. There's nothing more grown up than a succulent fish finger sandwich, or as comforting as delicious egg mayonnaise (in a sandwich or on a baked potato). And then of course there's the bacon butty with ketchup, brown sauce or curry ketchup, the Stokes way.

Happy Easter.

Simple,  honest,  delicious

 FOOD MADE BETTER

www.stokessauces.co.uk

01394 462150