Great British Food

Celebrating British Produce

During British Food Fortnight, we are looking at what it means to use British produce in our kitchens.

If you missed last week's article - CLICK HERE.

The campaign is a wonderful opportunity for everyone to come together and promote the benefits of buying and eating from our home-produced British larder, a larder filled with the finest foodstuffs.

Breakfast Muffins

We are not going to make muffins - no point - the stores are packed with many delicious variations on the theme. If you want to make your own, Jamie Oliver and the BBC have great and simple recipes.

With Raspberry Extra Jam, Blackcurrant Extra Jam or Strawberry Extra Jam from Stokes - breakfast is served.

The Muffin is a very British thing, called English or Breakfast Muffins overseas.

They were particularly popular in Victorian England when vendors rang bells through the streets, with trays of muffins held high to prevent tiny hands from liberating them.

The bell ringing was once described as "one of the most joyous sounds in a Victorian childhood". 

They can be lifted in grandeur bearing 'Eggs Benedict' or more simply sweet and savoury in many different ways.

With Butchers sausages made with British pork, topped with a British free range egg and a drizzle of Stokes very British Brown Sauce - breakfast is served again !

 

Cromer Crab Cakes

Just as our island larder of meats, poultry, grains, vegetables and fruit abounds, its waters offer some of the finest seafood in the world.

This makes 6 smallish cakes, perfect for 2. Finely grate an inch of fresh ginger into a bowl with 2 tsp of Stokes Chilli Jam. Add 2 finely chopped spring onions and a small handful of chopped coriander. Combine this well with 250g of Cromer crab (equal brown and white meat if possible).

Crack an egg into the mixture, with 4 tbsp of breadcrumbs, thoroughly mixing and combining the mixture before forming 6 equal patties that you will now chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Now, set up 3 plates, one with a broken egg, the next with flour, finally a third with breadcrumbs - and drench, dust, crumb each patty. Shallow fry for 2 minutes each side then bake in a medium oven for 10 minutes.

Served with a choice of either Stokes Tartare Sauce or our Sweet Chilli Sauce ( a little of each perhaps) and enjoy.

  

Scottish Smoked Salmon

From origins intended to preserve the fish for long haul exploration to the Americas, now, Smoked Salmon is a delicacy enjoyed throughout the year and a special treat at Christmas, often served with scrambled eggs.

Mock Hollandaise

Folded on an 'English' muffin crowned with a lightly poached British free range egg, it's an absolute joy.

For a Mock Hollandaise in moments: whisk together 4 or 5 tbsp of Stokes Real Mayonnaise with 1 tsp of our Cider & Horseradish Mustard and the juice of half a lemon. Pour in 2 tbsp of melted unsalted butter, whisking quickly with a pinch of cayenne pepper - and there you have it.

A delicious twist is to stir 1 or 2 tsp of Stokes Mustard & Dill Sauce into the Mayonnaise for an instant 'gravadlax' infusion.

 Great British Taste Buds

...deserve Great British Stokes - HERE

More foodie thoughts for the week:





Meat-Free Monday - 
these recipes offer all the tastes and textures, colours and aromas of wonderful, healthy meals, without the meat - here.








Our Classic Trio - 
we go back to our roots to share what, why and how it all started, 15 tasty years ago - here.
 






Are you missing out? - 
if you don't follow us on social media, you very might be ... find out more - here.

If good food makes you happy
...adding Stokes will make you smile ;)

FOOD MADE BETTER 
www.stokessauces.co.uk

01394 462150

Meat Free Monday

World Vegetarian Day

We thought we'd have a Meat Free Monday in support of World Vegetarian Day on 1st October.  The day in fact 'kicks off' Vegetarian Awareness Month.

Many think that without meat on the plate, you lose texture and taste - not so.

Meat-Free Pizza

There are classic pizzas, such as the original Margherita, that don't have meat, but anything goes.

Just use your imagination to build healthy taste and texture. Cook the base once, with Stokes Bloody Mary Ketchup on it and some heat from our Chilli Jam, bringing a little fire through the sweet ketchup.

When it is 2 or 3 minutes from crisp, crack an egg in the middle and return it to the oven to firm the egg up. Now garnish it with the vibrant green bitterness of rocket and perhaps watercress, balanced by the succulent sweetness of cherry tomatoes. Offset this with salty olives or capers (or both).

You have a hot pizza baste with tomato / chilli flavour, runny egg, cold sweet tomatoes, crisp peppery greens and salty olives - with a good spoonful of Stokes Real or our Garlic Mayonnaise on the side ... well, who says you cant have texture and taste without meat !

Mushroom Pasta

I know, boring you say, but have a go and you'll find the sauce anything but boring.

While the pasta is cooling to the packet instructions, soften a finely chopped shallot in half and half butter and oil. After 5 minutes, add 2 grated garlic cloves and about 400g of mushrooms, a handful at a time.

[TIP: Use an assortment of 'rooms - shiitake, oyster, field etc - to create a variety of textures when the dish is assembled.]

In a bowl, mix 125ml of mascarpone cheese, half a tsp of cayenne pepper, 2 or 3 tsp of Stokes Classic English Mustard and the juice of half a lemon. Stir this into the mushrooms after 5 minutes of cooking, together with a handful of chopped parsley and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Drain and add the cooked pasta to the mushrooms and serve.

Seasonal Vegetable Tagine

For the local, seasonal vegetables, clean, peel and roughly chop 1 onion, 3 carrots, 2 large potatoes, 1 sweet potato, 3 tomatoes, a handful of green beans and 3 or 4 cloves of garlic.

For the flavours of North Africa, use 1 tbsp of Harissa spice mix (readily available in supermarkets' cook's ingredients pots), 1 tsp of ground cumin, a pinch of turmeric, a few chopped apricots, 2 tbsp of runny honey, 2 tbsp of Stokes Spiced Apricot Chutney, 1 tbsp of Stokes Brown Sauce and 4 tbsp of Stokes Tomato Ketchup.

You'll also need,750ml of vegetable stock, lemon juice (1 lemon) and a rinsed drained tin of chickpeas.

Now, using a large ovenproof pan with a lid, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil, soften the onion for 3 minutes, add the garlic for 2, then gradually add all (except the tomatoes) the vegetables and cook for 7 or 8 minutes.

Stir in your flavours of North Africa, combining them well through the vegetables and cook for 5 minutes more before adding the tomatoes, chickpeas and stock. Bring the stock quickly to the boil then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 25 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and the flavours infused.

Uncover, season, simmer for a couple of minutes more then serve with rice or couscous.

Great Taste comes from Great Ingredients

Order your 'Great Ingredients' - HERE

More foodie thoughts for the week:





Cromer Crab - 
and other delicious produce from the abundant larder that is our land and sea. British Food at its best - here.







Our Classic Trio - 
we go back to our roots to share what, why and how it all started, 15 tasty years ago - here.

 





Are you missing out? - 
if you don't follow us on social media, you very might be ... find out more - here.

If good food makes you happy
...adding Stokes will make you smile ;)

FOOD MADE BETTER 
www.stokessauces.co.uk

01394 462150

Back to the Tasty Basics

Nurturing the Family of Taste

Oh, how the family 
has grown

We can enjoy the simple taste of Stokes thanks to the complexities, efforts and passion that go into creating the ketchup, mayonnaise, condiments, pickles and preserves that add so much to the meals we prepare and the food we enjoy.

Stokes has evolved from the instinctive drive to achieve ... FOOD MADE BETTER.

First came Stokes Tomato Ketchup - which now wins awards, the greatest of which was getting Rick's daughter to eat vegetables. This was quickly followed by our Real Mayonnaise - which now wins awards.

Then Pete said "...we need a Brown Sauce that's truly amazing" and - yes ... it too now wins awards.

FOOD MADE BETTER

Stokes Tomato Ketchup

Our award-winning ketchup is packed with plump, sweet tomatoes that have ripened on the slopes in southern Italy.

Ripening in the Mediterranean sunshine guarantees a long growing season and continuity of quality and taste.

We gently simmer 200g of these beautiful tomatoes, reduced into every 100g of ketchup.

That's why our Award-Winning Tomato Ketchup is sumptuously thick as you shake it or squeeze it and tastes naturally of delicious tomatoes.

And now we have a squeezable version with 30 % LESS sugar.

Same taste, less waist.

Stokes Real Mayonnaise

We are so proud of our Mayonnaise, it really is very special.

We use only whole eggs from British free range Welfare Assured hens, into which very fine rapeseed oil is drizzled to create the product's core.

Then, to make this real mayonnaise stand out from the rest, extra virgin Cretan Koroneiki olive oil is added too.

There has to be salt in any mayo, but because we use only the finest, natural sea salt from the Dead Sea, we get all the flavour using far less.

Stokes Brown Sauce

Every time someone new discovers our exceptional Brown Sauce, they send us a photo, like this, to celebrate their new found joy.

Ours is a truly 'grown up' brown sauce. You can smell the exquisite difference the moment you twist off or flip open the lid and squeeze.

It is a lush sauce, rich with extra date puree, sweet with black treacle and heady with a unique blend of Persian spices.

Add it to a sausage casserole for a Persian twist - simply delicious.

Meet the family - taste the joy

Order your 'spoon, shake, squeeze' - here

More foodie thoughts for the week:





Cromer Crab - 
and other delicious produce from the abundant larder that is our land and sea. British Food at its best - here.








Meat-Free Monday - 
these recipes offer all the tastes and textures, colours and aromas of wonderful, healthy meals, without the meat - here.


 





Are you missing out? - 
if you don't follow us on social media, you very might be ... find out more - here.

If good food makes you happy
...adding Stokes will make you smile ;)

FOOD MADE BETTER 
www.stokessauces.co.uk

01394 462150

Are you missing out?

Don't miss the fun
on Facebook & Twitter & Instagram

Are you missing out ?

If you already follow us on social media, you'll know that from time to time - well rather more often when Rick is feeling generous - we run mini competitions with tasty treats as prizes.

You may simply have to tell us whether you prefer Tomato Ketchup or Real Mayonnaise with your chips, or to guess what the mysterious product is below.

Of course, if you don't follow us - you are missing out !

 

This fantastic photograph was sent on Instagram by a loyal follower and taste aficionado. With roast beef from Waitrose and a simple salad, it was a delicious way for them to enjoy our Creamed Horseradish Sauce. No excuses - I'm off to make one.

More joy on the plate from our jam in the jar. Again, this photo from another follower and jam fan demonstrates just how simple it is to deliver great taste on the plate, this time from our Extra Strawberry Jam.

To find out what it means to be Extra Jam - read more HERE.

More foodie thoughts for the week:

Cromer Crab - 
and other delicious produce from the abundant larder that is our land and sea. British Food at its best - here.








Meat-Free Monday - 
these recipes offer all the tastes and textures, colours and aromas of wonderful, healthy meals, without the meat - here.

 




Our Classic Trio - 
we go back to our roots to share what, why and how it all started, 15 tasty years ago - here.

If good food makes you happy
...adding Stokes will make you smile ;)

FOOD MADE BETTER 
www.stokessauces.co.uk

01394 462150

Love British Food

British Food Fortnight


Choosing British means supporting British farmers whose work helps to keep the British countryside the way we want it to look: no sheep, or cows, or fruit, or vegetables - no countryside!

But it is the quality of British produce that we should be proud of and try particularly hard to select when shopping.

The pork in these sausages and bacon is reared to the highest standards; the eggs are free range from happy British chucks.

With Stokes Brown Sauce (proudly British) from our popular Breakfast Collection of sauces, jam and marmalade, it's no wonder that a full English breakfast is the appropriate way to kick off our own fortnight favouring Great British foods.

For other delicious breakfast recipes and thoughts - CLICK HERE.

Roast Vegetable Brunch

If you are lucky enough to take a walk in the countryside on a Sunday morning, come back to this assortment of beautiful British vegetables roasting gently in a low oven.

Peppers, courgettes, mushrooms, tomatoes etc are all abundantly in season. Slice them and spread them in a roasting tray with a drizzle of oil and sprinkle of fresh (or dried) thyme, then into a low oven for up to an hour.

[TIP: to enhance the sweetness of the peppers, slice them and toss them in Stokes Bloody Mary Ketchup before adding them to the other veg in the roasting tray.]

Served with a fried free range egg and our Brown Sauce on the side - yummy.

Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

The UK Pig Health & Welfare Council drives, some of the highest welfare standards in the world and improves the way that pigs are reared.

Using a 500g fillet of pork, slice it half lengthways and batter each half flat with a rolling pin.

For the stuffing: soften 1 diced shallot in butter then add 1 tbsp of chopped thyme leaves, 3 or 4 chopped sage leaves, 75g of chopped mushrooms 1 tbsp of Stokes Cider & Horseradish Mustard, 2 tbsp of our Bramley Apple Sauce, 2 tbsp of chopped parsley, 100g of breadcrumbs and the zest and juice of 1 lime.

Spoon the stuffing mixture into a bowl and add a beaten egg and 3 tbsp of double cream, mixing well. Spread the stuffing onto one half of the pork, then place the other on top. Roll tightly and tie off with string, looping and using it to pull and knot the rolled two halves together. Put the bound meat into an oven pre-heated to 180°C/gas mark 4 for 1 hour.

[TIP: deglaze the pan with red wine then pour this and beef stock into a roux with 2 tbsp of Stokes Redcurrant Jelly for as beautiful gravy.]

Cheese on Toast

British Cheese. Did you know that we produce more cheese than France and there are over 700 named cheeses produced in the UK.

Cheese flavours depend not just on the process used to make them, but also on whether milking has taken place in the morning or evening and how much grass the cows, goats or sheep have been able to eat.

Dunsyre Blue, Lanark Blue & Orkney Farmhouse from Scotland; Cheshire Cheese, Delamere Goat from the North West; Elsdon Goat & Nothumberland Gouda from the North East; Swaledale & Wensleydale from Yorkshire; Capella, Hereford Hops & Lincolnshire Poacher from the Midlands; Rozbert Hard Goats, Suffolk Gold & Walsingham from East Anglia; Caerphilly, Caws Cerwyn & Gorau Glas from Wales; and Cornish Yarg, Curworthy, Dorset Blue Vinney & Somerset Brie from the rich grasslands of the South West...

... on toast, under the grill, with Stokes Red Onion Marmalade, Fig Relish, earthy Beetroot Relish or with the bite of our Chilli Jam.  

British Food deserves Great British Sauce

Food Made Better - HERE

More foodie thoughts for the week:

One Pot Wonders - 
we discover the joy of throwing everything into one pot and enjoy the wonders of hearty, tasty, moreish meals  - here.







The Sunday Roast - 
the Sunday Roast is a great occasion. Family gathering, roast potatoes and Yorkshire puds - aaaahh ... click - here.



 



Chocolate Truffles - 
watch, as the recipe unfolds on video for these amazing nuggets of lemon and white chocolate joy - here.

If good food makes you happy
...adding Stokes will make you smile ;)

FOOD MADE BETTER 
www.stokessauces.co.uk

01394 462150

One Pot Wonders

Feasting from the Pot

We wander through the joy of throwing everything into the pot to discover the wonders of hearty, tasty, moreish meals with the added benefit of less washing up.


Simple Beef Casserole

Pre-heat the oven to 160°C/gas mark 3 to slowly cook 750g of stewing steak.

Cut the beef into large pieces and fry it in butter to brown it with a few rashers of smoky bacon, cut into thick slices.

Stir in 2 tbsp of flour, 2 tbsp of Stokes Brown Sauce, 4 tbsp of our Tomato Ketchup, 1 tbsp of Stokes Creamed Horseradish Sauce and pour in 600ml of good beef stock - use 2 beef stock bouillons to intensify the flavour. Add roughly chopped carrots, celery, a dozen small shallots and a couple of sprigs of thyme. Put the lid on the casserole dish and pop it into the oven for 2 hours or so.

Remove the pan, add a couple of handfuls of button mushrooms and simmer, lid off, for 15 minutes. Season and stir in a good knob of butter to thicken the gravy. Finally, serve with good hunks of buttered rustic bread and Stokes Classic English Mustard.

Pork & Gnocchi Stew

Adding the gnocchi in the last 5 minutes adds unusual carbs to this delicious pork & cider stew.

Pre-heat the oven to 160°C/gas mark 3. In an ovenproof casserole dish, fry a chopped onion until soft. Cut 750g of pork shoulder into cubes, dust with seasoned flour and add it to the onion in the pan. Fry the meat for 5 minutes, moving it constantly about the pan.

Chop a couple of carrots, a stick of celery and a fennel bulb, adding them to the casserole with 2 grated cloves of garlic, 3 or 4 tbsp of Stokes Tomato Ketchup and 2 tbsp of our Cider & Horseradish Wholegrain Mustard. Stir in 1 tsp of chopped thyme leaves, 2 or 3 chopped sage leaves, 1 x 500ml bottle of Aspalls Premier Cru cider, 100ml of water and 2 chicken stock bouillons.

Bring the liquid to the boil then put the lid on and into the oven for at least 2 hours. Back onto the hob with the lid off. Add a 500g pack of gnocchi (you may need a little more stock or water) and simmer until the gnocchi is cooked.

Chuck Pot

Take one happy free range chicken and pop half an onion in its cavity.

Put new potatoes into a deep pan (as many as you want) with roughly chopped carrots, leeks, celery, fennel and the other half of the onion. Place the chicken amongst the veg and cover with water. With the lid on, bring this to the boil then simmer for up to 2 hours (depending on the size of the bird).

Remove the chicken and pull the meat away from the bone, reserve the vegetables and strain the cooking liquor.

Make a roux in the pan with equal amounts of butter and flour and a good tbsp of Stokes Classic English Mustard. Stir a glass of white wine into the roux, then the stock for the most amazing gravy to pour over your classic one pot chicken.

One Pot - lots of taste !

You can order 'Lots of Taste' - HERE

More foodie thoughts for the week:

Love British Food - 
as part of British Food Fortnight we look at some of the fantastic produce we cultivate on our island - here.









The Sunday Roast - 
the Sunday Roast is a great occasion. Family gathering, roast potatoes and Yorkshire puds - aaaahh ... click - here.



 

Chocolate Truffles - 
watch, as the recipe unfolds on video for these amazing nuggets of lemon and white chocolate joy - here.

If good food makes you happy
...adding Stokes will make you smile ;)

FOOD MADE BETTER 
www.stokessauces.co.uk

01394 462150

The Great British Roast

A Treat for all the Family

The Sunday Roast is a great occasion. Family gathering, roast potatoes and Yorkshire puds - aaaahh!

The kitchen steams as the vegetables bubble and that unique aroma of roasting meat gradually builds and moves from room to room, telling all that lunch will soon be ready.

Here's a tasty tip for a succulent, moist chicken. Spatchcock the bird first for even cooking and rub the skin with Stokes Real Mayonnaise for a shiny, crispy skin.

Now, make a 'fresh' trivet using celery, fennel, and citrus fruit. Pour in water to a level just below the trivet and pop the bird on top.

Cover for 20 minutes then uncover for the remaining 20 to 30 minutes until the skin is crispy brown and the juices run clear.

 

The Roast 'Dinner' Collection

Our taste aficionados compared notes and shared their favourite food experiences when it came to The Sunday Roast - what were their preferred condiments to eat with beef, pork, lamb and chicken.

They agreed unanimously on these and we created The Roast 'Dinner' Collection.

At just £15, no cupboard should be without them.

Stokes Mint Sauce

Our classic mint sauce is made with garden mint, white wine vinegar and unrefined raw cane sugar for the delicious simplicity of this 'almost' traditional sauce to serve with lamb.

We like to add a couple of teaspoons to the gravy, letting its acidity cut through the lamb fat and the mint flavour run through the sauce.

We used a couple of spoonfuls with Stokes Original BBQ Sauce to make a tasty marinade to tenderise and add flavour to neck of lamb before pan-roasting it - delicious.

Stokes Creamed Horseradish

A gentle, deliciously smooth creamed horseradish sauce that lets you enjoy its full flavour and won't bring tears to your eyes.

It's a truly elegant alternative made with combined wild and cultivated horseradish root and single cream.

TIP: try adding a couple of spoonfuls of our Creamed Horseradish Sauce into buttery smooth mashed potatoes.

It turns a good mash into a great mash in moments.

Stokes Redcurrant Jelly.

Everyone enjoys this rich, dark, smooth jelly, oozing with flavour from the very high fruit content (53% pureed redcurrant).

It's great with roast chicken, lamb or duck and just as good in a cold meat sandwich. Stir it into your gravy to give it delightful sweet notes to pour over your roast.

Stokes Bramley Apple Sauce

A traditional apple sauce packed with Bramley apples and a good dash of British dry cider for a simple delicious twist. A firm favourite for roast pork.

Stokes Classic English Mustard

This is a strong mustard made smooth in texture and smooth in taste - hot without the 'burn'. It complements your meat rather than competing with it. The heat is flavour not punishment.

The Roast 'Dinner' Collection

 

You can order your Roast 'Dinner' Collection here.

More foodie thoughts for the week:

Love British Food - 
as part of British Food Fortnight we look at some of the fantastic produce we cultivate on our island - here.









One Pot Wonders - 
we discover the joy of throwing everything into one pot and enjoy the wonders of hearty, tasty, moreish meals - here.




 

Chocolate Truffles - 
watch, as the recipe unfolds on video for these amazing nuggets of lemon and white chocolate joy - here.

If good food makes you happy
...adding Stokes will make you smile ;)

FOOD MADE BETTER 
www.stokessauces.co.uk

01394 462150