Festive Roasts

Feeding the Festive Family

Glazing the Gammon

Having simmered this 2kg boneless gammon joint in coka cola for 2 hours of so, it is cooled and prepared for roasting.

Turn the oven on to 190°C/gas mark 5 and whilst it is getting up to heat, scar the skin criss cross style with a sharp knife. Stud the diamonds you've created with cloves and brush with your glaze.

Glaze 1 - mix Stokes Cranberry & Orange Sauce with our wholegrain Cider & Horseradish Mustard, warmed in a pan to make it easier to spoon or brush over the gammon.

Glaze 2 - similarly combine our zesty Seville Orange Marmalade with Classic English Mustard. The tang of the orange and warmth of the mustard make a mouthwatering combination.

Fowl Tips

Both the Guinea Fowl and Pheasant here were roasted on winter veg as in this recent 'Winter Roast Chicken' recipe - HERE.

The Guinea Fowl was stuffed with quartered oranges and the skin rubbed with Stokes Real Mayonnaise for its sheen. The Pheasant came out of the oven after 30 minutes and finished in a pan of foaming butter with 2 tbsp of our Cider & Horseradish Mustard, basting constantly on all sides. The combined cooking time was about 50 minutes at 200°C/gas mark 6 (longer for a larger bird, until its juices run clear).

Served with the roasted roots, mashed potatoes and Stokes Cranberry & Orange Sauce on the side - wonderful. Better still with our Redcurrant Jelly and a dollop of Stokes Brown Sauce stirred into the gravy and a spoonful of our Creamed Horseradish Sauce in the buttery mash, it's a winner.

Wonderful Gravy

Whatever you are roasting, consider the gravy right from the start.

Make a trivet of fruit and vegetables in the base of the roasting tin - celery, onion, carrots, thyme, wedges of orange, fennel - to sit the bird on. Pour water into the tin to just half way up the trivet. This helps to steam the meat, keeping it moist and will also collect the juices as it roasts. Pour the liquid off from time to time to create the base for the stock.

While the roast is resting, pour off the remaining juices into the stock with some of the softened celery, onion and fennel. Add a stock boillion and blitz smooth with a hand blender for the best stock ever.

Make a roux with equal amounts of melted butter and flour. Add 2 tsp of Stokes Classic English Mustard and a glass of white wine. Now add your stock and boil to thicken the gravy. At the finishing stages we always add a good glug of Stokes Tomato Ketchup, Brown Sauce and 2 tbsp of our juicy Redcurrant Jelly.

The flavours and textures are guaranteed to make the whole family want more - so make lots.

Seitan - the 'No Meat' Roast

As a 'no meat' option instead of turkey - or to serve as well as - try Seitan.

It's pronounced 'say-tan' - being the Japanese word for wheat gluten.

Called 'mock meat' in China, seitan is similar to the look and texture of meat when it's cooked, making it a popular meat substitute.

We introduced it in last week's Newsletter.

Catch up with it - HERE - and introduce it into your festive foodie mix this year.


Sourcing the Sauce

Sadly it's too late to order online for Christmas. Try Ocado or the shelves of Waitrose, Sainsbury's, Booths in the North and Co-Op East of England ...

... Or check Independent Retailers - Farm Shops, Butchers, Deli's and Garden Centres - many of whom love to stock and sell Stokes sauces because they sit so well alongside the quality and dependability of their other fine products.

To keep your store cupboard topped up with taste at all other times, shop online - HERE.

Have a Wonderful Christmas

Peace, Health, Love & Taste

More foodie thoughts for the week:

 


Lively Leftovers - 
More waist, less waste lifting leftovers to dizzy new heights - here.









Festive Sides - 
Wonderful variations on the festive veggies - here.



 

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

FOOD MADE BETTER 
www.stokessauces.co.uk

01394 462150

Festive Sides

Varying the Vegetables

Glazed Carrots

Some prefer them crunchy, others less so. However you prefer yours, give them a glaze to amaze and the colourful flavour to adore.

Cook the carrots to your taste then plunge them into iced water to stop them cooking.

When you are ready for them, melt a good knob of butter in a frying pan with a splash of water, squirt of runny honey, squeeze of lemon juice and 1 or 2 tsp of our Classic English Mustard.

Whisk this together then add the carrots, coating them well as they heat through for 5 minutes before serving.

Roast Sprouts

Roasting Brussels sprouts crisps up the loose leaves, caramelises the outer edges and leaves the insides sweet and tender - delicious.

Simply halve, drizzle with oil and roast the sprouts in a hot oven for 25 minutes, sprinkle with sea salt and serve with pomegranate seeds for festive colour.

Try whisking some of our wholegrain Cider & Horseradish Mustard into the oil before dressing the sprouts for roasting.

If you have Stokes Olive & Balsamic or Raspberry & Balsamic Dressing in the fridge, use these to coat the sprouts for roasting.

Hasselback Potatoes

These little beauties offer the best of all potato worlds. Soft centred like mash, crispy like fries and wholesomely comforting as baked potatoes. We have the Swedish Restaurant Hasselbacken to thank for this - 'tack'.

The slices need to be thin and even. Put a table knife or chopsticks either side of the potato to cut down to so the depth of each is even. Brush with oil then roast in a hot oven for 30 to 40 minutes (depending on the size of your potatoes).

The 'petals' will start to open as they cook. Stir one of our mustards - Classic English, Dijon or Cider & Horseradish - into butter as it melts in the pan and drizzle this into the potatoes. A tasty variation is to brush the tops with our Chipotle Ketchup for a smoky chilli finish.

As if it wasn't rich enough ...

The plates are full ... buttered carrots, roast sprouts, hasselback potatoes, rich red cabbage (you'll find a tasty red cabbage recipe - HERE) ...

... tender slices of turkey, wedges of gammon and pigs snuggled in their blankets ... you have our Cranberry & Orange Sauce for the bird, English Mustard for the ham and Chilli Jam for zesty contrast ...

... and the gravy is very special indeed (try these gravy ideas - HERE) ...

... and now we're suggesting you gratinate the broccoli - make a roux: butter, flour, Cider & Horseradish Mustard; add a splash of white wine, milk and grated Cheddar cheese; poured over the cooked broccoli and under the grill. Bring it on, it's Christmas.

Sourcing the Sauce

Sadly it's too late to order online for Christmas. Try Ocado or the shelves of Waitrose, Sainsbury's, Booths in the North and Co-Op East of England ...

... Or check Independent Retailers - Farm Shops, Butchers, Deli's and Garden Centres - many of whom love to stock and sell Stokes sauces because they sit so well alongside the quality and dependability of their other fine products.

To keep your store cupboard topped up with taste at all other times, shop online - HERE.

Have a Wonderful Christmas

Peace, Health, Love & Taste

More foodie thoughts for the week:

 


Lively Leftovers - 
More waist, less waste lifting leftovers to dizzy new heights - here.









Festive Roasts - 
Tasty tips to make your roasts taste better than ever - here.


 

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

FOOD MADE BETTER 
www.stokessauces.co.uk

01394 462150

Lively Leftovers

To waist and not to waste

After weeks of planning the Christmas feast and hours of preparation, eating and clearing up afterwards, it's time to hang up the paper crown and relax.

Supper times and hungry looking faces keep coming round and round again though.

These are some simple but tasty ideas to help use up the gammon, turkey, sprouts and root vegetables in tummy-friendly suppers and lunches.

Coronation Turkey

Leftover turkey couldn't be tastier and couldn't be easier dressed as royalty in our Coronation Sauce. You can either use it on its own or mix it with a rich creamed cheese. Chop a few toasted almonds to scatter over the top. Have it as a salad, use it as a baked potato filling, stuff it in a pitta or roll it as a wrap.

More Luscious Leftovers

Christmas Pattie Cakes

Take about 450 g of leftover mashed potato or crushed roasties and about half as much of crushed leftover vegetables - carrots, Brussels, parsnips etc and mix them in a bowl with 4 chopped hard boiled eggs.

Add a raw egg and 3 tbsp of Stokes Creamed Horseradish Sauce, mixing both in well.

Now form the mixture into 8 small or 4 large patties and dust each in seasoned flour.

Fry your Christmas Patties on both sides until golden all over and serve with a poached egg.

Bacon & Brussels Risotto

If you haven't got any leftover cooked Brussels sprouts but still have a fridge full, trim your sprouts and halve the big ones so they're all about the same size. Slice or chop about 8 rashers of smoked bacon and mix them with the sprouts in a bowl.

Add some chopped thyme leaves, 2 tbsp of Stokes Chilli Jam, 2 tbsp of our Cranberry Sauce a drizzle of runny honey and a little olive oil. Spread this on a roasting tray and cook in a medium oven for 20 to 25 minutes.

For the risotto:

Use 350 g of Arborio rice and 750 ml of chicken stock and 150 ml of dry white wine. Soften 2 finely diced shallots and 2 grated cloves of garlic in butter then add the rice. Stir it to absorb the buttery onion then add the wine, stirring continuously. Stir in 2 tbsp of Stokes Cider & Horseradish Mustard then gradually add the stock, adding more only when the rice has fully absorbed what you added previously. This will take about 30 minutes to get the right consistency of a wet risotto retaining a crunch in the rice.

Don't forget, you still have 600 ml of white wine to hand - cheers! Add the roasted bacon and sprouts and top with a few shavings of Parmesan cheese.

Christmassy Turkey Curry

This twist on a standard curry puts a little Christmas flavour back into the bird. For the curry sauce fry 1 chopped red pepper, 1 chopped onion and 2 grated garlic cloves.

Add 3 tbsp of our Chilli Jam balanced with 1 tbsp of Cranberry Sauce and 2 tbsp of curry powder. For Christmas add 1 tsp of ground nutmeg and cinnamon combined.

Now stir in 1 can of chopped tomatoes and 4 tbsp of Stokes Tomato Ketchup. Bring this all up to a gentle simmer. It should be spicy but not too hot. If you want it hotter add more chilli jam.

Gradually add your leftover turkey until you have a good meat to gravy ratio. Add 2 tbsp of garam masala and simmer for 10, minutes until the turkey is piping hot. Sprinkle with chopped coriander leaves and serve with rice or perhaps a baked potato.

Sourcing the Sauce

Sadly it's too late to order online for Christmas. Try Ocado or the shelves of Waitrose, Sainsbury's, Booths in the North and Co-Op East of England ...

... Or check Independent Retailers - Farm Shops, Butchers, Deli's and Garden Centres - many of whom love to stock and sell Stokes sauces because they sit so well alongside the quality and dependability of their other fine products.

To keep your store cupboard topped up with taste at all other times, shop online - HERE.

Have a Wonderful Christmas

Peace, Health, Love & Taste

More foodie thoughts for the week:

 


Festive Roasts - 
Tasty tips to make your roasts better than ever - here.










Festive Sides - 
Wonderful variations on the festive veggies - here.




 

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

FOOD MADE BETTER 
www.stokessauces.co.uk

01394 462150

Party Time

Finger Food Fun
 

The best party food usually looks as good as it tastes. As television advertising reminds us on this build up to Christmas, supermarkets offer a massive range of finger food for instant entertainment.

Here are a few ideas for those who do still like to make their own together with condiment and relish pairings for supermarket party food - made better.

Mini Yorkshires are easily made using muffin trays with very hot oil to spoon your batter into. Rare beef lifted with the warming combination of wild and cultivated horseradish and single cream in Stokes Creamed Horseradish Sauce tastes amazing. But, before you put the beef in, spoon a little of our Cranberry & Orange Sauce into the base and guests will get the delicious, fruity surprise.

Have fun with different bases too.

Cucumber Toppings pile yummy combinations on slices of these cooling green bases.

Try mixing crumbles of hot smoked salmon - some with our award-winning Real Mayonnaise (free range British eggs, rapeseed oil, finished with a drizzle of Cretan extra virgin olive oil).

Mix others with Stokes Garlic Mayonnaise (a very fine aioli, smooth with gentle garlic flavours).

Try a third batch adding Stokes Bloody Mary Ketchup to the mayo mix to create a unique Bloody Mary Rose Sauce.

Mini Rolls are increasingly popular and very pleasing on the eye as part of the deliciously colourful array on a table spread with party food.

These Cucumber & Smoked Salmon Rolls are great fun and taste well above their weight.

Before rolling and skewering, spread our Real Mayonnaise with a squeeze of lemon - or try our zingy Lemon Mayonnaise.

Make others with Stokes Mustard & Dill Sauce (a sweet mustard mayonnaise with dill) for gentle gravadlax  flavouring.

Pancakes, omelettes, flat breads - these can all be rolled to contain amazing fillings.

Ham, spinach and Stokes Dijon Mustard - a strong, smooth mustard made with finely ground mustard seeds in the Dijon area of Burgundy, France.

To be good enough to carry the Stokes badge of taste and quality, we have chosen a truly wonderful Dijon Mustard to add to our collection.

Try salty tongue, peppery rocket or watercress and Stokes Cider & Horseradish Mustard - made with cider vinegar, British dry cider, horseradish and a blend of yellow and black mustard seeds, this wholegrain mustard has everything.

Sensational Sausages don't tick the 'attractive' box but certainly tick all the 'taste' boxes.

Dressed to thrill ... have one bowl of cocktail sausages tossed in Stokes Chipotle Ketchup for instant Mexican flavours of smoky chipotle chillis finished with a generous squeeze of lime juice - yum!

In another bowl combine the gentle heat of Stokes Classic English Mustard with runny honey sweetness and a sprinkling on caraway seeds - cor!

Another great combination is Stokes Coronation Sauce thinned out with crème fraîche for the taste of the Raj crowning British pork sausages - amazing!

For the Tastiest Party in Town

Order your 'Party Flavours' - HERE

More foodie thoughts for the week:

 


The Seitan Vegan - 
Unveiling the Oriental origins and recipes for this versatile alternative to meat - here.







Gourmet Gifting - 
Fill friends', family's and your own larder with the ultimate sauce, condiment & relish Christmas Collection - here.




 



Festive Flavours - 
More delicious ideas from @meat&honey on the busy build up to Christmas - here.

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

FOOD MADE BETTER 
www.stokessauces.co.uk

01394 462150

The Seitan Vegan

A Seasonal Sensation 
for a Meat Free Monday

Seitan Stew

Seitan - pronounced 'say-tan' - is the Japanese word for wheat gluten. Called 'mock meat' in China, seitan is similar to the look and texture of meat when it's cooked, making it a popular meat substitute. Try it in this stew of courgettes, mushrooms and noodles.

You'll need:

• 140 g vital wheat gluten flour
• 3 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
• 125 ml cold vegetable stock
• 1 tsp of fennel seeds (ground)
• 1/2 tsp of ground cumin
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp of Stokes Brown Sauce
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 grated garlic cloves

Here's how:

Combine the gluten and yeast in a large bowl with the fennel and cumin and it set aside. Separately, mix the stock, soy sauce, brown sauce, lemon juice, olive oil and garlic. Pour this into the gluten and combine everything well together. Knead the combination for 5 minutes or so, stretching it to an elastic dough and let rest for 5 minutes.

Divide the dough and roll it into sausages, about the size of thick German salami and cut it into generous slices. Make and boil a vegetable broth  - water, stock bouillon, Stokes Tomato Ketchup and Brown Sauce and season to taste. Add the gluten pieces and simmer very very gently with the lid on for 45 minutes.

Lift the seitan sausage slices from its cooking broth and set it aside, or add it straight to 'beef up' your other vegetables as they simmer in their own broth.

Stuffed Seitan Roast

Following every step above until you have rested the gluten after kneading it, you can now use it as a 'wrap' encasing a succulent filling before roasting.

Here's how:

For example, a risotto of wild mushrooms, seasoned with generous teaspoon dots of Stokes Creamed Horseradish Sauce and our Cranberry & Orange Sauce.

Spoon the seitan onto aluminium foil and roll it into about a 14" by 12" rectangle. If it resists, let it rest for a few minutes then try again. 1/3 of the way from the bottom of the rectangle, spread your filling out across the long edge of the seitan, leaving about 1" at each end. Now dot it generously with Stokes Condiments.

Fold the bottom of the seitan over the filling, then fold the top over. Pinch the ends of the seitan and the seam to seal, then roll tightly in the foil, twisting the ends of foil like a Christmas Cracker. Place the foil wrapped seitan on a baking tray and bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes to 1 hour and 40 minutes at 180°C/gas mark 4, rotating the roast every 20 minutes. It should be firm to the touch when ready, rest and enjoy.

 Seitan Made Better

Order your 'Christmas Flavours' - HERE

More foodie thoughts for the week:

 


Party Food - 
Finger Food Favourites whether bought in or home made are the centerpiece of great parties - here.







Gourmet Gifting - 
Fill friends', family's and your own larder with the ultimate sauce, condiment & relish Christmas Collection - here.




 

Festive Flavours - 
More delicious ideas from @meat&honey on the busy build up to Christmas - here.

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

FOOD MADE BETTER 
www.stokessauces.co.uk

01394 462150

Gourmet Gifting

The Gift of Taste

It's not Gold, not Frankincense, not Myrrh. But it is much easier to get hold of - HERE - and tastes amazing.

It's not socks, not perfume, not another pair of gloves.

With a twist, spoon, dollop or squirt to guarantee smiles all round. Give the gift that keeps giving, the taste that says 'yum'.

Don't turn up with a flat Lambrusco or over-smoked Chardonnay at parties this year.

Say 'Hi' with Stokes Chilli Jam, 'thank you' with Award-Winning Ketchups - Tomato, Bloody Mary and Chilli Ketchup or Chipotle and Curry Ketchup too.

For visits, gifts and 'thank you's this season, try the Gift of Taste.

 Christmas Made Better

Order your 'Christmas Flavours' - HERE

The Gift of Breakfast

Keep the party going by giving friends the Stokes Breakfast Collection.

Smell the 'grownup' difference of Stokes Brown Sauce, rich with extra date puree, sweet with black treacle and a unique blend of Persian spices. They will simply adore our Tomato Ketchup, thick and juicy, crammed full with Italian tomatoes.

Fine slices of Seville Orange swim in the soft velvet syrup of our sparkling Seville Orange Marmalade, bringing sunshine to their morning toast. And the Strawberries in Stokes Extra Strawberry Jam carry delicious notes of Wimbledon.

 
Our Bloody Mary Ketchup (also in the Breakfast Collection) is an inspiration.

It is an award-winning ketchup with a shot of Vodka, Worcestershire sauce and a special blend of Bloody Mary spices - perfect for that 'morning after' butty. 

Suggest mixing Bloody Mary Ketchup with Stokes Real Mayonnaise for a Bloody Mary Rose Sauce.

Made with British free range eggs, fine rapeseed oil and finished with a drizzle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil from the Koroneiki olives of Crete - you'll find this velvety smooth Mayonnaise in our Food Lovers' Collection - HERE.

For Food Lovers

Stokes Food Lovers' Collection is a wonderful, specially selected medley of truly tasty goodies.

One of its perky personalities is Stokes Sweet Chilli Sauce. Made with red chillies and red peppers, it overflows with the vitality of the Orient.

With its sweet, clean taste this sauce is deliciously versatile - use as a dip, a glaze, a marinade. It's great in a stir fry (see - HERE) and fab in a wrap.

The chilli theme continues with our incredibly popular Chilli Jam. This is a delicious sticky jam, oozing with flavour from the sweet chilli peppers and red peppers.

We literally spoon it onto and into anything that deserves a bit of chilli enlightenment.

Try it on cheese scones, spoon it into your chilli con carne or add a little 'bite' to a sheepish Shepherds Pie.

Perfect with Cheese

Another perfect pleasure with cheese is Stokes Red Onion Marmalade. This is an absolute beauty being lusciously thick with caramelised red onions in sticky black treacle and a sharp balsamic finish.

It's amazing with just about anything - try it with grilled cheese on toast, or in a sausage sandwich as seen in the video - HERE.

Turn up anywhere with a jar (or 2) of Stokes Fig Relish and you're bound to make friends and influence people.

It is packed with juicy sweet marinated figs and a tang of cider vinegar, a thick relish that sits beautifully on water biscuits and the maturity of a strong blue cheese.

Stokes Sticky Pickle is a further Musketeer guaranteed to lift any plate of cheese to delicious new heights.

With its unique blend of vegetables in a sweet, spicy sauce, it brings cold cuts to life, is perfect with pork pies and sensational with cheese.

Have you posted your letter to Santa yet ?

Christmas Giving Made Better

Order your Condiments & Relishes - HERE

More foodie thoughts for the week:

 


Party Food - 
Finger Food Favourites whether bought in or home made are the centerpiece of great parties - here.







The Seitan Vegan - 
Unveiling the Oriental origins and recipes for this versatile alternative to meat - here.








Festive Flavours - 
More delicious ideas from @meat&honey on the busy build up to Christmas - here.

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

FOOD MADE BETTER 
www.stokessauces.co.uk

01394 462150