Sustainable cod, a homage to British fishermen, 'Simple Twists' and AWARDS !

Great news for fish 'n' chip lovers

We can now enjoy North Sea cod with a clear conscience after the fishery was awarded sustainable status by the Marine Stewardship Council last month. Stocks have reached their highest levels for over 35 years.

Whether you love them or hate them, whether you're a weekly devotee or have them as 'an occasional treat' - there's something special about a freshly fried piece of cod and chips 'how the chippy makes them'. With gravy, with curry sauce; with mushy peas or without. Salted and vinegared, wrapped good to go.

Then there's the question - what to have with them. We all have our favourites: tartare, mayo, ketchup or brown sauce - Stokes of course.

What's your favourite sauce or chippy ritual? Please tell us: tweet here, or post here. 


Forties, Fisher, Dogger

Three of the met regions surrounding the British Isles fishing regions and announced in the Shipping Forecast on the BBC. It's essential listening for the brave crews who do what they do in all weathers give us our catch of the day.

Mustard Crust - a lovely addition to succulent fresh fillets of cod.

Combine three or four tablespoons of good olive oil, a weighty teaspoon of Stokes Classic English Mustard (add more later to taste), two grated garlic cloves, and a tablespoon of fresh thyme leaves in a bowl. Mix in a cup of breadcrumbs, squeezing or pressing to saturate bread, until evenly coated; season with salt, pepper and the juice of half a lemon.

Put the fish fillets skin side down in a large buttered ovenproof pan; press the breadcrumb mixture on the fish; and bake in a pre-heated oven 180°C, gas 6 until the crust is a golden brown crust texture, 10–15 minutes only.

Andalucian Cod Bake- really easy and packed with cod-loving flavours.  

Trim and season a couple of decent sized cod loin steaks and set aside. For the Andalucían tomato sauce (our take) in a large skillet (with a lid); soften one chopped Spanish onion, one sweet red pepper, a chopped stick of celery and roughly chopped pieces of chorizo sausage (as much or little as you like) to add that smokey paprika depth.

Now add a tin of chopped tomatoes and bring to the simmer. Add a dozen black stoned, chopped olives; two tablespoons of washed capers; a sprig or two of fresh thyme; and the grated zest of half a Seville orange. Season, adding three teaspoons of Stokes Chilli Jam and a few glugs of our Award WinningTomato Ketchup. Reduce to a thicker intense simmering sauce.

Pop the cod loins onto the simmering sauce, put its lid on (or seal the top with foil), turn the heat off and leave for 10 to 15 minutes until the cod has steamed to perfection in all those Andalucía flavours.

Bloody Mary Rose Sauce - a delicious alternative to Marie Rose sauce.

The North Atlantic Prawn is a truly delicious thing. A pealed pile of the little beauties on crispy iceberg lettuce with this wonderful sauce is pure heaven. Simply use three parts Stokes Real Mayonnaise to one part StokesBloody Mary Ketchup and enjoy.

Grub on the go for busy August gastronomes

It's been the usual eclectic British summer so far, switching from heatwave to chill from one day to the next. I don't really like to spend too much time in the kitchen during August but do still want to share meals to make us smile and flavours to make our taste buds tingle.

So, here are some recipes and ideas for snacks, lunches, simple suppers and tasty food tips for you to try.

We will introduce sauces, dips and other Stokes goodies, sharing the team's favourite twists to make Stokes Sauces work even harder to excite and challenge the palate.


Simple Twists

Egg & Bacon Salad

Make a three egg omelette rolled tightly and sliced into roulettes (or eggy strips). Sauté cubes of smoked bacon. Use the bacon and omelette strips to garnish a green salad dressed and dress with Stokes Olive & Balsamic Dressing.

...add chilli salsa:
Roughly chop some vine tomatoes, cucumber, sweet red pepper and stir with our Olive & Balsamic Dressing, spooning in Stokes Chilli Jam to taste. Add this to the salad before garnishing with the bacon and omelette. (Melting cheese in your omelette works really well too.)

American Salad
They would call this a Cobb Salad in the States. For this British twist: chop bacon and begin to brown; cut boneless chicken into strips and cook with the bacon.

Toss romaine, watercress or rocket with chopped tomatoes, avocado, spring onion and crumbled feta or blue Stilton cheese. Add the meat and dress with Stokes Caesar Dressing.

Pasta Romana
A simple Italian classic: Lightly cook plenty of grated garlic in good olive oil (watch it so it doesn't burn). Add half a dozen anchovy fillets and a dozen stoned, sliced Kalamata olives.

 Finely chop and add a hot red chilli (two if you like more fire). Coat with olive oil and Stokes Mango & Orange Dressing and serve with pasta. The Mango & Orange offers a gentle sweetness against the salty anchovies.

Pasta di Mare
Really simple and truly tasty. Whatever seafood you want, warm or cook it in lots of olive oil with fresh garlic, thyme, basil, marjoram and parsley.

Add a tin of chopped tomatoes and two tablespoons of Stokes Sweet Chilli Sauce and a couple of good glugs of Stokes Award Winning Tomato Ketchup. We love Guiseppe Cocco pasta, to whom the image ( above right) pays homage.


Winners !

We couldn't be prouder of the Great Taste Awards announcement this week and the veritable larder of Stokes products that are winners.

Not one, not two, but eight delicious ticks in the winners box. You are not just shopping for Stokes - you're enjoying Award Winning Stokes:

Bloody Mary Ketchup
Chilli Ketchup
Tomato Ketchup
Original Barbeque Sauce
Sweet Chilli Sauce
Chilli Jam
Red Onion Marmalade and
Fig Relish

National Burger Day

24th August is National Burger Day. Organised by Mr Hyde, there are burger events being organised nationwide and the chance to collect vouchers offering 20% off. Moreso, this is an opportunity to try venues you might not otherwise have considered visiting.

Take a look at their website (here) and you might find something interesting near you.

The burger (right) is one of those @AubreyAlley will be serving on the day, with @StokesSauces of course.

Alternatively, get together and make your own fabulous stack of yumminess. Or pop down to the butcher for a selection of their own posh patties. Whatever you do, don't forget the Stokes Burger Relish.

Simple,  honest,  delicious

 FOOD MADE BETTER 

www.stokessauces.co.uk

01394 462150

 

Strawberries & cream; the great outdoors; and a bounty of British produce

Schools break up, the holidays start and another British summer rolls in off the Atlantic, up over the West Coast and out again over Northumberland. But what will it bring?

If you follow Lord Byron's pessimism: "The English winter - ending in July, to recommence in August", you'll be preparing for the worst. But if you take our foodie optimism, you'll simply be catering for all occasions.

At least store cupboards and fridges can enjoy playing host to a bounty of British produce. So, hats off to Summer and let's share some tasty thoughts.


Summer Salads need Summer Dressing

The great thing about salads is that there are no rules - you can mix, add and dress them however you choose. The variations are limited only by the imagination, or perhaps our willingness to play. These are a few salads we have enjoyed playing with so far this summer. You may get a few ideas you'd like to try or suggest some variations of your own: tweet here, or post here. .

The simplest and most refreshing salad on a hot day is a Greek Salad. Try this little twist - before assembling the salad, marinate the sliced tomatoes in Stokes Olive & Balsamic Dressing which uses wonderful Koroneiki Extra Virgin Olive Oil, full of the flavours of Greece.

Caesar Salad is an al fresco favourite. Take it to a higher level by coating the chicken pieces with Stokes Original BBQ Sauce before char grilling. Add to the salad with anchovies and chopped hard boiled eggs, then generously coat with Stokes Caesar Sauce (it's delightfully creamy, made with free range eggs, parmesan cheese and garlic).

A further tasty dimension is to add crisply grilled shards of pancetta for its texture and flavour.

Fruity Additions. Take a basic peppery salad, the peppery pre-packed trio of rocket, watercress and spinach works well. Add a sprinkling of crumbed walnuts for texture and thinly sliced rings of red onion for zing. Cubed ripe avocado work well here too.

Now slice and add some juicy strawberries and a scattering of healthy blueberries. Balance the sweetness with stilton or feta cheese and dress with Stokes Raspberry & Balsamic Dressing. The combination of textures and flavours is mouthwatering.

Mint & Basil Tomatoes. The simplest things are often the best. This makes the perfect accompaniment to barbequed meats. Torn basil (or preferably the little leaves on Greek Basil plants - Waitrose have them) and chopped fresh mint.

Pour a generous amount of Stokes Mango & Orange Dressing and leave to marinate. Serve with a sprinkle of good sea salt flake to punctuate the flavour. Yummy.

The Broad Bean - dilemma

They're in, they're fresh, they're a symbol of summertime and they're deliciously versatile - but can I be bothered to buy an armful of pods for a handful of beans ... not really, truth be told. If you have children at home, have a phone and tablet-free hour ... instead of an i pad, have a you pod!

Broad beans are an excellent vegetable source of protein and fibre. Rich in folate and B vitamins - great for blood cell development, cognitive functions and energy.

However you buy them - frozen, podded, or in pods for hours of podding fun, broad beans are so versatile. They absolutely love fresh mint, crispy bacon or pancetta and cheese such as pecorino or a dry crumbly feta.

Here's a tip, 1.4kg of beans in the pod deliver about 350g of podded beans.

Broad Bean & Wasabi Salad
Make the wasabi mayo with 7g of wasabi paste, 50g of Stokes Real Mayonnaise and the juice of one lemon mixed well together. Add and coat cooked, cooled beans with the wasabi mayonnaise and plate on a nest of pea shoot salad.

Broad Beans with Tomatoes & Anchovies (optional)
Using 350g net weight podded beans to 450g halved cherry tomatoes. Sautee the tomatoes in olive oil adding chopped marjoram and crushed garlic to taste. As they caramalise add the cooked, cooled broad beans and warm through. If using the anchovies, add four chopped beauties now and stir in with two teaspoons of Stokes Chilli Jam. This is delicious on toasted ciabatta.

Minty Potato Salad
Boil some lovely little new potatatoes with two or three sprigs of fresh mint. Add equal quantities of peas and broad beans for the last five minutes and set aside to cool. Coat well in a dressing of equal parts of greek yogurt and Stokes Real Mayonnaise, the juice of half a lemon, lots of fresh chopped mint leaves and two teaspoons of Stokes Chilli Jam.

Pea & Broad Bean Hummus
Another easy one - mash equal parts cooked, cooled peas and beans to a spreadable paste, holding back some of the broad beans. Mix the paste with a tub of hummus with lots of fresh chopped mint and the remainder of the beans more roughly crushed for texture. Stir in two tablespoons of Stokes Chilli Mayonnaise until the consistency is right to serve on toasted pitta bread. Yummy with a few olives and sun dried tomatoes on the side.

Basically - while they are in season - make the most of them.


Getting the most from your Stokes Sauces

I don't know if you are like we used to be, but we were always left with half or quarter finished bottles and jars of sauces whenever we tried something new. That's why we are determined to help our Stokes friends use every last teaspoon of goodness with fresh ideas for using your sauce.

We have created a set of recipe cards for our most popular products, each offering ideas beyond the usual 'dollop on the side of the plate'. There is so much you can use the sauces, ketchups and preserves for.

Recipe cards are available at participating Farm Shops, Butchers, Delis and other independent retailers.

If you remember in last month's newsletter (here) we suggested a number of ways to mix two or three sauces together, adding additional ingredients to create new flavours all of your own.

It's not only good fun, but you might discover whole new taste experiences. There are a few ideas for our original BBQ sauce. Just click the image (left) to see a larger version.



Gravy with a twist

Here's a tasty tip to add a delicious twist to your gravy. Whether you make your own from a stock, reduce it from a jus, or - hmmmmm shake it from a jar, try this.

For an earthy sharpness stir in a spoonful of Stokes Brown Sauce; for a sweeter depth of flavour add a spoonful of Stokes Bloody Mary Ketchup; and for a richer hint of eastern spices add a good dollop of Stokes Curry Ketchup.

You'll know how much to add when it tastes ... yummy.


Leftover Chicken ? - give it a right Royal Coronation

 

Before we get to the Coronation Chicken, to make your roast chicken taste better still, add a spoonful or two of Stokes Cider & Horseradish Mustard to your gravy, stir it in to taste and enjoy the combination of sweet cider, hot horseradish and juicy pops of mustard grains running round the plate.

Coronation Chicken

For the perfect, speedy Coronation Chicken, mix two parts of Stokes Coronation Sauce with one part of Philadelphia cream cheese and fold to coat the shreds of cooked, cold chicken. Instant, smooth and oh so full of flavour.

It's great on a jacket potato, with a salad, or in a sandwich for supper.

Read on here for more Al Fresco favourites...

Simple,  honest,  delicious

 FOOD MADE BETTER 

www.stokessauces.co.uk

01394 462150

The Joy of June : Fresh flavours and beautiful British produce.

Best of British

Best British Food Brand. We have been nominated for the 'Best British Food Brand' in the 'Great British Food Awards' 2017.

The Awards were launched in 2014 to celebrate the country's finest home-grown ingredients, as well as the hard-working folk who produce and cook with them.

Behind the scenes our team of judges, including John Torode, Rachel Allen, Val Warner and Nathan Outlaw are busy taste testing the very best in British food and drink. Their findings will be unveiled in the October issue, out September 8th. Have your say across 20 foodie categories.

Vote now and you'll automatically be entered into The Great British Food PRIZE DRAW to win one of 36 fantastic prizes worth £7000! 

You can help us by voting here by 17th July.



Al fresco or picnics - we're eating outside !
It's National Picnic Week 16th - 25th June. Read on for some tasty al fresco foodie thoughts.


Sandwich Saucery

Forget the old days of British Rail's dried up curly tasteless sandwiches, a good sarnie can be a taste-bursting delight. Whether it's in a roll, batch, sliced bread, cobbler, ciabatta or even a wrap - the filling is King and the sauce its flavoursome Queen.

From the simple, to the extravagant, the variety of sandwich fillings and picnic side dishes is limited only by the imagination. Even the simple favourites can be given a lift with an extra dollop of this or spoonful of that.

A firm favourite is egg mayonnaise. Free range eggs boiled (just), peeled whilst warm and coarsly broken up with Stokes Real Mayonnaise and some freshly snipped peppery cress. Try adding a teaspoon (or more) of Stokes Chilli Jam. I've just had it for lunch and it is really very very good.

Mixing and matching Stokes sauces and relishes is not only good fun, it opens the door to all sorts of new taste experiences.

Go on, try it, get them all out and let your imagination run riot. This was the making of 2 parts mayonnaise to 1 part chilli jam for a delicious accompaniment in a chicken and avocado sandwich.

The taller bottle at the back is one of Stokes truly scrumptious salad dressings, it's the Mango & Orange Dressing. Add this to the mayo chilli jam combo and coat lukewarm new potatoes with it in a salad.

Hand carved Wiltshire ham loves both mayonnaise and English mustard. Here though the twist is not to mix them together but to put Stokes Real Mayonnaise on one slice of the bread and Stokes Classic English Mustard on the other, laying the ham in between. You actually enjoy the individuality of each rather than the dilution of both.

Try your own combinations and please share your favourites with us: tweet here, or post here. 


 'Al Fresco'


Al fresco is derived from the Italian for 'in the cool' but is no longer used in the language. In fact it is more commonly a reference to spending time in jail. I know I've been glad to be released from one or two dismal outside dining occasions myself - but - there is hope ... it's all a question of taste.

Whether it's al fresco dining with friends on the terrace or a picnic in the park with the children, there are hundreds of truly delicious ideas that can turn the ordinary in to the extraordinary food to go.

 Caesar Salad is an al fresco favourite. Take it to a higher level by coating the chicken pieces with Stokes Original BBQ Sauce before char grilling. Add to the salad with anchovies and chopped hard boiled eggs, then generously coat with Stokes Caesar Sauce (it's delightfully creamy, made with free range eggs, parmesan cheese and garlic).

Seafood Salad - yummy. Turn it into a pesce fritto by tossing the calamari, prawns, small fish pieces in seasoned flour. Fry quickly in a hot wok, adding Stokes Sweet Chilli Sauce for the last minute or two - it's great hot or cold.

Coronation Chicken - simple ... just add Stokes Coronation Sauce. Here's a tasty tip: if you want to soften the flavour of this wonderfully intense sauce, fold a spoon or two of Philadelphia creamed cheese into it.

Butter Bean & Potato Salad. Just mix a washed tin of butter beans with cooked and cooled baby new potatoes. Add a finely chopped sweet red pepper (for colour as well as taste) and coat with a smooth mixture of equal parts Stokes Real Mayonnaise and our Olive & Balsamic Dressing.

Stokes dressings offer two absolute classics in the form of the caesar and the olive & balsamic - but be assured they're classics made classically - using fabulous ingredients for fabulous taste.

If you haven't tried them yet, our Raspberry & Balsamic and our Mango & Orange are inspired. (Click the image above to find them all).

Be adventurous with them. At the weekend we marinated a new season lamb loin fillet in the Mango & Orange, adding fresh rosemary and thyme. This was followed with a bowl of mixed soft fruits soused in Raspberry & Balsamic dressing - or try drizzling the same onto a lush scoop or three of vanilla ice cream.

Keep watching as we will be adding more picnic and al fresco foodie thoughts next week.

In the meantime, this is an excellent link to the National Picnic Week website and a range of their own picnic ideas; here.


Happy (belated) Father's Day

We're simple souls at Mr @stokessauces, more into fine food than fine dining. If we can have ketchup with it, we are very happy - hence the efforts made to create our Tomato Ketchup and our Real Mayonnaise.

We tend to avoid restaurants unless we know they serve Stokes. Why do you think we started producing generous servings of easy to open sauce sachets for Stokes taste on the go!

And when we visit friends and family for supper, our 'bring a bottle' is usually ketchup, mayo and brown sauce.

Bubble 'n' Squeak. Turn this up to full yumminess by elevating it to a hash with corned beef and flavouring it with Stokes Brown Sauce. Served with a fried or poached egg and a dollop of Stokes Tomato Ketchup - heaven.

Another father favourite is mashed potato champ with Stokes Creamed Horeradish Sauce.

Smooth mash with oodles of butter, chopped spring onion greens and a spoon or two of our horseradish - it's pure foodie joy.

DID YOU KNOW

We get our horseradish from a small supplier in Essex. He combines half wild and half cultivated horseradish from his own fields. By adding the wild variety we create a stronger, more intense flavour but without making it so fiery it spoils rather than supports your food.

Now, depending on the weather, Father's Day @stokessauces will either be indoors with a gammon joint or outside with a barbeque.

The beauty of a lovely gammon joint is that its is so naturally tasty and juicy fresh from the oven, though perhaps that's as much a credit to Mrs @stokessauces' culinary skills as it is to Suffolk's pig farmers. It's sweetness can be set off by our Cider & Horseradish Mustard or the traditional full flavours of our Classic English Mustard.

And then next day, we have cold cuts. Whether it's with a salad and relishes, or with chips and a fried egg (ketchup, ketchup, ketchup!), it is bound to turn this Father's Day into a wonderful Father's Weekend.

If the sun shines and we take to the great outdoors for a walk with the wallabies and a barbie with the peacocks (yes really - more soon) - we can be sure that whatever we 'char', we've a great tasting sauce to go with it.

Happy dining - inside or out.

Simple,  honest,  delicious

 FOOD MADE BETTER

www.stokessauces.co.uk

01394 462150

The Merry Merry Month of May

Sutton Hoo & Stokes Competition

Next week is national BBQ week, so to celebrate we’ve partnered with our fabulous friends at Sutton Hoo Chicken.  One lucky winner will WIN a hamper full of Stokes delicious sauces, chutneys and jams along with lots of Sutton Hoo Chicken goodies!  We both agree that food should always be simple, good and delicious and that’s why we’ve handpicked a selection of our tasty sauces designed to complement their chicken.

Sutton Hoo Chicken are 'slow grown' raised in free range conditions with care outside Woodbridge, Suffolk. They are a family farming business with family values to create a product that's simply delicious.

The prize includes: Stokes Tomato Ketchup, Coronation Sauce, Real Mayonnaise, Sweet & Sticky BBQ sauce, Chilli Jam, Mango Chutney, Sweet Chilli Sauce and Creamed Horseradish.  Also included is a selection of Sutton Hoo Chicken breasts, thighs, mini fillets, chicken sausages and chicken burgers.

For a chance to WIN this fabulous prize, click here to enter your details no later than Tuesday 30^th May 2017.

 



Fish 'n' Chips

Did you know that there are over 10,500 independent fish shops in the UK and that British consumers eat some 382 million portions of Fish & Chips a year.

Charles Dickens in A Tale of Two Cities (1859) wrote of 'chips' "...husky chips of potatoes, fried with some reluctant drops of oil." And Prime Minister Winston Churchill referred to the combination of fish and chips as "the good companions".

Whether you love them or hate them, whether you're a weekly devotee or have them as 'an occasional treat' - there's something special about a freshly fried piece of cod and chips 'how the chippy makes them'. With gravy, with curry sauce; with mushy peas or without. Salted and vinegared, wrapped good to go.

Then there's the question - what to have with them. We all have our favourites: tartare, mayo, ketchup or brown sauce - Stokes of course. 

What's your favourite sauce or chippy ritual? Please tell us: tweet here, or post here. 
 


Merry May, Lamb and Saucery

Uniquely bracketed between two Bank Holidays, May is a lovely time of the year for colour in the countryside and yumminess on the plate.

We had the first of the new season Spring lamb at the weekend after planting up the pots and hanging baskets.

It was a shoulder cut, cooked slowly on a trivet of red and yellow peppers for five hours under cover then another 40 minutes open, to crisp the succulent skin.

The soft flesh of the peppers was scraped out and spooned into the cooking liquor, which was reduced with two spoonfuls of Stokes Chilli Jam. The sweet pepper 'jus' complimented the sweetness of the jam, but with added bursts of gentle chilli heat.

With a warm spring salad of new potatoes, asparagus, peas and freshly chopped mint, the lamb was royally welcomed.

For a great collection of lamb recipes, visit the AHDB website here. Try their roast lamb with thyme orange and anchovy sauce. As well as the orange, add two or three spoonfuls of Stokes Redcurrant Jelly - the flavour of the redcurrants against the salty anchovy is immense.

And of course, for a simple lift to any lamb - just add  Stokes Mint Sauce.


Whatever the weather - we love a good BBQ

And a good barbeque deserves a good marinade, sauce or relish.

Stokes Red Onion Marmalade makes a classy burger topping too

Our Original Barbeque Sauce is a thick, smoky sauce with natural blossom honey and a molasses-style sweetness that can be used as an accompaniment, a marinade or a dipping sauce.

Hot & Spicy is just that - a sweet, smoke flavoured BBQ sauce with heat developing as an after flavour from subtle flecks of chilli seeds.

Sweet & Sticky is another variation with a sweet & sticky flavour including a kick of British horseradish, rounding off sweet maple syrup.


Stokes Burger Relish will transform burgers into something stylish with our rich, slightly sweet tasting red pepper, tomato and onion salsa with a subtle note of chilli. 


Magic Marinades

A marinade is a simple way of tenderising meats and infusing flavour into just about anything you intend to cook on the barbeque. They don't need to be intricate, complicated or time consuming to turn a simple 'char fest' into an 'al fresco feast'.

Barbequed Portobello
In a shallow bowl capable of fitting 4 Portobello Mushrooms, thin out 3 tablespoons of our Original BBQ Sauce with extra virgin olive oil and a dash or two of balsamic vinegar. Coat the mushrooms and leave them to absorb the flavours for 20 minutes or so. Grill on a gentler corner of the BBQ. Turn half way and top with a slice of mozzarella cheese.

Smoky chilli honey marinade
Very simple and perfect for pork ribs. Mix three tablespoons of Stokes Hot & Spicy BBQ Sauce with the same amount of runny honey and a teaspoon of Stokes Cider & Horseradish Mustard. The smokiness of the BBQ sauce and heat of the chilli flakes work well with the sweet honey, punctuated by the grainy mustard and horseradish bite. Coat the ribs generously as a marinade and brush on whilst cooking.


Sweet chilli & ginger prawns
Plump, juicy prawns just love swimming in this marinade before warming  themselves on the barbeque. Mix 3 tablespoons of Stokes Sweet Chilli Sauce, a tablespoon of our Hoisin Sauce and a cup or dry cider. Add 2 cm of grated fresh ginger and the same of lemongrass. It's a great combination that works equally well on salmon steaks.

The dollop
...or of course, you can just dollop your favourite sauce combinations over chicken wings & drumsticks - and off you go!


The Suffolk Show

Come and visit Stokes at the Suffolk Show on 31st May and 1st June. We will be exhibiting in the foodhall, Stand Yellow 188. The show is held in Trinity Park on the outskirts of Ipswich and promises something for everyone and every age, as you'll see on the show's website here.

 
Under 15 year olds enter FREE of charge.

Have a go at off-road driving; visit the livestock and watch the equine events. There are trade stands for just about every conceivable country pursuit - artisanal foods, drink producers, clothing - and many unconceivable exhibitors as well.


Ketchup - with a twist


First - we created the most amazing tomato ketchup you will ever have the joy of tasting:

... it's the honest ketchup - made with 200g of plump, sweet Mediterranean sun-ripened tomatoes for every 100g of ketchup; trusted ketchup - carefully simmered to deliver its velvety texture and intense taste, rather than milled like most others; loved ketchup - if you've tasted it you'll know what we mean (if you haven't, you really should).

Then - we did all sorts of wonderful things with it ... to create these:

 Enjoy.

Simple,  honest,  delicious

 FOOD MADE BETTER

www.stokessauces.co.uk

01394 462150

Celebrating the British Asparagus

The noble asparagus

Last weekend celebrated (though somewhat low key) St George's Day, which in foodie terms means the launch of the British asparagus season.

For asparagus growers in the Vale of Evesham this year, it was a double celebration as they were given the same culinary status as Champagne, Roquefort, Cognac, Parmesan and the Jersey Royal New Potato.

Now, asparagus grown in the Vale has European (EU) protected status, linking the geographical area with a distinctive level of quality.

Hoorah for the asparagus, King George and great British food.


Asparagus gravy

Breaking the stem. I think we all know how to break off the woody stem from the asparagus. Flex it with the tip in one hand and base in the other and it finds it's natural breaking point. You may be a cutter, I'm a snapper - what do you think? Please tell us: tweet here, or post here. 

But, don't discard the broken stems.  What a waste - make an asparagus stock. Bash the woody stems to release the flavour and add them to boiling water with a chopped shallot. Reduce with a drop of Knorr's 'Touch of Taste' chicken stock concentrate and a good knob of butter to give it depth and shine - hey presto ... jus d'asperges chez maison (asparagus gravy!).


Serving Suggestions

...with Stokes - naturally.

Asparagus with Prawns - this is a great as part of a sharing platter with a cold glass of prosecco (or three). Fry off the shell on prawns with a little Stokes Original BBQ Sauce (for a sweet molasses-style tang). Mix equal measures of Stokes Real Mayonnaise and Stokes Sweet Chilli Sauce. Keep the prawns and asparagus separate on a serving dish and dip both in the mayo / chilli sauce. The individual and combined flavours are heavenly.

The simple dip -  perfect with real mayonnaise. Or: add a squeeze of lemon or lime juice to your mayo; try mayo mixed with a drop of Stokes Brown Sauce to let the spices add to the sweet, succulent flavour of the asparagus juice.

Have you tried using Stokes Lemon Mayonnaise; Honey & Mustard Mayo or Sun-blushed Tomato Mayonnaise - you'll find them and more - here.

With crispy smoked bacon - British of course. A quality dry cured streaky is best for this job. Fry it gently in its own rendered fat to the desired level of 'crispy'. Layer your cooked asparagus on the plate; bathe it in your asparagus gravy (see above); pop the bacon to one side of it, with a soft poached egg on top...

...Delicious - particularly if you serve the above with a mix of equal measures of our mayonnaise and our Cider & Horseradish Mustard. The asparagus loves it, the bacon adores it, the egg weeps for it and of course ... you'll love it too.

That's it for the asparagus for now - enjoy.

Read on for:

The Essex Fine Food Show - FREE entry tickets.

Fish 'n' Chips with Stokes Ketchup in Aldeburgh

25 things to taste before you leave Suffolk

Our official opening of the 'BBQ Season'

Fanfare for the Veggie Burger

Sizzling Seafood

...click here...

Simple,  honest,  delicious

 FOOD MADE BETTER

www.stokessauces.co.uk

01394 462150

 

Competition, Country Shows and food for all.

It's competition time for food fans !

The Essex Fine Food Show takes to the foodie track at the Chelmsford City Racecourse. It will be hosting over 100 artisan food and drink producers offering tasty titbits and foodie ideas for all.

Whether you are a seasoned gourmand or new to culinary combat, there are two great days of foodie fun to be had on 13th and 14th May.

Tom Salty's Seafood Shack

To help four Stokes followers through the door, we have two pairs of tickets to give away in our Spring Prize Draw. All you have to do is visit this page - here - and register for the draw as you sign up for Stokes' Newsletter. Terms and conditions can be found here too.

Two winners will be drawn, each winning a pair of entry tickets to the show - one for Saturday 13th May and the other for Sunday 14th May.

Go on, have a go and enjoy the show whether you're a winner or not.

For more information on the show itself, click on Tom Salty's Seafood Shack above.

We serve Stokes Tomato Ketchup

Visiting Suffolk ?

If you are visiting Suffolk to enjoy its springtime activities, scenery and great hospitality, this article from the East Anglian Daily Times might interest you.

Click on the image to enlarge it.

There are the regular joys of the region of course - Snape Maltings' leisure, pleasure and culture; barge trips on the Orwell; county celebrations in Saxmundum's Alde Valley Spring Festival; the Peter Pan inspiring 'House in the Clouds' at Thorpeness; the coastal delights of Aldeburgh - and so much more besides.

But, according to the East Anglian Daily Times, one of the 25 'Things you have to taste before you leave Suffolk' (3rd on the list in fact) is Stokes Award Winning Tomato Ketchup.

And ... you don't have to visit Suffolk to try it. Your local deli might have it, farm shop, butcher, Waitrose, or you can order it on line - here - today.

Though think about it, coastal East Suffolk is well worth a visit - we should know, it's the region that inspires us to make such good sauces. We are just six short miles from Snape Maltings, in fact.


Award Winning Tomato Ketchup

Other than being the focal part of a cultural visit to Suffolk's glorious coastline, there are many things you can do with your ketchup to make food taste better.

...from a spoonful in your cuppa soup to a dollop in your beans.

For Stokes Award-Winning Tomato Ketchup that should actually read: the honest ketchup - made with 200g of plump, sweet Mediterranean sun-ripened tomatoes for every 100g of ketchup; trusted ketchup - carefully simmered to deliver its velvety texture and intense taste, rather than milled like most others; loved ketchup - if you've tasted it you'll know what we mean (if you haven't, you really should).


Glorious Glazes

These glazes should add a twist to grilled, fried or stir fried chicken, pork or salmon steaks:

• Stokes Tomato Ketchup, soy sauce, sesame oil, sherry.
• Stokes Tomato Ketchup, red wine vinegar, curry powder, honey and Stokes Cider & Horseradish Mustard.
• Stokes Tomato Ketchup, balsamic vinegar, Stokes Hoisin Sauce.

It's BBQ season !

Barbeques - we're sure you'll be dusting them off, digging them out of the garden shed, ceremonially removing the made-to-measure covers - I know we have (and it's a great feeling).

Have you got the BBQ essentials ready too - the sauces of course:

Our Original Barbeque Sauce is a thick, smoky sauce with natural blossom honey and a molasses-style sweetness that can be used as an accompaniment, a marinade or a dipping sauce.

Hot & Spicy is just that - a sweet, smoke flavoured BBQ sauce with heat developing as an after flavour from subtle flecks of chilli seeds.

Sweet & Sticky is another variation with a sweet & sticky flavour including a kick of British horseradish, rounding off sweet maple syrup.

Stokes Red Onion Marmalade makes a classy burger topping too

These are three tasty tips for using our Original BBQ sauce:

Add a spoonful to pie fillings to give an added depth of flavour and a sweet spin on a classic recipe!

Mix with grated cheddar cheese, stuff into a chicken breast and wrap in smoky bacon for a 'Hunters Chicken' style dish.

Create a meat glaze by mixing with honey and a little oil before pasting over ribs, beef or chicken.

Stokes Burger Relish will transform burgers into something stylish with our rich, slightly sweet tasting red pepper, tomato and onion salsa with a subtle note of chilli. 


Veggie Burger ideas

Don't forget your vegetarian guests and try these simple meat free alternatives:

Black bean burger - drain and crush the contents of a 400g tin of black beans; finely chop or process half a green pepper, half an onion and two peeled garlic cloves - mix well into the bean mash; beat and add an egg with two teaspoons of Stokes Chilli Jam; mix in up to 50g of dried breadcrumbs until the combination binds; divide into four or five patties and bake for 10 minutes each side at gas mark 5 / 190°C.  

Mushroom burgers - gently fry 500g chopped mushrooms and 1 chopped onion until just soft and set aside  in a bowl to cool; add up to 50g of breadcrumbs, two teaspoons of Stokes Red Onion Marmalade and a beaten egg, mixing until the combination binds. Separate into even patties and fry until brown on each side. 

Instead of the marmalade - try it with two good dollops of Stokes Hot & Spicy BBQ Sauce for a smoky richness with chilli bite.

Tofu burger - the simplest, yet possibly the tastiest of all - Slice the tofu into 5mm thick burger sized pieces and dry thoroughly between two sheets of kitchen paper. 

Now fry a finely sliced onion and a 5 to 8 mm piece of shredded ginger until soft; add the tofu slices to the pan and brown gently; add three glugs of Stokes Original BBQ Sauce to the pan and fry for a couple of minutes until the contents absorbs the molasses-style flavour.


Sizzling Seafood

Whether you are barbequing it, stir frying it, or even 'pinging' it, squid, prawns, clams, crab claws - a seaside salad, fruits de mer, stir-fried seafood - it all gets a sizzling lift with Stokes Sweet Chilli Sauce. Shake it into the wok for the last minute of the fry or use it as a marinade for the BBQ - it's perfect and so simple. 

The sweetness soothes the chilli kick in an instant burst of pure deliciousness. 

10 ways to use Stokes Sweet Chilli Sauce. Click here for 10 simple yet tasty ideas to get more from your Sweet Chilli Sauce and more taste to your food.

Simple,  honest,  delicious

 FOOD MADE BETTER

www.stokessauces.co.uk

01394 462150