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A Maldon Salt Collaboration with Meliz Berg & AEG Kitchen Appliances

When it comes to creating memorable desserts, balance is everything. Sweet, tangy, creamy, crunchy – and, crucially, just the right amount of salt. These Creamy Cherry Filo Puffs with Sweet and Salty Pistachios celebrate contrast and balance, using Maldon Original Sea Salt flakes to elevate every layer of flavour and texture and AEG Kitchen Appliances for precision and performance.

Created in collaboration with Meliz Berg, and baked to perfection using AEG Kitchen Appliances, this recipe proves that a ‘pinch’ of the right sea salt can transform a sweet dish from good to unforgettable.

Why Maldon Salt is Important for Filo Puffs

Salt plays a vital role in sweet cooking, enhancing flavours rather than overpowering them – and Maldon Sea Salt is uniquely suited to the task. Its light, pyramid-shaped flakes dissolve gently, delivering clean salinity exactly where it’s needed.

In this recipe, Maldon Salt:

• Enhances the natural sweetness of cherries and honey
• Balances the richness of butter, filo and tahini yoghurt
• Adds a subtle crunch and flavour contrast when used as a finishing touch

From the filo layers to the sweet-and-salty pistachios, Maldon Sea Salt ensures every bite is perfectly balanced, never flat or overly sweet.

Cooking with AEG Kitchen Appliances

For over a century, AEG has been the forefront of kitchen innovation, designing appliances that empower people to cooking with confidence. Rooted in German engineering and driven by passion for taste, AEG focuses on intelligent technology that supporting creativity rather than complicating it – from ovens that enhance flavour and texture to intuitive controls that give you precision without stress.

To bring every element of this recipe to life, Meliz cooked using premium AEG Kitchen Appliances, including the AEG 7000 MealAssist Oven with SteamCrisp, featured throughout the cooking videos.

This innovative oven uses a combination of 25% steam and 75% heat for perfectly even cooking – ideal for slow-roasting vegetables with crisp, caramelised edges while keeping meats tender and juicy. With its CookSmart Touch Display, telescopic runners and pyrolytic self-cleaning, it offers precision, ease and outstanding performance.

Also used in the kitchen set up are the AEG 8000 MealAssist Combination Oven & Microwave, known for it’s energy-saving residual heat cooking, and the sleek AEG 6000 Gas on Glass 90cm Hob, completing a modern workspace designed for flavour, efficiency and fuss-free cooking.

How to Make Cream Cherry Filo Puffs with Sweet and Salty Pistachios

Step 1 – Tahini Yogurt:

• Mix all the ingredients until thick and smooth. Cover and chill until needed

Step 2 – Cherries

• Simmer cherries over medium heat until juices release.
• Add orange juice and reduce until thickened, then stir in the honey and orange blossom water. Cool completely.

Step 3 – Sweet & Salty Pistachios

• Melt butter in an ovenproof pan, add pistachios, sugar and Maldon Salt.
• Stir well and bake at 180c fan for 10 minutes. Cool

Step 4 – Filo Puffs

• Brush filo pastry with butter, sprinkle with sugar and a pinch of Maldon Sea Salt, fold into layers, and press into a muffin tray.
• Bake for 15 minutes until golden and crisp. Cool fully.

Step 5 – Assemble

• Swirl the cherries through the tahini yoghurt, spoon into filo cups, top with pistachios and finish with a final pinch of Maldon Sea Salt flakes.

Top Tips

• Prepare all components in advance and assemble just before serving
• Store filo cases and pistachios in airtight containers
• Always finish sweet desserts with a light pinch of Maldon Sea Salt for balance

Have You Tried It?

Explore recipes, tips and inspiration designed to help you transform everyday dishes – sweet and savoury – with the perfectly balanced crunch of Maldon Sea Salt flakes.

If you try this recipe at home, we’d love to see it – tag us in your creations so we can share your wonderful cooking with our community. And if you’re feeling inspired to upgrade your kitchen, you can explore more AEG appliances here, and discover how their innovative technology can transform your everyday cooking.

Centrepiece by Helen Graham

Vegetables take their well-deserved moment in the spotlight in Centrepiece, the beautiful debut cookbook from chef and food writer Helen Graham. Known for her bold, generous flavours and deeply considered approach to plant-forward cooking, Graham celebrates vegetables not as an afterthought, but as the heart of the table. Drawing inspiration from the Middle East, North Africa, and her Ashkenazi Jewish heritage, Centrepiece is a vibrant collection of recipes designed to be cooked, shared and lingered over – dishes that feel just as fitting for a dinner party as a relaxed weekend meal at home.

In this feature, we’re diving into one of the book’s standout recipes: Pilpil-style Roast Cabbage with Shiitake and Preserved Lemon. It’s a dish that perfectly captures the spirit of Centrepiece. – humble ingredients transformed through thoughtful technique and fearless seasoning. Roasted until deeply caramelised, the cabbage is paired with savoury mushrooms, sharp preserved lemon and a spicy pilpil-inspired oil that brings warmth and depth to every bite. It’s a simple yet striking, and a brilliant example of how Graham elevates everyday vegetables into something truly special.

Why Maldon Salt is important in pilpil-style dishes

Pilpil-style cooking (inspired by Basque methods) is all about emulsification, heat and purity of ingredients. Maldon Sea Salt isn’t just seasoning here – it’s structure.

• Draws out moisture – Maldon Sea Salt helps pull excess water from the cabbage and mushrooms as they roast. This encourages deep caramelised, intensifying sweetness in the cabbage and umami in the shiitake rather than steaming them.
• Balances bold elements – Preserved lemon is intensely salty and citrusy; chilli oil brings heat. A good pinch of Maldon Sea Salt lets you season precisely, so those assertive flavours stay bright and balanced, not muddled or flat.
• Supports emulsification – In pilpil-style oils, Maldon Sea Salt helps stabilise the emulsion between oil, vegetable juices, and aromatics – giving you that glossy, clinging finish instead of a split or greasy sauce.

How to make Pilpil-style Roast Cabbage with Shiitake & Preserved Lemon

The word pilpil actually refers to a Basque sauce for fish in which oil and garlic come together with the cooking juices, emulsifying into a thick sauce. The sauce is named pilpil after the way it sputters in the pan. This is my homage to that sauce, with the addition of persevered lemon.

1. Preheat the oven to 180c, Gas Mark 6.
2. Line a baking tray with nonstock baking paper.
3. Place all the ingredients for the shiitake marinade in a bowl and whisk until thoroughly combined; it will form a stiff paste.
4. Cut the cabbages in half through the cores and place on the lined tray. Spoon one-quarter of the marinade on the cut side of each cabbage and use the back of the spoon to press it into all the crevices, ensuring the cut side is evenly covered. If any areas look a little dry, give them a drizzle of olive oil. Toast for 30-35 minutes until the marinade is starting to look caramelised and you can slide a knife easily through the cores.
5. Meanwhile, for the sauce, place all the ingredients except the oil in a jug and use a stick blender to blitz it into a fine, paste. With the blender still on, slowly add the olive oil, a trickle at a time, until it’s all combined and you have a thickened, pale yellow sauce.
6. Make the spiced parsley by stirring all the ingredients together in a small bowl.
7. Smooth the pilpil sauce on to a serving dish, top with the warm cabbage halves sprinkled over the spiced parsley to serve.

Have You Tried it?

If you try this recipe at home, we’d love to see it – tag us in your creations so we can share your wonderful cooking with our community. And if you’re feeling inspired to whip up delicious recipes in your kitchen, you can purchase Centrepiece by Helen Graham here.

A Maldon Salt, Meliz Berg & AEG Collaboration

If there’s one thing that unites us all, it’s the joy of a proper ‘fakeaway’ – big flavour, minimal fuss, and the kind of pread that makes everyone crowd around the table. In collaboration with Maldon Salt, celebrated food writer Meliz Berg, and AEG Kitchen Appliances, this Ultimate Mixed Grill Platter brings together bold marinades, perfectly cooked meats and vegetables, and a pinch of Maldon Chilli Sea Salt to finish.

Why Maldon Chilli Sea Salt Makes the Difference

A finishing salt matters – and Maldon Chilli Sea Salt delivers more than heat alone. With it’s signature pyramid flakes and gentle chilli warmth (from the infused Aleppo pepper and bird’s eye chilli), it lifts marinades, enhances caramelisation and adds crunch at the final moment, allowing each ingredient to shine without overwhelming it. Sprinkle just before cooking, it seasons with precision and personality.

About AEG: Designed for Taste

For oven a century, AEG has been the forefront of kitchen innovation, designing appliances that empower people to cooking with confidence. Rooted in German engineering and driven by passion for taste, AEG focuses on intelligent technology that supporting creativity rather than complicating it – from ovens that enhance flavour and texture to intuitive controls that give you precision without stress.

Cooking with Confidence: AEG in the Kitchen

To bring every element of this recipe to life, Meliz cooked using premium AEG Kitchen Appliances, including the AEG 7000 MealAssist Oven with SteamCrisp, featured throughout the cooking videos.

This innovative oven uses a combination of 25% steam and 75% heat for perfectly even cooking – ideal for slow-roasting vegetables with crisp, caramelised edges while keeping meats tender and juicy. With its CookSmart Touch Display, telescopic runners and pyrolytic self-cleaning, it offers precision, ease and outstanding performance.

Also used in the kitchen set up are the AEG 8000 MealAssist Combination Oven & Microwave, known for it’s energy-saving residual heat cooking, and the sleek AEG 6000 Gas on Glass 90cm Hob, completing a modern workspace designed for flavour, efficiency and fuss-free cooking.

The Ultimate Mixed Grill Platter Recipe

Designed for entertaining, batch-cooking or freezing ahead, this platter used one versatile base marinade that adapts beautifully across chicken wings, lamb cutlets, kofte and chicken shish – all cooked together at the same temperature for ease and consistency. It’s modern Middle Eastern-inspired cooking as its most generous, unfussy and flavour-forward.

Step 1 – Prepare the Base Marinade

• Start by making the base minade – this is the backbone of the entire platter.
• Mixed together the garlic, red pepper paste, olive oil, spices and oregano until you have a thick, aromatic paste. This single marinade adapts beautifully across chicken, lamb and mince, giving you flexibility without extra work.

Step 2 – Make the Chicken Wings

• Add the chicken wings to the marinade and stir well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, no longer than 24.
• Preheat oven to 200c Fan.
• Grease a large baking tray with the olive oil.
• Take the chicken wings out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking.
• Place the oiled tray in the preheated oven to heat up for 15 minutes.
• Season the marinated chicken wings with the Maldon Chilli Sea Salt, stir well, then carefully lay all the chicken wings flat on the hot, oiled baking tray.
• Bake in the oven on the middle shelf for 30-35 minutes until beautifully tender and charred around the edges.

Step 3 – Make the Lamb Cutlets or Lamb Shish

• Add the milk to the marinade recipe and stir well until smooth. Add the lamb to the marinade and stir well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, no longer than 24 hours.
• Preheat oven to 200c Fan.
• Grease a large baking tray with the olive oil.
• Take the lamb out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking.
• Place the oiled tray in the preheated oven to heat up for 15 minutes.
• Season the marinated lamb with the Maldon Chilli Sea Salt, stir well, then carefully lay the lamb on the hot, oiled baking tray along with the vegetables.
• Bake in the oven on the middle shelf for 30-35 minutes until beautifully tender and charred around the edges.

Step 4 – Make the Lamb or Chicken Kofte

• Add the onions and peppers to a clean muslin cloth and squeeze out all the juice (keep the juice to add to the chicken shish marinade if making).
• Add the drained onions, peppers to the rest of the ingredients and stir well. Cover and pop in the fridge for at least an hour but preferably overnight for all the flavours to come together.
• Preheat oven to 200c Fan.
• Grease a large baking tray with the olive oil.
• Take the mixture out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking.
• Place the oiled tray in the preheated oven to heat up for 15 minutes.
• Shape the mixture into two extra large long köfte (you can shape them into smaller sized köfte, but please note the cooking time will reduce by at least 10 minutes to ensure the smaller köfte stay as tender as possible), making ridges at 1cm intervals along the left of the köfte using a skewer dipped in water (to prevent it from sticking to the mixture).
• Carefully lay the köfte  on the hot, oiled baking tray along with the vegetables.
• Bake in the oven on the middle shelf for 30-35 minutes until beautifully tender and charred around the edges.

Step 5 – Make the Chicken Shish

• Add the yoghurt, pomegranate molasses and honey (and the reserved onion and red pepper juices, if you have them) to the marinade, and stir well until smooth.
• Add the chicken to the marinade and stir well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, no longer than 24.
• Preheat oven to 200c Fan.
• Grease a large shallow baking tray with the olive oil.
• Take the chicken out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking.
• Place the oiled tray in the preheated oven to heat up for 15 minutes.
• Season the marinated chicken with the Maldon Chilli Sea Salt, stir well, then carefully lay the chicken on the hot, oiled baking tray along with the vegetables.
• Bake in the oven on the middle shelf for 30-35 minutes until beautifully tender and charred around the edges.

Have You Tried It?

This is the kind of food that invites people to linger – platters placed at the centre of the table, hands reaching in, conversations getting louder and the dishes empty. Guided by Meliz Berg’s bold, generous flavours, brought to life with AEG’s precision cooking, and finished with the unmistakable crunch of Maldon Chilli Sea Salt, this mixed grill is about more than what’s on the tray.  

If you try this recipe at home, we’d love to see it – tag us in your creations so we can share your wonderful cooking with our community. And if you’re feeling inspired to upgrade your kitchen, you can explore more AEG appliances here, and discover how their innovative technology can transform your everyday cooking.

A Collaboration with Meliz Berg and AEG Kitchen Appliances

We’re excited to share our latest recipe collaboration with Meliz Berg and AEG Kitchen Appliances. Meliz Berg is an award-winning cookbook author, creator of Meliz Cooks, and one of our celebrated talents from The Maldon 50. Known for her vibrant, flavour-driven dishes inspired by her Turkish-Cypriot heritage, Meliz brings here signature warmth and creativity to this Slow-Roasted Vegetables, Creamy Garlic Yogurt & Garlic Butter recipe. Using Maldon Garlic Sea Salt throughout, she creates a beautifully balanced dish that’s perfect for effortless hosting. This collaboration highlights just how transformative great seasoning and clever cooking techniques can be in elevating simple ingredients.

Crafted With AEG

To bring every element of this recipe to life, Meliz cooked using premium AEG Kitchen Appliances, including the AEG 7000 MealAssist Oven with SteamCrisp, featured throughout the cooking videos. This innovative oven uses a combination of 25% steam and 75% heat for perfectly even cooking – ideal for slow-roasting vegetables with crisp, caramelised edges. With it’s CookSmart Touch display telescopic runners and pyrolytic self-cleaning, it offers precision, ease and outstanding performance. Also used in the kitchen setup are the AEG 8000 MealAssist Combination Oven & Microwave, known for it’s energy-saving residual heat cooking, and the sleekAEG 6000 Gas on Glass 90cm Hob, completing a modern workspace designed for flavour, efficiency and fuss-free cooking.

How to Make Slow-Roasted Vegetables, Creamy Garlic Yoghurt & Garlic Butter

This recipe is the perfect sharing dish! Instead of preparing individual starters, this vibrant platter of Mediterranean roasted vegetables, silky garlic yogurt and a rich homemade garlic butter offers maximum flavour with minimal effort. Everything can be made ahead – the roasted aubergine, courgette and pepper to the yogurt and butter – making it ideal for dinner parties, Spring lunches, or relaxed weekend gatherings.

Remember to finish with an extra pinch of Maldon Garlic Sea Salt for that perfect seasoning.

Method:

• To make the garlic yoghurt, add the yoghurt, lemon zest, garlic and Maldon Garlic Sea Salt flakes to a small bowl. Halve the zested lemon, and squeeze half of it into the yoghurt mixture. Save the other half for the dressing. Stir the garlic yoghurt and refrigerate until ready to serve.
• Mix together the butter and Maldon Garlic Sea Salt, spread into a small ramekin, and leave to one side. Preheat oven to 200c fan.
• Add the peppers to a large bowl along with half of the olive oil. Mix well, then add the aubergines, courgettes and Maldon Garlic Sea Salt and toss well.
• Brush a large shallow non-stick baking tray with the remaining olive oil, and place in the preheated oven for 10 minutes.
• Carefully add all of the vegetables to the hot oiled baking tray, and place on the middle shelf of the oven for 30-35 minutes, or until the vegetables have fully softened and the skins and edges are slightly charred. Turn half way through, if necessary.
• Whilst the vegetables are cooking, mix together all the dressing ingredients and add the hot, cooked vegetables straight into the dressing and toss well until they are all fully coated.
• Sprinkle a little more Maldon Garlic Sea Salt over the potted butter before serving.
• Spread the garlic yoghurt over a platter, top with the dressed vegetables, sprinkle over the remaining sumac, pul biber and parsley, drizzle over a little more extra virgin olive oil, and serve with hot crusty bread slathered in the Garlic Sea Salt butter.

Have You Tried It?

We hope you enjoyed this flavour-packed recipe as much as we loved creating it. This dish is the first in ourspecial series with Meliz Berg and AEG, where we’re be teaming up to bring you a delicious starter, main and dessert designed for the ultimate sharing menu. If you try this recipe at home, we’d love to see it – tag us in your creations so we can share your wonderful cooking with our community. And if you’re feeling inspired to upgrade your kitchen, you can explore more AEG appliances here, and discover how their innovative technology can transform your everyday cooking.

We’re thrilled to be featuring How To BBQ: The Definitive Guide to Fire Cooking by Genevieve Taylor – the ultimate handbook for anyone looking to master the magic of cooking over fire. Whether you’re a seasoned grill devotee or taking your very first steps beyond the kitchen, this block unlocks everything you need to cook confidently, creatively, and deliciously outdoors. Beautifully photographers and filled with Genevieve’s trademark clarity, warmth and expertise. It’s a standout celebration of real food, real heat, and real flavour.

Packed with over 100 flame-fuelled recipes, How To BBQ guides readers through every stage of live-fire cooking, from building and controlling heat to crafting flavour-packed dishes that go far beyond the expected burgers and bangers. Genevieve draws on more than two decades of experience to demystify grilling, answering the top questions home cooks ask – from choosing the right fuel to managing temperature with confidence. With quick midweek grills, slow weekend feasts, one-pot fire meals and spectacular showstoppers, this definitive modern BBQ bible offers inspiration for every season, for all types of grills, and for cooks of every skill level.

In Conversation with Genevieve Taylor

Gen, your new book is described as the definitive modern BBQ bible. After more than two decades working with live fire, what inspired you to bring all that knowledge together into How to BBQ.

This is the book I’ve been itching to write for years – it’s basically everything I know about cooking with fire, distilled into something that’s not just a collection of lovely recipes, but a proper guide to getting better at it. Fire is our oldest cooking tool – we’ve been at it since the dawn of humanity – but somewhere along the way we’ve lost a bit of that instinct. It’s still in us though, deep down. This book is about helping people find it again.

How to BBQ takes readers from the basics of building and controlling heat to creating flavour-packed dishes. What do you think is the single biggest misconception people have when they first approach live-fire cooking?

That everything has to be grilled or smoked to count as BBQ. It really doesn’t. I see the barbecue simply as a heat source – and once you get your head around that, you realise you can cook pretty much anything you like on it. It’s about control, not clichés.

The book includes over 100 flame-fuelled recipes. Which recipe in the book do you think will surprise readers the most – and why?

Probably some of the baking – Toad in the Hole, for example. People don’t expect that sort of thing from a barbecue, but once you understand how to manage heat properly, it opens up a whole new world. You stop thinking in terms of “BBQ food” and just start thinking about cooking, full stop. The book really leans into that breadth too – salads, sides, veg, meat, fish, loads of colour, herbs and spice – it’s about cooking properly over fire, not sticking to old-school ideas of what BBQ is supposed to be.

What would be your biggest tip for someone completely new to live-fire cooking?

Start with your fuel – it matters more than anything else. There’s a lot of low-grade, unethically produced, frankly rubbish charcoal out there, and it’s bad news on every level. But even beyond that, good charcoal is a pure carbon fuel, which means it burns cleanly and predictably. That gives you proper control over your fire. And once you’ve got control, everything else gets easier, slots into place. If you want the full geek-out, I’ve got plenty on my YouTube channel, GenevieveTaylorTV.

What does a normal day in the life look like for you, Gen?

Er… busy. And a bit chaotic, if I’m honest. This year is a bit full-on – I’ve got a series of wild banquets with The Fire Light Sessions, a new YouTube channel, teaching at Bristol Fire School, a US book tour, and fire-cooking trips to Paris, Sweden, Patagonia… plus something exciting brewing for East Africa. No two days are the same, there’s always a lot on, and occasionally things get dropped – but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

When I do get a bit of space, my perfect day is simple: a long walk or bike ride, then a fire in the garden with friends, good food, decent wine, and music. I’m happiest outdoors, always.

Name three things in the kitchen you can’t live without!

A really good chef’s knife – I’m lucky enough to have a few from Fingal Ferguson, and they’re a joy to use. After that, it’s the basics done properly: good salt and good olive oil.

Do you have a favourite cookbook that you’re currently reading? We’d love to know!

Honestly? Not really. I read a lot to switch off, but because food is my job, I don’t tend to reach for cookbooks when I’m relaxing. Sometimes you just need a break from your own world.

Coriander Lamb Skewers with Asparagus and Green Hummus Recipe

Lamb ribeye (or neck fillet) is a great cut to cook hot and fast. It’s especially tender here as it’s sliced thin across the grain and threaded onto skewers, but you can choose any cut of boneless lamb you like. Just make sure you cut all the pieces into similar sizes for even cooking.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 heaped tbsp coriander seeds
• 200g (7oz) asparagus
• Maldon Original Sea Salt flakes
• Freshly ground black pepper
• For the green hummus:
• 1 x 400g (14oz) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
• 30g (1oz) mixed fresh herbs (coriander/cilantro and flatleaf parsley)
• 1 spring onion (scallion), roughly chopped
• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• ½ lemon, juiced, or to taste
• To serve
• extra virgin olive oil
• ½ lemon, wedged
• You also need 2–4 double metal skewers

Method:

1. Slice the lamb fillet across the grain into 1cm (½in) pieces, adding to a bowl as you go. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and the garlic.
2. Set a small pan on the stove over a medium heat and tip in the coriander seeds, toasting for a couple of minutes before transferring to a mortar. Grind to a coarse powder with the pestle, then pour over the lamb. Season well with Maldon Original Sea Salt flakes and black pepper and use your hands to work everything into the meat. Cover and slide into the fridge to marinate for ideally a couple of hours, or overnight is great, too.
3. If you want to get ahead, make the hummus while you marinate the lamb and chill in the fridge. Otherwise, when you are ready to cook, add the chickpeas, herbs, spring onion and garlic to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. With the motor running, drizzle in the extra virgin olive oil and enough cold water to bring it to a consistency that you like (3–4 tablespoons will give you a smoother soft texture). Add a squeeze of lemon juice and season well with Maldon Original Sea Salt flakes and pepper. Set aside.
4. Fire up the barbecue ready for hot direct grilling (page 38). Both the lamb and the asparagus grill quickly so you won’t need too much fuel.
5. Spread the hummus out over a couple of plates in a thin layer. Drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with black pepper.
6. Thread the lamb onto a couple of long skewers – double skewers (page 21) are always handy to prevent things spinning around. Drizzle olive oil over the asparagus and season with Maldon Original Sea Salt flakes and pepper. Grill the lamb skewers for 10–12 minutes, until lightly charred, turning a few times. Slide off the direct heat to keep warm. Grill the asparagus for 2–3 minutes until just tender. Remove the lot from the grill.
7. Scatter the asparagus over the hummus and top with the lamb skewers. Squeeze over a little lemon juice and tuck in.

Where to Buy How To BBQ

You can buy How to BBQ here, and start being creating with food and flavours in the comfort of your kitchen.

Make sure you have your Maldon Salt ready for these recipes! If you are running out, please feel free to browse on our Where to Buy Page to find your nearest store in which stocks our beloved Maldon Salt.

Lastly, we LOVE seeing your creations – please tag us on Instagram using the #maldonsalt so we can share your own take on Genevieve’s recipes!

We’re excited to team up with Fiona’s Funky Food for a show-stopping dessert that blends tropical flavour with gourmet flair: a Pineapple & Coconut Basque Cheesecake infused with Maldon Smoked Sea Salt and finished with Maldon Pepper Sea Salt Caramel Shards. This unique twist on the trending Basque-style cheesecake combined creamy custard, bright pineapple, fresh lime, and toasted coconut, all elevated by the gentle smokiness of Maldon Smoked Sea Salt flakes.

The salt melts seamlessly into the batter, enhancing the natural sweetness and adding depth to every bite – a flavour upgrade that’s quickly becoming popular in modern baking, Springtime desserts, and tropical-inspired recipes.

To finish, the cheesecake is crowned with crisp Maldon Pepper Sea Salt Caramel Shards, where Pepper Sea Salt brings a subtle heat, crunchy texture, and that irresistible sweet-savoury balance food lovers crave. The result? A dessert that’s sweet, smoky, tropical, lightly spiced and packed with flavour – the perfect showcase of just how versatile Maldon Salt can be in both baking and confectionary.

Whether you’re searching for a unique Spring bake, a summer celebration dessert, or a creative cheesecake recipe, this collaboration delivers a flavour experience that’s bold, modern, and utterly unforgettable.

What is a Basque Cheese? (Everything You Need to Know About This Trending Dessert)

A Basque cheesecake, also known as a Burnt Basque Cheesecake, is an ultra-creamy, crustless cheesecake originally from San Sebastian, Spain. Unlike the classic New York-style cheesecake, the Basque version is baked at a very high temperature, creating it’s signature deeply caramelised, ‘burnt’ top, while the inside remains soft, custard-like and silky.

A traditional baked cheesecake is baked at a much lower temperature, often in a water bath to prevent cracks. It is a lot more dense, creamy, pale, and usually baked with a crumb crust at a low heat for a smooth, fully-set finish.

Not all cheesecakes are baked – and there’s a delicious science behind why some are simply chilled to set! A no-bake cheesecake relies on a different method of thickening and stabilising the filling, which creates a lighter, creamier texture compared to the dense, custard-like structure of a baked cheesecake. A no-bake cheesecake sets in the fridge because it uses stabilising ingredients like cream cheese, whipped cream, and sometimes gelatine – not eggs. Without eggs, there’s no need for baking!

How To Make a Pineapple & Coconut Basque Cheesecake

Step 1 – Prepare the Tin for the Basque Cheesecake

• Preheat the oven to 220°C / 200°C fan (428°F / 392°F fan).
• Line a 20cm (8-inch) springform tin with overlapping parchment sheets, ensuring the edges rise above the rim. This helps contain the high-rise Basque-style batter.

Step 2 – Make the Tropical Cheesecake Batter

• Beat the cream cheese and caster sugar until smooth and lump free.
• Add the eggs one at a time, mixing gently to avoid incorporating too much air.
• Pour in the double cream and coconut cream and mix until silky.
• Sift in the plain flour and fold lightly.
• Stir in the vanilla extract, lime zest, toasted desiccated coconut, caramelised pineapple and 7-10g Maldon Smoked Sea Salt flakes.
• Taste and adjust to your preference – you ideally want a soft smokiness that enhances the tropical flavours without overpowering them.
• Tip – to get caramelised pineapple, you need to cook the pieces in a hot pan with butter and sugar until browned and glossy. This quick method adds a sweet, golden, caramelised flavour.

Step 3 – Bake the Basque Cheesecake

• Pour the batter into the prepared tin.
• Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the top is deeply caramelised, with a slightly jiggly centre – the signature Basque look.
• Cool completely at room temperature, then refrigerate for 4+ hours, ideally overnight, for the custard-like interior to set.

Step 4 – Make the Maldon Pepper Sea Salt Caramel Shards

• Line a tray with parchment.
• In a saucepan, heat the cater sugar and water over medium heat without stirring until it reaches a deep amber colour.
• Remove the heat and quickly stir in the Maldon Pepper Sea Salt.
• Pour the caramel thinly onto the parchment. Allow it to harden fully, then break into shards. These add crunch, subtle heart, and a sweet-savoury finish.

Step 5 – Assemble and Decorate

• Remove the chilled cheesecake from the tin.
• Insert the caramel shards vertically for height and texture.
• Optional: Finish with a light sprinkle of Maldon Smoked Sea Salt for a glossy, elevated garnish.
• Optional:Add dollops of cream on top with an extra serving of the diced caramelised pineapple to give the dish that ‘wow’ factor.

Have You Tried This?

Loved making this tropical Basque cheesecake? If you give this recipe a try, we’d love to see it! Tag us in your creations and show us how your cheesecake turned out.

Flavoursome Recipes for Nostalgic Eating

There are few places in British food culture as quietly iconic as The Sportsman. Now celebrating over 25 years, the once-run-down pub on the Kent coast has become culinary institution thanks to chef Stephen Harris, who took the rein in 1999 with a singular vision: to transform something ordinary into something extraordinary. With a pared-back style rooted in honesty, seasonality, and place, Harris has now only earned and retained a Michelin star but has been repeatedly named the UK’s best restaurant – a rare feat for a modest seaside pub that remains as beloved by it’s local regulars as it is revered by chefs across the world.

The Sportsman is a cult classic, cherished for it’s unpretentious brilliance and it’s unwavering commitment to flavour.

In The Sportsman at Home, Stephen Harris invites readers into his Whitstable kitchen, offering a deeply personal glimpse into the ingredients and philosophies behind his celebrated cooking. The book translated the simple, thoughtful ethos of his restaurant into dishes made for everyday kitchen, with chapters spanning ‘Dinner’, ‘Nostalgia’, ‘Christmas’ and ‘An Ode to Cream’. From Pork Chop with Charred Leeks to Coq au Vin, Cream of Soups and a Blackcurrant and Almond Tart, each recipe reimagines familiar flavours – made simpler made better, and always guided by the rhythms of seasonal, local produce. Paired with evocative photography of the Kent landscapes that inspire him, The Sportsman at Home is a heartfelt celebration of simple food done exceptionally well by one of the UK’s most respected self-taught chefs.

In Conversation with Stephen Harris

The Sportsman at Home brings Michelin-stared thinking into the domestic kitchen. What do you think is the biggest misconception home cooks have about restaurant-level food – and how does this book aim to dismantle it?

The short answer is salt but I am not trying to dismantle perceptions of home cooked food but instead I’m bringing a professional eye to the domestic kitchen- too many recipes are complicated without need so I have hones them to be better but easier.

The chapters – from Nostalgia toAn Ode to Cream – feel very personal. Was there a particular dish or chapter that holds a special place for you?

My editor noticed that I used a lot more cream than many modern recipes so we thought we should lean in to it! I love the baking and making section. How many times have you been stuck for a present or a ‘bit skint’? Just cook one of the recipes from that chapter -who wouldn’t love some biscuits and chocolate milk?

Seasonality and locality are central to both The Sportsman and this book. How has that connection to place shaped the way you cook?

In some ways it has made life harder because I don’t tend to use ingredients from further afield but I find seasonality as obvious as breathing and equally inspirational.

As a self-taught chef, what advice would you give to passionate home cooks about trusting their instincts with simple ingredients?

I think we all know instinctively what good ingredients are. It’s obvious if a fish is fresh -just smell and look – has it come out of the sea recently? Another way to test the freshness is with vegetables – does it smell like the vegetable? Test it out! Nick the vegetable with your thumbnail and smell – it should smell of what the vegetable is!

Tell us Stephen, what does a normal day in the life look like for you?

I get to work between 7- 8am – I have coffee and answer emails. I meet and chat to my chef Dan about the day, any new dishes or anything we need to order. I often go to the farmers market and look for good ingredients – they have great fish, meat, veg and dry stores. The kitchen let me know what they need. I go into the kitchen and do my daily checks and then I usually leave them to service unless I am doing the pass that day/night.

Name three things in the kitchen you can’t live without!

• Great butter
• Sea salt (i never use table salt)
• Great fish and seafood.

Do you have a favourite cookbook that you’re currently reading? We’d love to know!

I tend to use cookbooks for inspiration so I’m always re-reading, Elizabeth David, Jane Grigson et al

Pear, Walnut and Roquefort Salad Recipe

This is an early dish from The Sportsman that old customers and staff still talk about now. It was based on a salad from Café Pasqual’s Cookbook (a restaurant in Santa Fe), which Stephen got from his brief time cooking in a Mexican restaurant in Canterbury. They used pecan nuts, which Stephen changed to walnuts, and the blue cheese became Roquefort.

Serves: 4 people

Ingredients:

• 50 ml (25 fl oz/3 cups) red wine

• 2 tablespoons caster (superfine) sugar

• 1 cinnamon stick

• 1 star anise

• 3 cloves

• Pinch of chilli (hot pepper) flakes

• 4 Conference or Bosc pears, peeled

• 1 tablespoon neutral oil

• 2 teaspoons coffee liqueur (Tia Maria or Kahlúa)

• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika

• 1 teaspoon icing (powdered) sugar

• Small handful of walnut halves

• 1 romaine lettuce

• 200 g (7 oz) Roquefort
• Pinch of Maldon Sea Salt flakes
• Freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1. First, poach the pears. Put the wine, sugar, cinnamon stick, star anise, cloves and chilli flakes into a saucepan and add the pears. Ensure the pears are totally submerged in the wine by placing a circle of baking parchment on top and then weighing them down with a plate. Poach gently over a low heat for about 30 minutes, or until the pears are soft – check them with a sharp knife.
2. Once cooked, remove the pan from the heat and allow the pears to cool in the poaching liquid, then strain the poaching liquid into a clean saucepan. Boil the poaching liquid to reduce it until it is the consistency of a syrup. This will make about 200 ml (7 fl oz/scant 1 cup) syrup.
3. Next, make the walnuts. Preheat the oven to 180°C fan (400°F).
4. Put the oil, coffee liqueur, paprika and icing sugar into a bowl and mix together. Add the walnuts and toss to coat, then spread the nuts onto a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 30 minutes. Check and stir them regularly so they don’t burn. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.
5. Slice the cooled pears lengthways on a mandoline.
6. Put the large lettuce leaves on each plate, then toss the leaves with a mixture of the pears, walnuts and Roquefort. Drizzle the poaching syrup around the salad, then sprinkle the salad with a pinch of Maldon Sea Salt and a twist of black pepper.

Where to Buy The Sportsman at Home

You can buy The Sportsman at Home here, and start being creating with food and flavours in the comfort of your kitchen.

Make sure you have your Maldon Salt ready for these recipes! If you are running out, please feel free to browse on our Where to Buy Page to find your nearest store in which stocks our beloved Maldon Salt.

Lastly, we LOVE seeing your creations – please tag us on Instagram using the #maldonsalt so we can share your own take on Stephen recipes!

Create a show-stopping classic beef Wellington with this simplified, step-by-step recipe, which serves up to 8 people. This easy beef Wellington features a beautifully seared beef fillet, which is brushed with Dijon mustard. wrapped in a rich mushroom duxelles made from chestnut mushrooms, layered with Parma ham (or prosciutto), then enclosed in all-butter pastry for a golden, flaky pastry finish. Careful chilling and resting of the beef Wellington ensures a medium-rare, perfectly pink centre on the beef.

Seasoned with Maldon Original Sea Salt and cracked black pepper, the beef Wellington with puff pastry pairs beautifully with creamy mashed potatoes, seasonal vegetable likes roasted carrots, and a rich red wine jus. This dish is ideal for any special occasion centrepiece; as a Easter alternative to lamb to a table show-stopper at Christmas time.

How to Make a Beef Wellington

Crafting a show-stopping beef Wellington by searing a tender beef fillet, wrapping it in mushroom duxelles and Parma ham, and baking it in golden, flaky puff pastry until perfectly pink at the centre.

Step 1 – Bring the Beef to Room Temperature

• Remove the beef fillet from the fridge 1 hour before cooking so that the meat reached room temperature. This helps the meat cook more evenly, ensuring you achieve that signature pink centre without overcooking the outer layers.

Step 2 – Make the Mushroom Duxelles

• Add unsalted butter and 1 tbsp olive oil to a large frying pan.
• Soften the finely diced onion gently until translucent, then add the crushed garlic.
• Pulse the chestnut mushrooms in a food processor until finely chopped, then cook them with the onions/garlic until all the liquid has evaporated (approx. 15 minutes). It is important to reduce the moisture from the mushroom duxelles because excess water can cause the pastry of the beef Wellington to become soggy.
• Stir through thyme leaves and chopped parsley in the last 5 minutes.
• Season with Maldon Original Sea Salt flakes and cracked black pepper, then cool completely, chilling in the fridge to firm up.

Step 3 – Sear the Beef Fillet

• Generously season the beef fillet all over with Maldon Original Sea Salt flakes and cracked black pepper.
• Heat a large frying pan over medium-high to high heat until very hot, then add 1 tbsp olive oil.
• Sear the beef on all sides until well caramelised – no longer than 2 minutes total so the centre stays very rare.
• Remove from the pan and rest for 30 minutes to cool slightly.

Step 4 – Wrap the Beef in Parma Ham and Duxelles

• Lay out overlapping layers of clingfilm on a clean surface.
• Arrange the Parma ham slices in an even layer that will fully wrap the beef.
• Spread the chilled mushroom duxelles evenly over the Parma ham.
• Brush the rested beef with Dijon mustard, place it on one edge, then use the clingfilm to roll everything up tightly into a firm “sausage” shape.
• Twist the ends to secure and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour (or overnight).

Step 5 – Encase in Puff Patry

• Unroll the puff pastry on its parchment paper.
• Remove the clingfilm from the beef log and place it in the centre of the pastry.
• Wrap the pastry around the beef, sealing the edges well and ensuring the seam is on the underside.
• Use beaten egg to brush and seal the pastry.
• If needed, trim and use extra pastry to patch any gaps and decorate (e.g. thin strips for a lattice).
• Transfer to a baking tray lined with baking paper and chill for a further hour to firm up.

Step 6 – Bake the Beef Wellington

• Preheat the oven to 200°C (fan if appropriate – specify if recipe assumes fan or conventional).
• Brush the Wellington all over with beaten egg for a glossy finish.
• Bake for around 35 minutes, or until the pastry is deep golden brown.
• You can mention indicative doneness (e.g. for medium-rare fillet, the centre should still feel slightly springy; optional note on using a thermometer if desired).
• Remove from the oven and rest for 20 minutes before slicing.

Step 7 – Finish and Serve

• Just before serving, sprinkle the pastry with Maldon Sea Salt flakes and a few extra thyme leaves. Seasoning your Wellington with Maldon Sea Salt flakes enhances flavour and texture by delivering clean, bright saltiness that lifts the beef, duxelles, and pastry while adding a delicate, crunchy finish.
• Slice into 1-inch pieces with a sharp knife.

To Serve

A beef Wellington is ideal for Christmas, New Year’s, or any special occasion because it feels truly celebratory. It’s luxurious yet comforting, feeds a crowd with ease, and can be prepped ahead of time, making it perfect for busy kitchens. It’s classic flavour pair effortlessly with seasonal sides likes roasted carrots and red wine jus, making it just as fitting as a show-stopping alternative to lamb on Easter.

Here are a few sides that you can pair your beef Wellington:

• Creamy mashed potatoes or crispy fondant potatoes
• Seasonal greens and roasted carrots
• Beef and red wine jus
• Dijon mustard or horseradish

Tips for the Perfect Beef Wellington

• Bring the beef fillet to room temperature for even cooking and a perfectly pink centre.
• Sear the beef until golden to lock in flavour and prevent excess moisture.
• Cook the mushroom duxelles thoroughly to remove moisture and avoid soggy pastry.
• Wrap tightly with Parma ham (or prosciutto) to create a moisture barrier for the beef and mushroom duxelles.
• Chill the beef Wellington before baking to help and pastry hold it’s shape.
• Use all-butter puff pastry for the best golden, flaky finish.
• Season generously with Maldon Sea Salt and cracked black pepper for an elevated flavour.
• Rest the beef Wellington before slicing to keep the layers intact.

Doneness, Make-Ahead & Reheating Notes

How do I know when the beef will be done in a beef Wellington

• Medium-rare is the classic level of doneness for beef Wellington. After 35 minutes at 200°C and resting, the 1lg fillet should be cooked and have a warm, perfectly pink centre with a tender texture.

Can I prepare beef Wellington in advance?

• Yes, you can absolutely prepare beef Wellington in advance. You can assemble the Wellington (beef, mushroom duxelles, Parma ham, pastry), then wrap tightly in clingfilm and chill for up to 25 hours before baking.
• Chilling helps the pastry stay crisp and golden and improves overall shape.
• Brush with egg wash just before baking for the best finish.

Can I reheat beef Wellington?

• Yes, you can reheat beef Wellington. Leftover slices can be reheated gently in the oven at 160°C (320°F) for 12-15 minutes until warmed. Make sure you use a wire rack to keep the pastry crisp.
• You can also reheat in an air fryer. Set the air fryer to 150°C (300°F) and heat to 10-12 minutes, flipping halfway through for even cooking.
• Avoid reheating in the microwave – it will make the pastry soggy and tough.
• Please note – the beef will now stay medium-rare after reheating; it will cook further, but the flavour will remain delicious.

There are few desserts as universally loved and visually impressive as a molten chocolate fondant. Slicing through the delicate, baked sponge exterior to reveal a rich, flowing river of warm chocolate is the ultimate dinner party party trick. While they have a reputation for being difficult to master, this dark chocolate fondant recipe is surprisingly simple, requiring just 15 minutes of prep time. To cut through the richness of the dark chocolate and elevate the dessert to restaurant quality, we fold a generous pinch of Maldon Original Sea Salt flakes directly into the batter and finish the plated pudding with a final salty sprinkle.

Why You’ll Love This Dark Chocolate Fondant

• The Perfect Molten Centre: Our precise baking time and temperature ensure that the outside sets into a light sponge while the inside remains delightfully gooey and liquid.
• Sweet & Salty Balance: Dark chocolate and sea salt are a match made in heaven. The clean, bright salinity of Maldon Salt perfectly counteracts the bitterness of the cocoa and enhances the deep chocolate flavor.
• Quick & Impressive: Despite looking incredibly complex, this molten chocolate fondant recipe comes together in under 30 minutes from start to finish.

How to Make Molten Chocolate Fondants (Step-by-Step)

Step 1 – Preheat and prepare

• Preheat your oven to 200°C and place an empty baking tray onto the middle shelf to heat up. Take 2 ramekins (or dariole moulds) and grease the insides thoroughly with butter. Add the cocoa powder to one mould and tap it around to completely coat the buttery sides. Tip the excess cocoa powder into the second mould and repeat the process. Tip out any final excess cocoa powder, then set the prepared moulds aside.

Step 2 – Melt the chocolate

• Place the unsalted butter and broken dark chocolate pieces into a heatproof bowl. Set the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water (a bain-marie), ensuring the base of the bowl does not touch the water. Stir continuously until the butter and chocolate have melted together into a smooth, glossy liquid. Remove the bowl from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.

Step 3 – Whisk the eggs

• In a separate large bowl, add the whole egg, the 2 egg yolks, the caster sugar, and a generous pinch of Maldon Original Sea Salt flakes. Whisk the mixture vigorously until it becomes pale, thick, and fluffy.

Step 4 – Fold the batter

•  Pour the cooled, melted chocolate mixture into the fluffy egg mixture. Sift in the plain flour, then use a spatula to carefully fold everything together until just combined, ensuring you don’t knock the air out of the eggs.

Step 5 – Bake the fondants

• Pour the fondant dark chocolate batter evenly into the prepared moulds, making sure to leave a 2cm gap at the top so they have room to rise. Carefully place the moulds onto the preheated tray in the oven and bake for exactly 10 minutes, until the tops have formed a crust and the edges are set.

Step 6 – Invest and serve

• Remove the fondants from the oven and allow them to rest in their moulds for 30 seconds. Place a small dessert plate upside down on top of a mould, quickly flip it over, and carefully pull the mould away to invert the fondant. Serve immediately with a dusting of extra cocoa powder, a final sprinkle of Maldon Original Sea Salt flakes, and a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Tips for the Perfect Gooey Centre

• Do Not Skip the Cocoa Dusting: Greasing your moulds with butter and dusting them with cocoa powder is the secret to ensuring your fondants easily slip out of their ramekins without tearing and spilling their liquid centers.
• Watch the Clock: Timing is everything with a molten chocolate fondant. Ovens vary, but 10 minutes at 200°C is usually the sweet spot. If you leave them in too long, they will bake all the way through and become standard chocolate cakes.

• Use Quality Chocolate: Because chocolate is the star of the show here, ensure you are using a high-quality dark chocolate (ideally 70% cocoa solids or higher) for the richest, most decadent flavour.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I prepare chocolate fondants in advance?

• Yes, this is a fantastic make-ahead dessert! You can prepare the batter, pour it into the greased and dusted moulds, and keep them in the fridge for up to 24 hours. When you are ready for dessert, simply bake them straight from the fridge (you may need to add 1-2 extra minutes to the baking time since the batter is chilled).

Why didn’t my fondant melt in the middle?

• If your chocolate fondant is cooked solidly all the way through, it was left in the oven for too long. Fondants continue to cook slightly from residual heat once removed from the oven, so it’s vital to pull them out as soon as the outer edges look set but the very centre still has a slight jiggle to it.

Why add sea salt to a chocolate dessert?

• Salt is a natural flavour enhancer. Adding a pinch of Maldon Original Sea Salt to a rich chocolate dessert like this does not make it taste “salty.” Instead, the salt counteracts the bitterness of the cocoa, balances out the sugar, and makes the dark chocolate taste even more intense and complex.