Dietary: Vegetarian

  1. Using a small knife, prick the chilli peppers all over so they will absorb the liquid marinade.
  2. Place the chillies in a 1 litre preserving jar, packing them down lightly.
  3. Mix the remaining ingredients in a jug, then pour the liquid over the chillies.
  4. Seal the jar and store it in a dark place for up to one month, by which time the chillies will have softened and become pickled in flavour!

The classic margarita is part of the ‘sour’ cocktail family, traditionally consisting of tequila, triple sec orange liqueur and lime juice.

There are many debates as to who created the iconic margarita, one of them being of legendary bartender Pancho Morales. Pancho was working at Tommy’s Place in Juarez, Mexico in 1942 when a woman requested a ‘magnolia’. Apparently, Pancho did not remember the ingredients for this drink, so instead combined a few ingredients together and named it after another flower instead, a daisy which is called ‘margarita’ in Spanish!

Today, the margarita cocktail is reportedly consumed by Americans 185,000 per hour, being the most popular cocktail in the United States. The reason for it’s popularity is due to the drink containing all five main tasting elements: sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami, causing is to be a perfectly balanced drink. It also holds a fresh kick of citrus from the lime juice and triple sec, which is an orange-flavoured liqueur.

Using Maldon Salt for the rim is a vital step for serving a classic margarita. The salt helps mellow the bitter flavours, and enhances the sweet, citrus notes from the triple sec instead. Causing the sourness of the drink to appear more brighter in flavour, it allows the cocktail to become more pleasurable. It also adds texture to the drink from the flaky sea salt, allowing you to experience a subtle, satisfying crunch as you take your first sip.

Here is how to make our Classic Salted Margarita recipe…

  1. Place a generous pinch of Maldon Salt onto a small plate. Set aside.
  2. Run a lime wedge around the outer rims of a rock glass and dip the rims into the Maldon Salt. Set aside.
  3. In a cocktail shaker, combine the tequila, Cointreau triple sec, and lime juice. Fill with ice and shake until thoroughly chilled, roughly 15 seconds. You will know when it has chilled because the bottom of the metal shaker should begin to frost over).
  4. Fill the glass with fresh ice. Begin straining the margarita mix into the glass.
  5. Garnish with a lime wedge and serve.

What alcohol is in a margarita?

The main alcohol in a margarita is tequila. This is then combined with lime juice and orange liqueur. We recommend using El Tequileño Blanco as your choice of tequila for this recipe, as it’s made with agaves from the Highlands of Jalisco, resulting in a slightly sweeter taste that pairs beautifully well with the lime juice and triple sec.

How to make this virgin / alcohol-free?

A virgin margarita is commonly made with lime juice, agave, orange juice and sparkling water or tonic water for bubbles. The combination of ingredients makes a well-balanced and sweet mocktail from the classic, allowing you to enjoy the flavours of a margarita but without the alcohol part!

What to serve with margarita cocktails?

It makes sense to serve delicious, Mexican-style dishes with a margarita cocktail! Our tacos are filled with deliciously tender pulled pork with fiery, zesty notes that pair perfect with the margarita’s citrus flavours.

Because margarita’s have a zesty, limey flavour, we also recommend dishes such as seafood to enhance this further. Try our deliciously tender grilled tuna steak with tomato and Salsa Verde to give a refreshing burst of flavour with a gentle kick of spice.

How to create:

  1. Place the rosemary in a bowl and cover with 6 tbsp of the olive oil.
  2. Add the flour, fast action yeast, Maldon salt and remaining olive oil into a bowl, add 175 ml water and mix it until sticky.
  3. Knead the sticky dough on a lightly oiled surface for around 10 minutes until it turns smooth.
  4. Cover and leave for an hour until it has risen to double its size.
  5. Prepare a baking tray with parchment paper, knead out the dough to whichever shape you like and leave to rise for a further 30 minutes.
  6. Heat the oven to 200c, make holes using your finger and spread over the rosemary and olive oil mixture.
  7. Add an extra pinch of Maldon salt and cook for 20 minutes.

Being a vegetarian during the winter season’s can be hard when you are constantly being surrounded by meat ‘heavy’ dishes. Here we’ve created the classic British wellington with a twist! You’ve heard of a mushroom wellington, but have you filled with the wholesome butternut squash as well? This wellington holds an abundance of delicious flavours whilst also bringing the vibrant, bold colour of the squash to really ‘wow’ your guests. All wrapped up in a buttery, flaky puff pastry this is a recipe that not only delivers in flavour, but is easy to create!

Wondering what you can add as a side to this dish? As a wellington is a quite a heavy dish in general, we recommend ‘lighter’ vegetables, including our delicious Honey Roasted Parsnips.

Now, there’s always room for pudding! Why not try our simple yet decadent Chocolate Cake, sprinkled with a pinch of Maldon Salt to enhance the sweetness of the dessert. Missing a pack? Head over to our Where to Buy page to find out where you can purchase our salt.

  1. Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan) mark 6 and line a baking sheet with baking parchment. Peel the squash neck and slice evenly in half lengthways. Lay cut-side down on prepared sheet and brush with 1tbsp oil. Season and roast for 11⁄4-11⁄2hr, until tender. Set aside to cool.
  2. Meanwhile, make mushroom layer. Heat remaining 2tbsp olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat and cook shallots for 5min, until softened. Turn up heat to high and add mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 12-15min, until any liquid released by mushrooms has evaporated and they are golden brown. Add garlic, thyme a pinch of Maldon Salt and miso and cook for a further 2min. Remove from the heat.
  3. In a food processor or using a stick blender, blend cashews and stock until smooth. Stir this into mushroom mixture, check seasoning and set aside to cool.
  4. To assemble, line baking sheet with fresh baking parchment. Lightly flour a work surface and roll out 1⁄3 of the pastry to a 30.5 x 15cm (12 x 6in) rectangle. Spread over mushroom mixture, leaving a 1cm (1⁄2in) border around the edge. Lay on roasted butternut halves, making sure they join up neatly in the middle.
  5. Roll out remaining pastry as before until large enough to cover the assembled filling. Lay over the filling, trim edges and crimp to seal. Chill for 30min.
  6. Reheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan) mark 6. Brush Wellington with soya milk and cook for 50min–1hr, until golden brown and crisp. Leave to rest for 10min before transferring to a board or plate. Serve in slices.

Tag us in your creations #maldonsalt !

Celebrate Christmas with this festive fruit vodka cocktail. Using the flavours of grapefruit and blood orange, this drink has a delicious citrus twist which your guests will love and keeping going back for more!

We also add a salt rim to the cocktail using Maldon Sea Salt flakes! The reason we use a salt rim is to help counteract the slightly bitter notes from the grapefruit and blood orange, whilst elevating the natural sweetness of the red currants. The salt rim also gives texture to the cocktail, enhancing your experience as you take a sip. Head over to our Where to Buy page to find your nearest store to grab a pack now and have a go!

Ingredients for the Perfect Christmas Cocktail:

How to Make Your Christmas Cocktail

  1. Run the lime wedge around your cocktail glasses and dip into the Maldon Salt.
  2. Combine all the parts in a cocktail shaker with ice.
  3. Shake well and strain into your prepared glasses. Garnish with the frozen berries and a sprig of rosemary.

Tips for Garnishing and Serving Your Christmas Cocktail

There is an art in knowing what type of garnishes to use for your cocktails and how to serve them. Doing these two things well will add a wonderful festive touch to your drinks, and impress your dinner guests!

  1. Use Seasonal Ingredients

We recommend incorporating fresh herbs like rosemary or thyme into your cocktail, as these flavours mimic the aromas of Christmas. They also resemble miniature Christmas trees, adding a playful twist to the drink! Include the sweetness of cranberries to add a pop of festive red to your cocktail. You can also add a slice of orange or lemon to bring a gentle, citrusy warmth to the drink.

2. Ice with a Twist

Instead of using classic ice cubes, why not try freezing cranberries, mint leaves or rosemary sprigs in the ice cubes for a decorative and functional garnish? You can also use larger ice moulds shaped like snowflakes, stars or Christmas trees to add that ‘wow’ factor!

3. Festive Glassware

Choose glasses with seasonal designs, or opt for a clear glass to showcase the colourful layers of cocktail and garnishes. You can also tie a small ribbon around the steam of the glass for extra charm. On the topic of tying ribbons around the stem of the glass, why not add a personal touch to your drink, by adding name tags to glasses using gift tags tied with twine? This will give a nice, personal feel to your cocktail, making it extra special to them.

4. Creative Stirrers and Picks

Swap your classic cocktail picks with a festive topper! Use skewer marshmallows, sugared cranberries or citrus peels to give a delightful Christmas look and feel. You could even use candy canes as stirrers and add a delicious peppermint kick to the drink.

These touches will ensure your Christmas cocktails look as amazing as they taste!

Why Maldon Salt is Perfect for Cocktails?

Maldon Salt is an excellent choice for cocktails due to it’s unique characteristics that elevate both flavour and presentation.

  1. Flaky Texture

Maldon Sea Salt has unique pyramid-shaped flakes that offers a saltiness with sweet precision, a fresh intensity and clean taste. It’s easy to handle and perfect for creating a visually appealing salted rim that gently dissolves as you sip. Unlike fine table salt, Maldon Salt offers a mild crunch without overwhelming the drink’s flavour profile.

2. Pure, Clean Taste

Maldon Salt has no additives. It has a clean, natural taste that compliments the ingredients in your cocktail. It’s flavour enhances the drink without the harshness of processed salts, making it ideal for delicate flavours.

3. Flavour Enhancer

4Maldon Salt amplifies the complexity of sweet and sour cocktail, creating a more dynamic flavour profile. It also boosts aromas and adds depth to cocktail, balancing the bitterness and enhancing aromas in sophisticated drinks like margaritas, Palomas, or smoky mezcal cocktails.

Pro Tip:

For best results, lightly wet the rim of your glass with citrus juice or water, before dipping into Maldon Salt for a even and clean application.

Whether you’re crafting a classic margarita or experimenting with a savoury cocktail, Maldon Salt brings an understated luxury that’s perfect for elevating your creations.

Easy Honey Roasted Carrots with Lemon and Salt

Transform your ordinary carrots with a beautiful lemon and honey glaze. When roasted, carrots give a delicious, sweet and earthy taste. When paired with lemon, it gives a sudden brightness, with a generous smothering of honey to enhance the sweetness of the vegetable.

This recipe pairs perfectly well with our Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder and Rolled Porchetta recipe. Add a generous pinch of Maldon Salt to enhance the flavour and draw out the bitterness.

  1. Preheat the oven to 200C / 220 F / Gas Mark 6.
  2. Peel and chop the tops and tails of the carrots. Make sure to remove any stems.
  3. Place carrots on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Add the olive oil and a generous pinch of Maldon Salt and pepper.
  4. Cook the carrots for 20 minutes, turning them halfway for an even roast.
  5. While the carrot are roasting, in a small bowl mix the lemon juice and honey.
  6. Once the carrots are roasted, take the carrots out of the oven and drizzle over the honey and lemon glaze.
  7. Add the sprigs of thyme to the carrots. Toss lightly and return to the oven for a further 10 minutes.

Vegetarian Meat Free Sausage Rolls

Deliciously wrapped in golden puff pastry, these vegetarian sausage rolls are perfect to make for a picnic amongst friends and family. If you make them into smaller sizes, you can share these out to your guests as canapes.

This recipe will show you just how quick and easy sausage rolls are to make in the comfort of your own home – with a prep time of only 10 minutes! Once you make a batch of these, you definitely realise the better quality in taste in comparison to your normal supermarket ones.

Why choose vegetarian sausage rolls?

Not only is the flavour just as good (or even better!), but meat-free sausage rolls actually contain significantly lower rates in saturated fat than of your standard, meat option. As a result, from choosing to go meat-free with this recipe, you are gaining the benefits of consuming a lower calorie snack whilst still reaping the awards a delicious flavour profile!

If you are interesting in baking more meat-free options, we do a mouth-wateringly good butternut and mushroom wellington to impress your dinner quests, ending with a glorious vegan sticky toffee pudding for afters.

How to make vegetarian sausage rolls?

  1. Preheat the oven to 180C / Gas Mark 4 / 160 fan °C / 356°F
  2. Cook the vegetarian sausages according to the package instructions and allow to cool fully before continuing.
  3. Unroll the sheet of pastry on a floured surface and line up the sausages on the sheet, 2 in a row.
  4. Carefully cut the pastry around the sausages with a knife and use the pastry to roll and enclose each one. Make sure to seal the edges with a fork.
  5. Brush a little beaten egg on each one to help seal the pastry together.
  6. Then place the sausage rolls onto a lined baking sheet and brush with the remaining beaten egg. This will achieve a gorgeous, golden glaze for when the sausage rolls are baked.
  7. Sprinkle over the black sesame seeds and a pinch of Maldon Salt.
  8. Bake in the oven for 20 – 25 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and puffed up.
  9. Serve whilst still warm.

How to create:

  1. Break the chocolate into pieces and place in a glass bowl over hot water until it has melted.
  2. Once the chocolate is completely melted add the almonds and Maldon Salt and mix well, pour the contents into a silicon mould and allow to cool.
  3. After 4 hours or so of setting it should be ready to eat!

How to create:

  1. Cut 185g unsalted butter into small cubes and tip into a bowl. Break 185g dark chocolate into small pieces and drop into the bowl.
  2. Fill a small saucepan about a quarter full with hot water, then sit the bowl on top so it rests on the rim of the pan, not touching the water. Put over a low heat until the butter and chocolate have melted, stirring occasionally to mix them.
  3. Remove the bowl from the pan. Leave the melted mixture to cool to room temperature.
  4. While you wait for the chocolate to cool, position a shelf in the middle of your oven and turn the oven on to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.
  5. Using a shallow 20cm square tin, cut out a square of non-stick baking parchment to line the base. Tip 85g plain flour and 40g cocoa powder into a sieve held over a medium bowl. Tap and shake the sieve so they run through together and you get rid of any lumps.
  6. Chop 50g white chocolate and 50g milk chocolate into chunks on a board.
  7. Break 3 large eggs into a large bowl and tip in 275g golden caster sugar. With an electric mixer on maximum speed, whisk the eggs and sugar. They will look thick and creamy, like a milk shake. This can take 3-8 minutes, depending on how powerful your mixer is. You’ll know it’s ready when the mixture becomes really pale and about double its original volume. Another check is to turn off the mixer, lift out the beaters and wiggle them from side to side. If the mixture that runs off the beaters leaves a trail on the surface of the mixture in the bowl for a second or two, you’re there.
  8. Pour the cooled chocolate mixture over the eggy mousse, then gently fold together with a rubber spatula. Plunge the spatula in at one side, take it underneath and bring it up the opposite side and in again at the middle. Continue going under and over in a figure of eight, moving the bowl round after each folding so you can get at it from all sides, until the two mixtures are one and the colour is a mottled dark brown. The idea is to marry them without knocking out the air, so be as gentle and slow as you like.
  9. Hold the sieve over the bowl of eggy chocolate mixture and resift the cocoa and flour mixture, shaking the sieve from side to side, to cover the top evenly.
  10. Gently fold in this powder using the same figure of eight action as before. The mixture will look dry and dusty at first, and a bit unpromising, but keep going very gently and patiently. Stop just before you feel you should, as you don’t want to overdo this mixing.
  11. Finally, stir in the white and milk chocolate chunks until they’re dotted throughout.
  12. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin, scraping every bit out of the bowl with the spatula. Gently ease the mixture into the corners of the tin and paddle the spatula from side to side across the top to level it. Sprinkle with Maldon Salt.
  13. Put in the oven and set your timer for 25 mins. When the buzzer goes, open the oven, pull the shelf out a bit and gently shake the tin. If the cake wobbles in the middle, it’s not quite done, so slide it back in and bake for another 5 minutes until the top has a shiny, papery crust and the sides are just beginning to come away from the tin. Take out of the oven.
  14. Leave the whole thing in the tin until completely cold, then lift out the cake with the foil. Cut into quarters, then cut each quarter into four squares.

Adam Byatt’s salted caramel custard tart recipe is luxurious and decadent in taste. The custard is beautifully smooth and melts in your mouth whilst the pastry is nice and crumbly.

For the pastry:

  1. Mix the flour and sugar in a bowl until evenly combined. Add the butter and run it in until the mix resembles breadcrumbs.
  2. Mix the egg and water in a jug until combined, pour into the dry ingredients in the bowl and knead gently to a smooth dough. Wrap in clingfilm and leave to rest in the fridge for an hour before using.

For the tart:

  1. Bring cream to the boil. In a separate bowl, combine egg yolks and 150g sugar.
  2. Pour the cream over eggs and sugar. Place 1 Litre of this mixture into bowl and add the Maldon Salt.
  3. In a separate pan, over a low heat, bring 280g sugar to a dark caramel. Once a dark caramel forms, slowly incorporate this into the custard mix in the bowl, whisking continually. Combine this with any remaining custard and pass through a fine sieve.
  4. Remove the skin and large bubbles off of the mixture and cover with cling film to contact. Leave standing for 5 minutes before removing the cling film, taking the small bubbles with it.
  5. Pour into two in 10 inch x 3 inch blind baked tart rings and bake at 130 C fan 2 for 40-50 minutes or until set.
  6. Leave to stand for an hour before slicing and enjoy with pouring cream.