This month, we’re diving into Flavour Heroes by Gurdeep Loyal – a vibrant, genre-blurring collection of recipes that proves pantry staples are anything but basic. With clever, global twists and bold, satisfying ideas on every page, this book is a true celebration of home cooking at it’s most creative (and craveable!) Whether you’re a seasoned chef or an enthusiastic beginner, Gurdeep’s flavour-forward approach to cooking is a delicious invitation to transform everyday meals with a dash of something special.
At the heart of Flavour Heroes are 15 global pantry essentials – from punchy harissa and rich pecorino Romano to fiery ‘nduja and umami-packed miso – used in inspired and unexpected ways. Gurdeep’s recipes show just how versatile and liberating these ingredients can be, inviting you to bend the rules and unlock new flavour profiles, from comfort classics to modern showstoppers. This is everyday cooking, supercharged – and we can’t wait to dig in!
Gurdeep Loyal is an award-winning food and travel writer and culinary trends expert with over 18 years of industry experience at gourmet institutions including Harrod’s Food Halls, Marks & Spencer Food and Innocent Drinks. Adding to his accolades, Gurdeep was the winner of the Jane Grigson Trust Award for his debut cookbook, Mother Tongue, which explores his culinary upbringing, combing ‘authentic’ home-cooked Punjabi food with ‘inauthentic’ curry-house Tika Masalas, the western foodie cannon, and a wanderlust for travel in pursuit of flavour. You can find Gurdeep as a regular guest on the Olive Podcast, as well as being a monthly columnist for the Olive Magazine.
In Conversation with Gurdeep Loyal
Gurdeep, we are loving Flavour Heroes! The book is all about turbocharging everyday meals with pantry staples. What inspired you to focus on these 15 particular ingredients – what makes them true ‘heroes’ in your eyes?
With Flavour Heroes I wanted to shine a light on 15 pantry powerhouses that can dial up your home cooking at the simple twist of a lid. For me a ‘Flavour Hero’ is an ingredient that delivers big flavour for little effort – and that also has the ability to be adapted and remixed into thousands of different delicious directions. The book I hope will empower and liberate home cooks to reach for these heroes when they cook as freely as a painter might reach for colours in a painters palette. I also wanted to celebrate some exciting newer ingredients that people might be less familiar with – like Yuzu Kosho (a Japanese citrus-chilli paste) and Calabrian Chilli Paste. These are all ingredients that transformative superpowers to amplify your cooking every day.
What’s an example of a flavour combo in the book that surprises people – but totally works!
One of my favourite ingredients in the world is Mango Chutney! Lots of people only use it to dollop along side a curry, or in a festive sandwich, but it’s such a brilliant ingredient to cook with. It’s tropical, vinegary, complexly fruit and often layered with ginger, garlic and spices. The ‘Halloumi, Mango Chutney, Courgette and Tarragon Pizzettes’ are a very ‘me’ flavour combination – that shouldn’t work but really does. The saltiness of the halloumi, and sweetness of the mango chutney are a wonderful contrast, and the tarragon echoes the flavour of nigella seeds which are often in mango chutney. Combined, it’s delicious to eat! The most unusual combination in the book is the ‘Kopi-Sambal Salmon with Pistachio Dukkah’ – that combines fiery Sambal Olek with Instant Espresso Coffee Powder. Sounds strange, but it has to be tried. It’s sublime!
For someone who’s just getting started on their flavour journey, which three ingredients from your hero list should they try first?
A good harissa is a fantastic chilli paste to have in your pantry. It has a rich, intense, complex flavour that can liven up anything – from a humble bag of carrots to a fancy lobster salad. Miso is a true panty powerhouse, with it’s salty, umami, savouriness that can add delicious depth to anything from Bolognese to chocolate fudge cake (which I have a recipe for in the book). And I love Dark Maple Syrup – it has a lovely rich, amber toffee flavour, that adds something totally unique, in both sweet and savoury dishes.
With 90 delicious recipes to choose from – come on, you MUST have a favourite that you like to make?
The ‘Fennel Sausage, Gochujang and Vodka Pasta ‘recipe is one that I make the most – it’s a perfect mid-week meal, but also great to wow a crowd. The flavours just have this magical alchemy together. The Peanut-Butter Pie with Cinnamon Cereal Crust is the most decadent recipe in the book – a slightly obscene deep filled dessert that’s worth every calorie!
What does a normal day in the life look like for you, Gurdeep?
A combination of lots of eating, lots of emailing, and lots of procrastinating! As a food and travel writer I’m very luck that every day is different. I’m an early riser, so I try to get in a workout early if I can. Then I spend time researching and writing up anything I’m working on – like my monthly columns in Olive Magazine and Scribehound, or it could be a book I’m working on or a travel piece for a magazine. As a food trends specialist, I then try to get out and about in search of one or two brand new things in food every day – maybe a new restaurant, or a cool new brand, or an independent maker, or a craft bakery. Throughout my morning travels I’ll pick up ingredients that I need for the afternoon when I do my recipe testing in my tiny East London kitchen. And if I have the energy, I’ll see friends in the evening – taking them each a doggy bag each from my days cooking!
Name three things in the kitchen you can’t live without.
A microplane! I use it for everything, from nutmeg and garlic, to lemon zest and chocolate. A good sturdy pestle and mortar for spices – nothing beats the smell of gently toasted spices ground by hand (cardamon and cumin in particular, especially ground together). And smoked salt. I use it so often – it brings a wonderful smoky depth to dishes that I love.
Do you have a current favourite cookbook that you’re enjoying? We’d love to know!
Ferment by Kenji Moromoto. He is so inventive with his recipes, and a genius with home fermenting. The book has brilliant recipes in it – particularly the Kimchi Bhajis.
Mango Chicken Schnitzel with Lime-Leaf Smashed Peas Recipe
Schnitzels and mushy peas both have a nostalgic seventies Fanny Cradock-meets-Wimpy-diner charm that Gurdeep is always drawn to – crying out for the addition of pineapple rings to garnish, piped green mashed potato and silver jugs of parsley sauce on the side. Gurdeep’s flavour elevated take on these culinary relics uses mango chutney to add tropical pizzaz to the chicken, and lime leaves to bring Southeast Asian fragrance to the smashed peas. Arguably so retro it’s back, although in Gurdeep’s opinion, these two culinary superheroes will never be out of vogue.
Serves: 2
Ingredients:
- 5 Tbsp mango chutney, plus extra to serve
- 3 fat garlic cloves
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 500g (1lb 2oz) chicken breasts (2 large ones), boneless and skinless
- Cornflour (cornstarch), for dredging
- 1 large egg
- 60g (2¼oz) panko breadcrumbs
- 1 Tbsp nigella seeds
- 2 Tbsp sesame seeds
- Sunflower or vegetable oil, for frying
- Maldon Sea Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Lemon wedges, to serve
For the lime-leaf smashed peas:
- 400g (14oz) frozen peas
- 12–14 fresh makrut lime leaves
- 30 fresh mint leaves
- Zest and juice of 1 small lemon
- 20g (¾oz) butter
- Splash of olive oil, for frying
- 2 whole spring onions (scallions), finely chopped
Method:
- Put the mango chutney, garlic cloves, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, 1 teaspoon of Maldon Sea Salt and 1 teaspoon of black pepper in a small blender and whizz to a fine paste.
- Place one of the chicken breasts between two sheets of baking paper and use a rolling pin to gently flatten into a thin steak approximately3–4mm (1/8in) thick. Don’t bash hard or the meat will tear! Repeat with the other breast.
- Transfer them to a large bowl and smother both breasts all over with the mango marinade, then leave for at least 30 minutes. Prepare the smashed peas. Boil the peas in a pan of salted water for 3 minutes, then drain and set aside. Use a small blender to whizz together the lime leaves, mint, lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of zest to a very fine paste.
- Melt the butter in a pan with a splash of oil, then add the green paste, frying over a medium heat for 2 minutes. Next, add the spring onions, cook for another minute, then add the cooked peas, plus 1 teaspoon of salt. Cook for a final minute, then either smash chunkily with a potato masher, or use a hand blender to turn into a mushy pea purée. Keep warm.
- To coat the schnitzels, prepare three large bowls: one with cornflour, one with beaten egg, and one with a mix of breadcrumbs, nigella seeds and sesame seeds.
- Dredge one marinated chicken schnitzel in the cornflour, flipping it to coat all over. Leave for30 seconds, then dredge again so the surface is completely covered. Shake off the excess, then dip into the egg, and finally into the breadcrumbs,
coating liberally all over. Repeat with the second schnitzel. - Heat 2cm (¾in) of sunflower or vegetable oil in a deep frying pan to 165°C/329°F. Cook the schnitzels, one at a time, over a medium heat for 6–7 minutes – turning occasionally – until crunchy and golden brown on the outside and cooked through. Serve with the smashed peas, lemon wedge and extra mango chutney on the side.
Buy Flavour Heroes with Gurdeep Loyal
You can find where to purchase Gurdeep’s NEW cookbook here and start being creative 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 Gurdeep’s recipes!
