Flavour hacks.

Here’s our stab at a British version of the much loved mango chutney to serve with all manner of curries. It’s sweet and tangy, and particularly fantastic with our Venison Vindaloo.

So called because of the fantastically deep and complex flavour, and all the healthy fat from the seeds. Also known as “vegan parm”. It’s soon to become your favourite flavour hack.

This dressing packs a bold mustardy punch with a keen cyder vinegar tang and a little sweetness in the background. It’s equally delicious on grilled meats and hearty salads.

This dressing is flavour dynamite: sweet, tangy, fiery, glossy and delightful. You can’t find a dressing like it in the shops, and making it at home is a matter of a few minutes’ effort.

Here’s the second recipe in our #DressUpForSummer recipe collection, written for Suffolk friends, Aspall. It’s wonderfully textural - it’s part pesto in a way - and it’s packed with umami flavour. Vegcentric magic.

Throughout May we had the pleasure of guest writing a collection of Summer recipes for Aspall vinegar. As two girls who weave acid into almost every dish we create this was nothing short of a dream collaboration for us. And flying the flag for a favourite Suffolk brand..? We couldn’t say yes fast enough!

A long-life salad dressing is perhaps the most obvious ‘flavour hack’; the inefficiency of making a fresh vinaigrette each time is madness! This will fast become your very own ‘house dressing’.

Serving these dips side by side accentuates their utterly delicious sweet / salty dynamic. With sourdough crostini and soft goat’s cheese we cannot help ourselves. Perfect for ‘do-ahead’ hosting.

to top ANY pasta dish. No, seriously though, these breadcrumbs are perhaps the most powerful flavour bomb we know.

Acidity is absolutely key to seasoning a dish well, every bit as much as salt. The right balance of salt and acidity is what makes some dishes sing, and others taste a touch flat.

This is rich, tangy, complex and jammy. It’s thicker and smoother than other relishes and its flavour is even more concentrated.

It’s savoury and moreish, and adds a lovely layer of satiating, healthy fat to so many vegcentric meals. Everything feels more delicious and more substantial with tahini drizzled on top!

Dill pickles are what many of use will know of as gherkins - those crunchy, tangy pickles that are so good in sandwiches..! Gherkins preserved in vinegar have a really strong acidity, whereas these pickles have a more subtle, naturally complex tang.

Katy led on this recipe; she has travelled extensively throughout Thailand and cooked in many regions of the country including Chiang Mai where she learnt the principles of balancing a red Thai curry: spicy, salty, sour, and sweet. She’s a total aficionado on Thai cuisine and this paste is the real deal.

For many of us, Sauerkraut is the gateway drug... the ferment we learn and love first. It's the blank canvas on which we master the manipulation of salt, time & temperature, grow in confidence, and start to experiment with flavour.

Here’s another key flavour hack you need in your locker. Much like dukkah, these sweet and spicy seeds are instant injection of texture and flavour when sprinkled on top of so many curries, soups and salads. They are a winning sprinkle on hundreds of dishes.

Dukkah is miraculous. It’s an Egyptian condiment - a nut sprinkle-come-spice blend - which is fantastic with bread and olive oil, and a winning addition to so so many dishes adding both texture and flavour.

Sambal is an aromatic Indonesian chilli paste, which when batch-made and held in the fridge will serve you so well in the flavour hack department!