How do you use spicy strawberry topping on the barbecue?

Brush it on in the last ten minutes of cooking and no earlier, because the sugar burns if it goes on at the start. It works on ribs, chicken thighs, wings, pork belly, salmon, thick cut halloumi and corn on the cob. Warm it with a splash of vinegar if it is too thick to brush. For a dipping sauce, stir four tablespoons with one tablespoon of vinegar, one tablespoon of water and a teaspoon of Dijon mustard, cold.

What cheese goes with a spicy strawberry topping?

Brie, camembert and fresh goat cheese are the natural partners, because the fat softens the heat. Aged gouda and manchego also hold their own. For baked brie, score the top, spoon two tablespoons over and bake for twelve to fifteen minutes at 180C, in the wooden box or a small dish so it does not run out.

What wine goes with a spicy strawberry topping?

An off dry Riesling is the best match, because a little residual sugar meets the fruit and the acidity resets the palate. Dry Provence rose suits a summer cheese board, Gamay works with meat off the grill, and Cava or dry Prosecco suits crostini. Avoid heavy oak and high alcohol, because both amplify heat rather than softening it.

How far does a jar go?

As much as you like. A 200 g jar holds about thirteen tablespoons, which is four cheese boards, or a night at the grill and a week of breakfasts.

How hot is Berry Hot?

Medium. The strawberry lands first and a clean jalapeno warmth arrives behind it, stays briefly, then leaves. It does not build across a meal.

How should it be stored?

Unopened, keep it in a cool dry cupboard. Shelf life is 24 months. Once opened, keep it refrigerated.

How to Use

The last ten minutes

Sticky ribs, finished late

Serves 4 · 3 hours, the last ten at the fire

Sticky ribs, finished late

You need

2 racks of pork ribs, about 1.2 kg each
4 tbsp Berry Hot
1 tbsp cider vinegar
Flaked salt

Method

Season the racks, cover them, and cook low until the meat gives at the bone, about 3 hours at 150°C.
Warm the Berry Hot with the vinegar in a small pan for a minute, until it is loose enough to brush.
Over medium heat, away from direct flame, brush a thin coat over the ribs.
Four minutes, brush again. Four minutes, brush a third time.
Rest five minutes, cut between the bones, finish with flaked salt.

The one everyone asks for

Baked brie, whole

Serves 4, or 6 alongside a board · 20 min

Baked brie, whole

You need

1 whole brie or camembert, about 250 g, in its wooden box if it came in one
2 tbsp Berry Hot
A few thyme sprigs
Crackers or torn bread

Method

Heat the oven to 180°C.
Lid off the box, cheese back inside it, box on a tray. Without a box, use a small dish that just fits the cheese.
Score the top of the cheese in a shallow criss cross.
Spoon the Berry Hot over and tuck the thyme in.
Bake 12 to 15 minutes, until it gives under a spoon.
Stand two minutes, then serve while it slumps.

Meat free

Halloumi and pepper skewers

Serves 4 · 25 min

Halloumi and pepper skewers

You need

500 g halloumi, thick cubes
2 red peppers, in squares
1 red onion, in wedges
Olive oil
3 tbsp Berry Hot
A handful of mint
Metal skewers, or wooden ones soaked twenty minutes

Method

Pepper and onion onto their own skewers, halloumi onto others. They cook at different speeds.
Brush everything with oil. Vegetables on first, 10 to 12 minutes, turning, until blistered and soft at the edge.
Halloumi next, 2 to 3 minutes a side, until marked and still springy. Longer and it squeaks.
Off the heat, spoon the Berry Hot over while everything is hot, so it loosens and runs.
Tear the mint over the top.

Sunday, and a spoon on the side

Roast pork loin with crackling

Serves 6 · 1 hour 45, plus drying

Roast pork loin with crackling

You need

1.5 kg pork loin, skin scored
1 tbsp fine salt for the skin, plus salt for the meat
1 tsp fennel seed, crushed
2 onions, thickly sliced
200 ml dry cider
Berry Hot, to serve

Method

Dry the skin well, rub the fine salt and fennel into it, and leave uncovered in the fridge for an hour, or overnight if there is time. Season the meat itself before it goes in.
Sit the loin on a rack in a dry tin. Roast at 240°C for 25 minutes, until the skin blisters.
Drop to 170°C. Scatter the onions under the rack and pour the cider around them, clear of the skin. Roast until the centre reads 63°C, 40 to 55 minutes more.
Rest 15 minutes. Carve, spoon the pan onions over.

No cooking

Cold dipping sauce

Makes about 100 ml · 5 min

Cold dipping sauce

You need

4 tbsp Berry Hot
1 tbsp cider or white wine vinegar
1 tbsp water
1 tsp Dijon mustard
A pinch of salt

Method

Stir the vinegar and water in until the topping slackens and coats a spoon rather than sitting on it.
Mustard and salt in.
Taste. More vinegar to cut it, more Berry Hot for body.

The side dish

Grilled corn, lime and salt

Serves 4 · 15 min

Grilled corn, lime and salt

You need

4 corn cobs, husked
40 g butter, softened
3 tbsp Berry Hot
1 lime
Flaked salt

Method

Boil the cobs for five minutes, drain and pat dry.
Grill over a medium fire, turning, 5 to 6 minutes, until charred in patches.
Butter them straight off the heat.
Spoon the Berry Hot along each cob and roll it so it spreads.
Squeeze lime over, salt well, serve at once.

Party food

Goat cheese crostini

Makes 12 · 12 min

Goat cheese crostini

You need

1 baguette, 12 slices on the diagonal
Olive oil
200 g soft goat cheese
2 tbsp Berry Hot
Thyme leaves, black pepper

Method

Brush both sides with oil and toast in a dry pan over medium heat, two minutes a side, until pale gold.
Spread the goat cheese thickly while the toast is warm.
Half a teaspoon of Berry Hot on each.
Thyme, a grind of pepper, serve straight away.

Charred, then spooned

Chicken thighs over coals

Serves 4 · 35 min, plus salting

Chicken thighs over coals

You need

8 chicken thighs, bone in, skin on
3 tbsp Berry Hot
1 tbsp olive oil
1 lime, halved
Salt, coriander to finish

Method

Salt the thighs well and leave them uncovered in the fridge for at least an hour. Skin wants dry air, not fifteen minutes on the counter.
Oil the skin. Grill skin side down over medium coals, away from the hottest part, ten minutes, until dark and crisp.
Turn and cook 12 to 15 minutes more, until the thickest part reads 75°C at the bone.
Move off the direct heat, spoon the Berry Hot over and let it warm through for a minute, no longer.
Rest five minutes. Squeeze the lime over and scatter coriander.

For six people

Building the board

Serves 6 · 15 min

Building the board

Three cheeses, about 600 g

Soft, 250 g: brie, camembert or fresh goat cheese
Aged, 250 g: gouda, manchego or farmhouse cheddar
Blue, 100 g, if you like it, for the salt

Around them

150 g cured meat: prosciutto, fennel salami, coppa
Plain crackers and a sliced baguette, nothing flavoured
Cornichons or olives, for the sharp note
A handful of walnuts or almonds
3 tbsp Berry Hot in its own small dish with a spoon, by the soft cheese

Weeknight, fifteen minutes

Pan roasted salmon

Serves 2 · 15 min

Pan roasted salmon

You need

2 salmon fillets, skin on, about 150 g each
2 tsp Berry Hot
1 tsp soy sauce
Neutral oil, salt
Spring onion, sliced thin

Method

Salt the skin and press the fillets skin down into a hot oiled pan. Five minutes, without moving them.
Turn, one minute more, to 50°C at the thickest part for medium.
Lift onto plates, skin down.
Stir the Berry Hot with the soy and spoon it over the flesh, never the skin.
Spring onion over the top.

Lunch, alone

Grilled cheese with aged gouda

Serves 1 · 10 min

Grilled cheese with aged gouda

You need

2 slices of good sourdough
50 g aged gouda, grated
30 g young gouda, grated
1 tsp Berry Hot
Butter

Method

Butter the outside of both slices.
Spread the Berry Hot thinly on the inside of the top slice only.
Both cheeses together on the bottom slice, close the sandwich.
Three minutes a side in a dry pan over medium low heat, pressed down, until deep gold.
Rest one minute before cutting, or the cheese runs.

Saturday morning

Fried eggs on sourdough

Serves 2 · 10 min

Fried eggs on sourdough

You need

4 eggs
2 thick slices of sourdough
Butter, olive oil
Salt, black pepper
Berry Hot, on the side

Method

Toast the bread and butter it while it is hot.
Fry the eggs in a shallow pool of regular olive oil over a high heat, spooning the oil over until the edges crisp. Keep the extra virgin for the plate, not the pan.
Eggs on the toast, salt and plenty of pepper.
A small spoon of Berry Hot beside them, not over them.

The vegetable that gets eaten first

Roast carrots, labneh, dukkah

Serves 4 · 45 min

Roast carrots, labneh, dukkah

You need

700 g carrots, halved lengthways, quartered if thick
2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp cumin seed
200 g labneh or thick yoghurt
2 tbsp dukkah
2 tbsp Berry Hot
Half a lemon

Method

Toss the carrots with oil, cumin and salt. Roast at 200°C for 35 to 40 minutes, until soft through and caught at the edges.
Spread the labneh across a wide plate.
Pile the carrots on while hot and squeeze the lemon over them.
Dot the Berry Hot around the edge, then dukkah over everything.

Twenty minutes

The Berry Hot cheeseburger

Serves 4 · 20 min

The Berry Hot cheeseburger

You need

600 g beef mince, 20 percent fat
4 slices aged cheddar
3 tbsp Berry Hot
4 brioche buns, split
Butter lettuce, red onion, salt

Method

Divide the mince into eight loose balls of about 75 g. Do not work it.
Toast the cut side of the buns in a dry pan, then set them aside.
Two balls at a time onto a very hot pan. Press hard and flat for ten seconds, salt, then leave two minutes for a proper crust.
Flip, cheddar on, cover for one minute. Repeat with the rest.
Build: lettuce, two patties, 2 tsp Berry Hot, onion, lid.

Ten minutes, one bowl

Whipped feta dip

Serves 6 · 10 min

Whipped feta dip

You need

200 g feta
100 g Greek yoghurt
1 tbsp olive oil, juice of half a lemon
2 tbsp Berry Hot
Warm flatbread

Method

Blitz the feta, yoghurt, oil and lemon until smooth and light.
Spread into a shallow bowl and make a well with the back of a spoon.
Spoon the Berry Hot into the well so it sits as a pool, not a swirl. Loosen it with a teaspoon of water if it holds its shape.
Serve with warm flatbread for scooping.

Before anyone is awake

Yoghurt, granola, a spoonful

Serves 1 · 3 min

Yoghurt, granola, a spoonful

You need

200 g thick Greek yoghurt
3 tbsp plain granola, nothing sweetened
1 tsp Berry Hot
A few fresh strawberries, if you have them

Method

Yoghurt into a bowl, granola over half of it.
One teaspoon of Berry Hot on the bare half.
Strawberries alongside. Stir as you go, not before.

Five minutes, no heat

Berry Hot vinaigrette

Makes about 140 ml · 5 min

Berry Hot vinaigrette

You need

2 tbsp Berry Hot
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
75 ml olive oil
Salt, black pepper

Method

Whisk the topping, vinegar and mustard in a bowl until smooth.
Add the oil in a thin stream, whisking, until it thickens and holds.
Season, and taste it on a leaf rather than off a spoon.

One board, fifteen minutes

Whipped ricotta, prosciutto and flatbread

Serves 2 · 15 min

Whipped ricotta, prosciutto and flatbread

You need

1 flatbread or thin pizza base
200 g whipped ricotta, or torn mozzarella
80 g prosciutto
2 handfuls rocket
2 to 3 tbsp Berry Hot
Olive oil
Black pepper
Lemon zest, optional

Method

Heat the flatbread until it is crisp and the edges have caught.
Spread the ricotta over while the bread is still warm.
Tear the prosciutto over the top, then scatter the rocket.
Spoon the Berry Hot over in small pools rather than covering the surface.
Finish with olive oil, plenty of black pepper and a little lemon zest.

For the grill

Berry Hot chimichurri

Makes about 120 ml · 5 min, plus 15 standing

Berry Hot chimichurri

You need

2 tbsp Berry Hot
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
1 tbsp coriander, finely chopped
1 small garlic clove, finely grated
Black pepper
Salt

Method

Chop the parsley and coriander fine, grate the garlic, put all three in a small bowl.
Stir in the Berry Hot, the vinegar and the oil.
Season with black pepper and a little salt.
Leave it fifteen minutes before it goes to the table.

Ready in five minutes

The present that gets used

5 min

The present that gets used

You need

1 jar of Berry Hot
A wedge of brie or a small camembert
Plain water crackers or oatcakes
A linen cloth or shallow kraft box, and ribbon

Method

Jar in the centre, cheese and crackers either side.
Gather the cloth up and tie, or nest everything in tissue in the box.
Write the baked brie recipe on the card.

Three minutes

Berry Hot sour

Makes 1 · 3 min

Berry Hot sour

You need

50 ml gin, or mezcal
25 ml fresh lime juice
3 tsp Berry Hot, or 4 for a rounder drink
Plenty of ice

Method

Stir the Berry Hot into the lime juice first, until it slackens and no lumps are left. Shaking alone will not break it up.
Gin in, ice in, shake hard for twelve seconds.
Double strain into a chilled coupe.
Lime twist over the top.

Four pairings

What to pour alongside

Wine notes

What to pour alongside

Pour

Off dry Riesling
Dry Provence rosé
Gamay, or a lighter Grenache
Cava or dry Prosecco

Why

Riesling is the best match. A little residual sugar meets the fruit and the acidity resets the palate.
Rosé for the board in summer. Dry enough to keep the topping from reading as dessert.
Gamay when there is meat off the grill. Bright fruit, soft tannin and modest alcohol sit beside the jalapeño rather than sharpening it. A Grenache works too, as long as it is one of the lighter ones.
Cava with the crostini, before anyone sits down.

Before you post it

Sending it on

Notes

Sending it on

Keeping

Unopened it keeps in a cupboard for up to 24 months, so it can sit under a tree for weeks.
Once opened it wants the fridge, which is worth writing on the card.

Shipping

Glass travels best upright and padded. Post early in the week.
Berry Hot ships across the EU. Free delivery in the Netherlands from €60.
Send it to the recipient's address at checkout and it arrives without an invoice in the box.

Country/Region

Country/Region

Berry Hot recipes

Sticky ribs, finished late

Sticky ribs, finished late

Baked brie, whole

Baked brie, whole

Halloumi and pepper skewers

Halloumi and pepper skewers

Roast pork loin with crackling

Roast pork loin with crackling

Cold dipping sauce

Cold dipping sauce

Grilled corn, lime and salt

Grilled corn, lime and salt

Goat cheese crostini

Goat cheese crostini

Chicken thighs over coals

Chicken thighs over coals

Building the board

Building the board

Pan roasted salmon

Pan roasted salmon

Grilled cheese with aged gouda

Grilled cheese with aged gouda

Fried eggs on sourdough

Fried eggs on sourdough

Roast carrots, labneh, dukkah

Roast carrots, labneh, dukkah

The Berry Hot cheeseburger

The Berry Hot cheeseburger

Whipped feta dip

Whipped feta dip

Yoghurt, granola, a spoonful

Yoghurt, granola, a spoonful

Berry Hot vinaigrette

Berry Hot vinaigrette

Whipped ricotta, prosciutto and flatbread

Whipped ricotta, prosciutto and flatbread

Berry Hot chimichurri

Berry Hot chimichurri

The present that gets used

The present that gets used

Berry Hot sour

Berry Hot sour

What to pour alongside

What to pour alongside

Sending it on

Sending it on