Hawkshead Relish Review

I have thoroughly enjoyed carrying out this Hawkshead Relish Review. Using a trio of fantastic, handmade preserves as ingredients was a challenge and that is what I thrive on.

Traditionally I have used chutneys and Red Onion Marmalade as a condiment. Now I was tasked with incorporating three separate preserves in new recipes!

I was sent three different, savoury preserves by Hawkshead Relish.

• 2 Jars of Red Onion Marmalade – deliciously different to usual onion marmalades. Cooked with balsamic vinegar and added pine nuts, I adored both the flavour and texture of this marmalade. This is not a sticky sweet marmalade, it is packed with deep onion flavour, punctuated by occasional sweet sultanas and the nutty flavour of pine nuts. As an ingredient 10/10 as a condiment 10/10!
• I Jar of Windermere Pale Real Ale Jelly – gloriously pale gold, clear jelly. Sweet but not overwhelmingly so, as the ale taste really comes through and the slight bitterness tempers the jelly. A real surprise, as I’d not tried a jelly like this before. Made using ale made at the Hawkshead Brewery, light and fruity in flavour, it was a dream to use. As an ingredient 10/10 as a condiment 9/10 dropping a mark as I prefer a more textured accompaniment.
• 1 Jar of Hot Garlic Pickle – packed full of garlic cloves in a hot spicy sauce. Personally I would not eat this as a condiment, however, if you are a real garlic lover, then this is the perfect pickle for you. When used as an ingredient this pickle transforms into the most wonderful rich, hot, spicy, garlic flavour, that can be as intense as you want. An absolute dream to use as an ingredient 10/10 as a condiment 5/10.

My first venture was making this Feta Red Onion Marmalade Quiche. The different layers of flavour in the quiche are so exciting on the palette. Warmed, the Red Onion Marmalade flavour itself becomes more vibrant, contrasting beautifully with the mild, slightly salty feta cheese. This quiche has become a firm favourite in our house.

Red Onion Sausage Plait is so simple to make, yet the finished flavour will have your tastebuds singing. Can tastebuds sing 😉? It is so important to use good quality sausage meat, as the meaty flavours work so well with with the flavour and texture of this delicious Red Onion Marmalade.

These Roasted Ale Jelly Tomatoes are so simple and yet this has to be my favourite recipe, if forced to choose. Please don’t make me choose? 

To make: Roasted Ale Jelly Tomatoes

• Cut a dozen, or thereabouts, medium tomatoes in half. I used economy tomatoes from the supermarket.
• Place them on a baking tray cut side up.
• Spoon 1/2 a teaspoon of Pale Ale Jelly on top of each tomato.

• Drizzle over a little olive oil, sprinkle lightly with sea salt flakes (I use Maldon ) and freshly ground pepper.
• Place into a preheated oven at 180C/160C fan, gas mark 4 and bake for 1-1.5 hours until softened and slightly caramelised.
• When cooked remove from the oven and serve on a platter with some shredded basil leaves. Eat smeared on to some very fresh baguettes, or alongside quiche, sausage plait, chicken, fish.

Warning once you’ve made these Roasted Ale Jelly Tomatoes once you will find more and more reasons to make them. Such a simple recipe, yet it turns even underripe, flavourless tomatoes into a taste sensation. I cannot wait to try it on our home grown tomatoes later this year. A tasty side to many meals.

Another brilliant use for the Real Ale Jelly was adding a couple of spoonfuls to a beef cooked in ale casserole. Added right at the end, just before serving, the sweet, fresh flavour of the jelly lifted the casserole and balanced out any bitter notes from the cooked beer.

Finally to the Hot Garlic Pickle. To be truthful this pickle was indeed a pickle for me! I was stumped as to what I should make with it. The weather was very hot and whilst I knew the spicy garlic would be wonderful in soups, stews and curries, my heart simply wasn’t into cooking a large, hot meal. During the summer we practically live on salad.

Also, to be honest, the strong, pungent aroma of the pickle wasn’t inspiring me. Until one day. I had some pretty hot chilli’s and I figured I’d go with the hot, spicy, garlic flavour, rather than trying to tame it.

Thus, my Hot Spicy Garlic Cheese Straws were born. Whilst not overly  keen on the pickle as a condiment, used in these delicious cheese straws, alongside spicy Parmesan cheese and hot jalapeño peppers, the flavour shines. These are THE best cheese straws I have ever made and it is worth having a jar of this pickle on hand simply to make these!

Recipe: Hot Spicy Garlic Cheese Straws makes 16-18

500g Homemade Perfect Butter Shortcrust Pastry

1 Free Range Egg – beaten

3tsp Hot Garlic a Pickle from – Hawkshead Relish

75g Finely Grated Parmesan Cheese

1 Jalapeño Pepper – membrane and seeds removed and finely diced

Method: Preheat the oven to 220C/200C fan, gas mark 7

• Line a large baking tray with a silicone baking mat or baking parchment.
• Lightly dust a clean worktop with flour and place the pastry on top.
• Roll the pastry into a rectangular shape – roughly 35cm x 25cm (14″ x 10″).
• Ensure the pastry can move and is not stuck on to the worktop.
• Trim the edges with a knife and then brush egg over the surface of the pastry.
• Spoon 3 teaspoons of the Hot Garlic Pickle over the pastry and spread to create a thin layer.

• Sprinkle over the grated Parmesan cheese and finely chopped chilli.
• Fold the bottom half of the pastry over the top half. Gently run a rolling pin over the top to ensure both halves are pressed together.
• Cut just over 1cm (1/2″) strips using a sharp knife and make sure it cuts all the way through.
• Transfer the cheese straws to the lined baking tray.
• Place in the top of a preheated oven and bake for 20-30 minutes, until golden and crispy.

• Once the cheese straws are baked remove from the oven.
• Enjoy the inviting, warm garlic and cheese aroma!
• Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving immediately.

These Hot Spicy Garlic Cheese Straws are incredibly good served warm (my favourite) or cold. Perfect for sharing with friends over drinks, at parties, or snacking on whilst watching your favourite game, on the telly, with the family.

I really urge you to use the pastry recipe given. These cheese straws are somewhere between flaky and shortcrust pastry. This texture really adds to their flavour, however, if you aren’t keen on pastry making, I would use bought, all butter puff pastry as a substitute.

Carrying out the Hawkshead Relish Review has been a challenge, but a challenge I have enjoyed. Each product I reviewed imparted so much flavour when used as an ingredient, I will definitely be using more of their delicious chutneys, marmalades and jellies in future recipes.

I have also learnt not to judge an ingredient on first appearance. The Hot Garlic Pickle completely transformed once cooked and everyone agreed the cheese straws were the best they’d ever tasted. Layers of Red Onion Marmalade in the quiche created an amazing flavour sensation and lastly but by no mean least, the Pale Ale Jelly. Wow! The roasted tomatoes were incredibly good. Slow roasting and the addition of the jelly meant intense, but not overwhelming flavour.

If you have enjoyed my Hawkshead Relish Review you make like these recipes:

Easy Crusty Baguettes

Asparagus Prosciutto Ham Tart

Mini Sparkenhoe Red Leicester Tarts

Whatever you are making, baking and creating in your kitchens, I hope this post has inspired you to Embellish With Relish? A phrase used by Hawkshead Relish to inspire people to be more creative with their products.

Sammie xx

Hawkshead Relish provided me with the relishes listed for the purposes of this revie. All opinions, views, content, recipes and photography are my own. I was not paid to write this review post, please see my Disclosure Policy.