Mustard

Roberts Sauces – Chilli & Garlic Vinaigrette

by Hot Juan on December 9, 2011 · 0 comments

in Product Reviews,UK Wholesale Suppliers

Roberts Chilli Garlic Vinaigrette

Roberts Chilli Garlic Vinaigrette

Roberts Sauces is a local manufacturer of sauces, dressings, Mayonnaises and Vinaigrettes here in Somerset, strangely for such a business they have no web site!! We have purchased and used a number of their other products at home, the quality was excellent.

In the bottle the dressing has a tenancy to separate, so needs a good shake before use, it looks not unlike what I have made at home, and on opening it has a mild smell of the Sunflower Oil and Vinegar. The taste is delightful, using cider vinegar makes the dressing less harsh than when using a white vinegar, combine this with the honey and garlic the initial taste is sweet, then the mustard and a slight warmth from the chillies.

Ingredients: Sunflower Oil, Cider Vinegar, Mustard (Water, Mustard seeds, Vinegar, Salt, Sugar, Preservative: Sodiumbissulphite), Honey, Garlic (2%), Black Pepper, Chilli.

This is a nice quality product, from a regional manufacturer,  and at only £2.69 a bottle it offers excellent value, I have used it on some freshly cooked pasta as a pasta salad, but probably my favourite was mixing it in with some mashed potatoes.

Its is not hard to make salad dressing like this at home, and normally that is what I would do, but I have to say this one is as good if not better that most of my attempts, I especially like the touch of honey, must add that to my next home made version.

Using a clear overprinted label is a brave move, but this time it has worked out very well, unlike a resent product I photographed from Sainsburys, who colour selection for the print completely lost the plot.

Roberts Sauces
Unit 9, Barrowshill Farm, East Chinnock. BA22 9EY
Phone 01935 863663

Flavour
(7/10)
Heat
(1/10)
Packaging
(8/10)
Value
(7/10)
Overall
(7.5/10)

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Mr Vikki’s Hot Tamarind Chutney

by David Kelly on November 27, 2011 · 0 comments

in Product Reviews

Being a long time curry fan over the years I’ve become a lover of tamarind, a tart fruit used in Indian cuisine and other equatorial regions such as Latin American & Thailand. So it comes as no surprise then that I was very much looking forward to tasting this chutney from Mr Vikki’s.

Mr Vikki's Tamarind Chipotle

Mr Vikki's Tamarind Chipotle

For those not in the know, the tamarind tree produces (Arabic for ‘Indian date’) is long bean shaped fruit inside which is a sour pulp than can be processed to make a paste. Tamarind taste somewhat like a date (tamarind is actually Arabic for ‘Indian date’) but is much less sweet and more sour. The chances are that many Brits, be they a lover of Indian cuisine or not, have probably unbeknownst to them tried tamarind as it is a key ingredient in two great British sauces, namely HP & Worcestershire.

The labelling as with other Mr Vikki’s product is a minimalistic bright yellow label with the company name, product details & a 3 chilli rating. Mr Vikki’s use a heat rating system based on graphics of chillies on the front label to denote the heat level. Their current hottest product has a 8 chilli rating, so I wasn’t expecting this product to be about the heat.

With such a minimalist approach to labelling the contents of the jar can clearly been seen and the chutney has a deep brown treacle coloured interspersed with flecks of mustard seeds. Although not indicated in the labelling this chutney was a “2 star Great Taste Award Winner” back in 2010 so I was anticipating something special when I opened this jar and I wasn’t disappointed. Opening the jar releases a wonderful aroma – the combination of the smokiness of the chipotles with the underlying fruit tones of the tamarind & dates and traces of ginger, is a delight to smell.

Ingredients: Tamarind Pulp (40%), Dates, Sugar, Chipotle 15%, Fresh Ginger, Garlic, Vinegar, Mustard, Celery, Salt and Pepper.

The chutney’s rich brown colour comes from the tamarind pulp, and the natural stickiness of the pulp gives the chutney a thick jam like consistency. Tasting a generous spoonful of the chutney you get hit with the tartness of the tamarind, enhanced with the sweetness of the dates. Mustard seeds within the chutney add to the texture of the tamarind pulp. Underneath this initial hit, the flavour of the chipotles comes through leaving a pleasant lingering aftertaste. For me the heat wasn’t massive and more of a mild warmth but nonetheless it balances well with the other flavours present.

One of the serving suggestions on the jar is to serve it in a bacon sandwich, so I duly obliged and cooked some dry cured bacon, and placed between two slices of bread with a generous covering of the chutney therein. Biting into the sandwich did not disappoint and the taste was bliss! The natural saltiness of the bacon contrasts so well with the sweet/sourness of the chutney.

Although it’s a chutney and so easily works as a sandwich pickle I’d definitely use this to make a marinade or for basting on meats. The natural acidity of the tamarind pulp will help to tenderise any meat marinated in it. Whilst chicken goes good with tamarind, I think stronger flavoured meats such as pork or beef would work really well with this chutney. At only £3 from www.mrvikkis.co.uk I think the chutney is excellent value for money. Given that we’re entering the Christmas period I’d thoroughly recommend getting some of this chutney in time to accompany your Christmas cold meat cuts this year.

Flavour
(7/10)
Heat
(3/10)
Packaging
(5/10)
Value
(8/10)
Overall
(8/10)

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Hawaiian Passion Habanero Vinaigrette

by Martin 'Scooby' Arnold on October 9, 2011 · 0 comments

in Product Reviews

Hawaiian Passion Habanero Vinaigrette

Hawaiian Passion Habanero Vinaigrette

Can you believe it, 1st October and its just short of 30 degrees here in sunny Suffolk. Round the neighbours having banging bbq and couple of sneaky drinks, food is going down a treat. Plate is loaded with sausages, burgers and chicken, but wait, the salad is missing something, Vinaigrette!!!!!! Phew, Hot Juan left me one in my box of review samples, good man.

This vinaigrette, Hawaiian passion Habanero vinaigrette is by the guys at www.hotsaucehawaii.com and looks great. The label is clever in that the text is bold, so bold that you have to keep turning the bottle to finish what you have started reading. Within seconds you have read the complete label and know exactly what this sauce is about. Bubbly bold text with skull and cross bones that guides your attention to that it may be a very hot condiment, but at the same time it has a comical cartoon element to it that allows you give a sigh of relief as maybe this is more for the flavours than for the heat.

Looking through the bottle, the sauce is a dull and cloudy sauce, until you shake it however. This sauce then comes to life. It takes on a very dark kind of soy sauce colour, that with closer inspection you can see that the shaking has just lifted all of the ingredients and let them explode into view.

Ingredients: Balsamic vinegar, olive oil, habaneros, jalapenos, Mustard (water, mustard seed, distilled vinegar, salt, white wine, citric acid, Tartaric acid & spices), Salt, Kitchen bouquet (caramel, carrots, onions, celery, parsnips, turnips, salt, parsley, spices, sodium benzoate & sulfiting agents), spices, garlic.

Bottle kindly provided by www.Hot-Headz.com

Quite an extensive list of ingredients hey? As for the smell, all I can really get off it is vinegar and mustard and a subtle nose of the habs. Lets see how it goes down. On with the tasting.

Immediately my tongue is greeted by the balsamic vinegar which is closely followed by a blast of mild to moderate heat which is combined with a strong mustard flavour.

The more of this I have the more flavour from the habaneros comes out. The taste is not sharp at all so the balance of vinegar with the other ingredients is balanced well. There is an aftertaste of onion and parsley as the flavours gradually fade but the heat remains throughout. The heat is welcoming in the way that it does not interfere with anything else that I am eating. Just a warming of the tongue which tickles the lips just to remind you that it is there.

The texture is extremely smooth and is not greasy like many types of vinaigrette out on the market today. Don’t worry about going over the top with the amount that you use as this does not overpower you even with lashings on your plate.

This sauce has been kindly imported and past on by www.hot-headz.com and I believe is £3.99 for a 5 fluid oz bottle. Definitely worth it if you ask me. Perfect for any salad or vegetable, and personally I would suggest adding a splash in a shepherds pie to give it a bit of a lift in flavour.

Flavour
(7.5/10)
Heat
(3/10)
Packaging
(7/10)
Value
(7/10)
Overall
(7/10)

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Wiltshire Chilli Farm’s Mango Hot Chilli Sauce

by Patrick Garratt on September 26, 2011 · 0 comments

in Product Reviews

The Wiltshire Chilli Farm - Mango Hot Chilli Sauce

The Wiltshire Chilli Farm - Mango Hot Chilli Sauce

It took me a little while to write this; the Wiltshire Chilli Farm’s Mango Hot Chilli Sauce isn’t easy to pigeonhole. For some reason I expected a hot, fresh mango purée for use with puddings, but it’s actually a savoury pouring sauce with plenty of mustard and vinegar.

That’s not to say it doesn’t work. The mango element’s more along the line of mango chutney than the fruit itself, and so eats best in a similar way; with poppadums, fried food and cheese. It worked well with cold roast chicken.

It’s suggested on the bottle to try it with “grilled fish, stir fries or as a spicy table sauce.” I’ve been eating it in sausage sandwiches and with cheese on toast. Mrs Pat’s putting it on everything. It’s just a generally pleasant addition to savoury snack food, a solid all-rounder thanks to its sweetness.

Ingredients: Mango (31%), cider vinegar, onion, sugar, lime, chilli (3%), garlic, mustard, “various spices”.

Bottle kindly provided by The Wiltshire Chilli Farm

Don’t be fooled, though: there’s a surprising amount of heat from the 3% Habanero chilli, and you’ll get a throat-top burn if you have a decent spoonful. It was too hot for mother-in-law, but Mrs Pat loved it. You get 140ml; £3.75′s decent value.

The consistency’s thin and chunky, and the sugar plays a big part in the way it sticks to the inside of the bottle. The packaging’s fun, with what looks like a cluster of habs on a black background, and lots of yellow to support the mango theme.

It’s a grower, and a good addition to your collection, especially if you’re fond of sweeter sauces. There’s plenty going for it. I’ll keep holding out for the pure mango with a kick for ice cream, but this’ll do fine for now. Get it here.

Flavour
(7/10)
Heat
(5/10)
Packaging
(7/10)
Value
(7/10)
Overall
(7/10)

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