This jelly really does go just about everywhere–though we have not yet worked on Hot Pepper Jelly cocktails, that can still happen.
Cheese, meat, fish, dips, glazes, marinades, dressings…created from a unique blend of local sweet and jalapeño peppers, batch to batch the color may vary from golden green to orange red, but the flavor is always a delightful tang that recalls the umami of duck sauce.
Here are some ideas to get you started.
- Cheese: down south they serve Hot Pepper Jelly over cream cheese with crackers, and this is no-fail delicious. You can bump it up a notch with chèvre, Brie, or Camembert; the contrast of the tangy-creamy/rich and the bright confetti color against the white is a delightful combo.
Four Fat Fowl St. Stephen triple cream from Stephentown, NY is one of our all-time favorite pairings. The jelly works with medium or harder cheeses too, Cheddar or Emmental or Muenster or whatever you like. Spread on top, or serve in its jar or in a little dish on cheese boards. Also good in a grilled cheese. - Meat/vegetarian/pescatarian/vegan: warm the jelly and use to marinate meat/protein before roasting or grilling. Warm about 1/4 cup jelly per pound in a saucepan, roll in chicken wings or thighs; pork or lamb kebobs; tofu cubes, roast in a 350 oven. Also delicious as a sauce for cocktail size beef or turkey or vegan meatballs.
- Fish: same as for meat, good on fish like salmon, tuna, sword. Shellfish, fantastic on shrimp both to marinate and as a dip.
- Dressings: emulsify with a vinegar of your choice and drizzle in a neutral vegetable oil to dress mixed greens; try on grated carrots and butter lettuce with crumbled chèvre and toasted almonds. Whisk the jelly into mayo to taste for a quick crudité dip and sandwich spread, or a secret sauce for veggie, meat or fish burgers.
Our customers give us the best ideas: one couple shared using the jelly in twice-stuffed potatoes— the jelly, nothing else, I’ve yet to try it but they said it is fantastic xo