Ravinder Bhogal, chef and cookbook author, shares her obsession with lime pickle, a savoury, sour, funky and spicy condiment made by salting and fermenting limes with chillies and spices. Traditionally served with poppadoms or dal and rice, Bhogal uses it in grilled cheese toasties, marinades for prawns, and compound butters for sweet potatoes. Here are three recipes featuring lime pickle.
For roast chicken with lime pickle butter, spatchcock a 1.4kg chicken, season with salt and pepper, and chill for two hours. Blitz garlic, lime pickle and coriander into a paste, mix with 50g softened butter, and rub over the chicken. Marinate for two hours if time allows. Roast at 220C (200C fan)/425F/gas 7 for 45 minutes to an hour, basting regularly. Rest for 15 minutes, then make a sauce from the cooking juices, remaining 25g butter, lemon zest and juice, and extra coriander. Serve with chips or roast potatoes.
Cheesy scones with lime pickle are perfect for brunch or soup. Mix 240g plain flour, 10g baking powder, ¼ tsp salt, black pepper, 125g grated mature cheddar, 115g cold cubed butter, 75g finely chopped lime pickle, and 2 sliced green chillies. Add 125g buttermilk briefly, then fold and roll the dough twice with cheese. Cut into eight squares, chill for an hour, brush with beaten egg, and bake at 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6 for 12-15 minutes, then 170C (150C fan)/340F/gas 3½ for eight minutes.
A lime pickle Bloody Mary offers a hangover cure with a twist. Mix 2 tsp sea salt, ½ tsp black pepper, and zest of 1 lime. In a blender, combine ½-1 tsp lime pickle, 40ml vodka, 20ml lime juice, 200ml tomato juice, and Tabasco to taste. Rim a glass with the salt mixture, pour in the cocktail, and garnish with lime wedges and a pickled jalapeño on a skewer.
