There are few things more comforting than lashings of marmalade spread upon freshly-made, buttered toast. However, a jar of marmalade can get you a lot further than tea and toast.
Making marmalade is a wonderfully satisfying process that'll help you warm up this winter. If you'd like to give it a go, see Sky's recipe by clicking here.
Here are 7 of our favourite recipes using London Marmalade. From zesty salad dressings, to Nigel Slater's Sticky Pork Ribs, to giant Jaffa Cakes and breakfast cocktails. Marmalade is much more than a quick breakfast spread, it's an everyday ingredient and store-cupboard essential for any food enthusiast.
For the sweet tooth's
Traditional Seville Orange Marmalade - such as our London Marmalade - is a combination of sweetness and bitterness. This makes it very useful when making desserts and sweet treats as it's complex, citrus flavour profile can add a bitterness to naturally sweet dishes.
Dan Lepard's Marmalade Carrot Pudding
This recipe, taken from The Guardian, is quick and easy to make. It's a great way to use up carrots and works particularly well with vanilla ice cream for a satisfying dessert.
You'll need (serves 8):
- a jar of London Marmalade
- 50g unsalted butter
- 50ml sunflower oil
- 175g muscovado sugar
- 3 medium eggs
- 300-350g carrot, peeled and grated
- 2 tsp mixed spice
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 175g plain flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
To make:
- Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan-assisted).
- Butter 8 dariole moulds and add a spoonful of marmalade into each of them.
- Melt the butter then add to a mixing bowl and beat in the oil, eggs and sugar. Next, add the carrot, spices, flour and baking powder and mix well.
- Add the mixture evenly into the tins, cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes.
- Remove the foil once done and use a knife to gently dislodge the puddings from the moulds and upturn onto a plate.
- Serve hot with vanilla ice cream or custard.
C. Anne Wilson's Spicy Rhubarb and Marmalade Crumble
Rhubarb crumble is a family favourite. This twist on the classic is warming and utterly delicious. This recipe is taken from Wilson's magnificent The Book of Marmalade.
You'll need:
- 575g rhubarb
- 3 tbsp London Marmalade
- 85g flour
- 85g brown sugar
- 60g butter
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
To make:
- Wash your rhubarb and cut into one-inch lengths, before adding to a pie dish.
- Spoon the marmalade on top of the rhubarb and sprinkle with 1/4 tsp of both cinnamon and ginger.
- Mix the flour, sugar, salt and remaining 1/4 tsp of cinnamon and ginger. Add the butter and work until the mixture is crumbly.
- Spread the crumble mixture over the rhubarb and marmalade and bake in a 200C (180C fan-assisted) oven for 30 minutes, or until the fruit is cooked and the top is golden brown.
Top tip: this recipe works equally well with our Femminello Lemon Marmalade.
Lucy Deedes' Chocolate and Marmalade Tart
Deedes has become synonymous with marmalade since the release of The Little Book of Marmalade (2020), and her excellent Chocolate and Marmalade Tart - essentially a "giant Jaffa Cake" - is guaranteed to satisfy the whole family.
You'll need (serves 10):
- For the pastry:
- 250g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
- 140g cold butter, diced
- 80g caster sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- For the filling:
- 3tbsp London Marmalade
- 85g butter
- 250g dark chocolate, broken into small pieces
- 1tsp orange extract
- 400ml double cream
To make:
- Mix the flour and butter (a food processor will make things easier) until they resemble breadcrumbs.
- Add the sugar and egg yolk and mix into a dough. Wrap loosely and chill for at least 30 minutes.
- Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan assisted) and warm up a baking sheet on the top shelf.
- Roll out the dough on a floured surface into a 3-4mm disk. Use this to line a 24cm fluted, loose-bottomed tart tin.
- Prick the base all over and line the inside with baking paper. Fill the inside with beans or rice and leave to chill for 10 minutes.
- Place the tart tin onto the heated baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Lift off the baking sheet with beans/rice and bake for 5 more minutes, until lightly browned, and remove to cool down.
- Separate the orange peel from the syrup of the marmalade, chop it finely, and scatter over the cooled pastry case.
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter before adding the chocolate, marmalade syrup and orange extract. Continue to melt until you have a smooth, chocolatey sauce.
- In a separate pan, heat the cream (not allowing it to boil) before stirring it into the chocolate mixture until smooth.
- Trim off any overhanging pastry and add the chocolate mixture to the pastry.
- Leave to cool and set completely until it is ready to cut and serve.
Top tip: chopped nuts make a lovely garnish, and try serving it with single cream.
Recipe taken from The Guardian.
Savoury Recipes
The sweetness of marmalade can also make it an excellent addition to savoury dishes. Here are a few of our favourite recipes.
Cartwright & Butler's Fennel & Orange Salad With Marmalade Dressing
This salad is bright, zesty, fresh and delicious. Marmalade is used here to create a sweet and sour dressing that works perfectly with the liquorice-like fennel.
You'll need (serves 12):
- 3 fennel bulbs
- 1 orange
- 1 blood orange
- 1 tsp London Marmalade
- juice of half a lemon
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 tsp red wine vinegar
- 3 tbsp olive oil
To make:
- Thinly slice the fennel (use a mandoline if you have one) before placing a bowl of iced water and set aside for 15 minutes to crisp up. Drain and dry thoroughly.
- Arrange the fennel on a platter along with slices of peeled orange and blood orange.
- Combine the marmalade, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil and salt and whisk together to make the dressing.
- Dress the salad and serve.
Recipe taken from Cartwright & Butler.
Nigel Slater's Marmalade Pork Ribs
These satisfyingly sticky pork ribs are seriously addictive. The sweetness of the marmalade works perfectly with citrusy, tingling Sichuan peppercorns.
You'll need:
- 1kg baby back pork ribs
- 2 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
- 6 tbsp London Marmalade
- 3 tbsp rice vinegar
To make:
- Cut the rack of ribs in half and place in a steamer, or colander suspended over a deep pan of boiling water. Cover and allow to steam for 35 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat your oven to 200C (180C fan-assisted).
- Grind the peppercorns in a pestle & mortar, stopping just short of a fine powder. Place the peppercorns into a small saucepan along with the marmalade and rice vinegar; heat gently until the marmalade has melted and remove from the heat.
- After 35 minutes of steaming, remove the pork ribs and place in a roasting tin. Generously brush with the marmalade glaze and place in the oven for 25 minutes.
- Remove the ribs and turn the oven up to 220C (200C fan-assisted). Brush the remaining marmalade glaze over the ribs and bake for a further 10-15 minutes until the marmalade lightly caramelises.
- Remove the rack and cut into ribs using a heavy kitchen knife.
- Serve with potatoes or rice.
You can find more of Slater's marmalade recipes by clicking here.
Sophie Godwin's Harissa & Marmalade Roasted Roots
These sweet and spicy root veggies work as a beautiful side dish. Godwin's recipe can be found on BBC Good Food by clicking here.
You'll need (serves 6):
- 500g unpeeled baby parsnips, ends trimmed
- 500g unpeeled baby carrots, ends trimmed
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 tbsp rose harissa
- 3 tbsp London Marmalade
To make:
- Heat oven to 200C (180C fan-assisted).
- Bring a large pan of salted water to boil and add the parsnips and carrots, cook for 2 minutes, then drain and place into a large roasting tray. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Mix the harissa and marmalade then mix in with the parsnips and carrots.
- Roast for 45-50 minutes and serve hot.
Breakfast Martini
This is a Friday favourite here at England Preserves and - before you ask - yes we have tested this cocktail at breakfast time. There's a number of ways to make this cocktail. For a particularly orangey affair, adding Cointreau to gin and marmalade works well. However, our favourite has to be Richard Godwin's "English Breakfast Martini", from his book The Spirits: A Guide to Modern Cocktailing which uses tea-infused gin and egg white to make the beverage even more suited to pre-noon consumption.
You'll need (makes 1 drink):
- 50ml (tea-infused) gin
- 15ml fresh lemon juice
- 2 tsp London Marmalade
- 15ml egg white (optional)
To make:
- Tea-infused gin is entirely optional; however, it adds a lovely depth to your spirit and fits the breakfast theme. Simply add a teabag, or a tsp of tea leaves, for every 100ml of gin and infuse for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- If using an egg white, shake all the ingredients hard without ice and then again with ice before double-straining into a cocktail glass.
- Serve with a twist of orange peel and enjoy with a read of your morning newspaper.
Thanks for reading, folks!
D.H. Lawrence once said, "I got blues thinking about the future, so I left off and made some marmalade".
If you've got the January blues, making marmalade is certainly a smart move. However, if you're stuck for time hopefully these recipes will do the trick!
If you'd like even more recommendations, Tim Dowling's "Orange Appeal" is a good place to start.
Until next time,
Sky & Kai