Spice Trip

Any leftover marinade can be stored in the fridge for a few days. You can use it with any grilled meat or fish, and it’s great any time of the year.

SERVES FOUR

PREP: 20 MINS + 4 HRS MARINATING

COOK: 20–25 MINS

4 × 150g (5oz) pork chops

lime wedges, to serve

For the marinade:

1 tbsp allspice berries

1 tbsp black peppercorns

½ tsp ground cinnamon

½ nutmeg, freshly grated

¼ bunch thyme, leaves picked

5 spring onions, roughly chopped

3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

1 Scotch bonnet chilli, seeded and roughly chopped

1 tbsp dark brown sugar

2 tbsp dark soy sauce

juice of 1 lime

sea salt

For the roast sweet potatoes:

vegetable oil, for roasting

4 sweet potatoes, cut into eighths

2 tsp sea salt

5 thyme sprigs, leaves picked and roughly pounded in a pestle and mortar

In a pestle and mortar, pound the allspice and the peppercorns to a powder, then add to a food processor along with the cinnamon, nutmeg, thyme, spring onions, garlic and chilli. Blend to a paste, then stir in the sugar, soy sauce and lime juice. Pour the mixture into a large bowl, then add the pork and rub the marinade into the meat along with a little salt. Cover and leave to marinate for at least 4 hours, or overnight.

When you are ready to roast the potatoes, preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Pour a very generous glug of oil into a shallow baking tray so that it’s about ½cm (¼in) deep, then place in the oven for 5 minutes to heat up. When the oil’s hot, add the sweet potatoes, toss quickly, and roast for 12–15 minutes, until golden and cooked through.

Meanwhile, heat a barbecue or griddle pan so that it’s nice and hot, but not searing. Cook over a medium heat for 4 minutes each side. Leave to rest for a couple of minutes.

Remove the potatoes from the oven, stir 2 teaspoonfuls of salt through the bashed-up thyme and sprinkle over the hot potatoes. Serve with the pork chops, putting a wedge of lime on each plate.

NUTMEG & MACE QUICK FIXES

A blade of mace in cream of chicken soup or other creamy soups gives a hint of pungency.

Grate nutmeg over cheese on toast, cheese omelette or cauliflower cheese to add a spicy kick and extra depth of flavour.

Grating nutmeg over pasta dishes really peps up pesto or tomato sauces.

Freshly grated or ground nutmeg goes well with sweet potatoes and adds zip to carrots, spinach, broccoli or any other greens.

Nutmeg syrup – water, nutmeg, sugar and rum – is popular in Grenada. Drizzle over ice cream and fruit.

MIDDLE EASTERN NUTMEG BLEND

2 tsp ground nutmeg

2 tsp ground black pepper

2 tsp sweet paprika

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground coriander

¼ tsp ground green cardamom seeds

Uses: add to lamb stew or sprinkle over roast lamb; season roasted root vegetables; rub dry on meat; sprinkle onto dips, such as hummus, or onto flatbreads, or use in dressing for salads.

EGGNOG

1 litre (1¾ pints) milk, preferably Jersey

100g (3½oz) sugar

6 egg yolks

100ml (3½fl oz) bourbon, dark rum or brandy

Eggnog spice blend:

½ tsp nutmeg, freshly grated, plus extra to serve

¼ tsp vanilla seeds, scraped from a vanilla pod

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

a pinch of ground allspice (optional)

a pinch of ground mace (optional)

Heat the milk and spices in a pan over a low heat for 5 minutes. Don’t let the milk boil. In a clean bowl, whisk the sugar and egg yolks together until light in colour. Take the spice-infused milk off the heat and slowly whisk the sugar and egg into it, return to the heat and stir continuously. Once the mixture has thickened slightly (it won’t be like custard but more the consistency of Baileys), stir in the rum and serve warm, or chilled, with some freshly grated nutmeg sprinkled on top.

NUTMEG & MACE RULES

Always grate whole nutmeg rather than using pre-ground, which rapidly loses its sparkle. Add nutmeg early to the dish to distribute flavour more evenly.

Nutmeg and cheese are partners in crime – goats’, cows’, sheeps’ they all work really well together.