Condiment

Hot sauce is the perfect condiment to use if you want to add extra spice to your meal. Spoon a little hot sauce on enchiladas, tacos or even scrambled eggs.

Use white sauce (also called béchamel) in pasta dishes like lasagne, or serve with grilled fish fillets or corned beef. It’s the base for many other sauces, including mornay. You can make sauce ahead of time but, to make sure a skin doesn’t form on the sauce, cover its surface with plastic wrap. Note

This sauce is best made a day in advance. Keep refrigerated up to 3 days in a screw-top jar. Serve with beef burgers, braised ribs, roasted potato wedges and as a sauce for home-made baked beans. Note

This homemade jelly pairs the fruity flavours of black grapes and port. It tastes divine spread on toast, or spooned on almond biscotti for a tasty afternoon treat.

The subtle flavour of this rich, savoury rice from the south of Thailand makes a good accompaniment to more highly spiced dishes. Serundeng is usually sprinkled over a hot dish just as it's served, much like a gremolata, to awaken the tastebuds.

If sauce separates, whisk in about 1 tablespoon boiling water until mixture is smooth. Note

Makes enough for four 200g servings of pan fried chicken breast. If sauce is too tart, add a little more honey. Also goes well with whole roast turkey, duck or chicken. Note

This goes well with fish, prawns, pork and chicken. Note

This dish is absolutely decadent and one for the grown ups. Barely ripe figs are best to use, if overripe, they are likely to fall apart during cooking. If you must, dried figs will do.

Sambal is a hot relish made using fresh fruit and vegetable ingredients, this cucumber and pineapple sambal is spicy and crunchy.

Plump, sweet blackberries are a gorgeous match with understated pear in this luscious jam.

This goes well with prawns, chicken, fish, beef, stir-fried greens and pork. Note

You can use seeded frozen cherries instead of the fresh cherries. Note

Infused with cinnamon and cardamom, these preserved lemons and oranges are so easy to make at home and add flavour to all sorts of dishes.

It is important to slice the limes as thinly as possible because the rind tends to be tougher than any other citrus fruit. Note

This creamy custard sauce is traditionally served cold and can be made well ahead of time. If you're cooking for all the family you can leave out the liqueur, or just add it to half of the custard and serve in two different jugs.

Spicy plum chutney

There's nothing like the flavour of home-made jams and preserves. This strawberry conserve recipe uses lemon pips to help with setting, and lemon juice to add piquancy. Delicious.

Can be made two weeks ahead; keep refrigerated. Note

This fragrant veal stock is the perfect base for your homemade soups, casseroles and curries.

Homemade mint sauce is nothing like the kind you buy in a jar. It's minty, sharp with vinegar and just a little bit sweet too. Perfect for dolloping over slices of juicy roast lamb.

The perfect balance of sweet and tart, this delicious candied orange peel recipe can be included in desserts, cakes and savoury dishes like tagines.

Spicy pickled onions, packed with chillies, cloves and ginger, make the perfect accompaniment to a classic ploughman's lunch.

A cross between mandarins and grapefruit, tangelos make a jam that's sweeter than marmalade yet still tart, thanks to the fruit's natural acidity. This jam is particularly good spooned generously over rice pudding.

This chutney-style fig and apple relish is wonderful served with cold meats, cheese, salad or as part of a ploughman's lunch.

This jam will keep for a year; store in refrigerator. Recipe unsuitable to freeze or microwave.

If you're lucky enough to have access to a cumquat tree, then this ginger-spiked marmalade is the perfect way to use up the fruit.

Homemade jam makes a great gift for family or friends.

This goes well with prawns, chicken and pork. Note

Tying various herbs and spices in a piece of muslin, securing with kitchen string, makes them easier to remove when the chutney is ready to be spooned into jars. Note

A tasty snack or finger food for entertaining, these deliciously crispy potato skins are great served with our homemade dips. We've given you three recipes to choose from. Or, make them all!

Also goes well with potato salad; pan-fried beef eye-fillet steaks (omit water so the pesto has a thicker consistency); grilled lamb kebabs. Note

Keep an eye on the syrup towards the end of the cooking time; as it reduces, you need to reduce the temperature to maintain a gentle simmer. Use any leftover pomegranate seeds in salads or sprinkle over desserts. Note

Use a mixture of cauliflower, carrots, celery, green tomatoes, cucumber and pickling onions. If the mixture seems too wet, drain away some of the liquid before bottling. Note

Oil needs to be added slowly to prevent mixture separating. Should the mixture separate, whisk in two tablespoons of hot water. Note

You need 24 witlof leaves for this recipe. Note

Granny Smith apples are best for this recipe. The jelly has a natural soft pink colour before the colouring is used; you can omit the colouring, if you prefer. Note

Semi-dried tomatoes bought by weight from a delicatessen are best for this recipe. If you use those sold packaged in oil, drain well and pat with absorbent paper before use. Also goes well with grilled sirloin steaks; grilled pork cutlets; pan-fried chicken breasts. Note

Smoked eggplant and capsicum jam can be tossed through pasta, spread on pizza bases, or served as side dish to chicken, lamb or fish. Note

store recipe can be made 3 days ahead and refrigerated, covered. Note

For best results use only the reddest parts of the rhubarb stems. Note

You will need 2 large pomegranates (860g) for this recipe. Note

Using slightly under-ripe plums gives them a higher pectin level, which helps the paste to set. Note

Pickling spice is a mixture of mustard seeds, black peppercorns, dill seeds, allspice and bay leaves. It is available from the spice section in most supermarkets. Note

We used Sambuca in this recipe; it can be replaced with Pernod, ouzo or your favourite aniseed-flavoured liqueur. Note

To test the conserve: when the mixture has thickened, place a saucer or a small plate in the freezer for 5 minutes or until chilled. Spoon a little of the hot conserve onto the cold saucer. Return to the freezer for 2 minutes or until chilled. Touch the conserve. Note

Wear disposable gloves when preparing chokoes as they will leave a sticky residue on your skin. Store pickle in a cool, dark place for at least three weeks before opening. Refrigerate after opening. Serve with cold meats and cheese. Note