Hot sauces

Hot Honey

Runny honey warmed with chilli flakes and fresh red chilli, sharpened with cider vinegar and a pinch of salt. Sweet first, then a slow, building heat.

makes 37 cubes, about 12p each

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Time: 45 min5 min prep · 10 min cook · 30 min infusing
Makes: 37 cubes
Cost per cubePer cube: 12p
Calories per cubeCalories: 62 kcal
A serving: 1 cube
Spice

Ingredients

Batch size

cubes

2 × 340g jarsrunny honey
8g (1 tbsp)chilli flakes
2 (20g)red chillies, thinly sliced
40mlcider vinegar
2gsalt

Allergens: Sulphites. Check the labels on stock cubes, sauces and pastes, as brands vary.

Nutrition

estimated

	1 cube
Energy	62 kcal
Protein	0.1g
Carbs	15.3g
Fat	0g
Fibre	0.1g
Salt	0.06g

Method

Step 1: Put the honey, chilli flakes and sliced chillies in a small pan over a low heat.
Step 2: Warm gently until the honey is runny and just steaming, with small bubbles at the edge. Don't let it boil. (5 min)
Step 3: Take off the heat and leave to infuse as it cools, for at least 30 minutes.
Step 4: Stir in the cider vinegar and salt, then taste and add a few more chilli flakes if you want it hotter.
Step 5: Stir well so each cube gets some chilli, pour into a lidded 15ml silicone tray and freeze.

Use it for

1 cubeDrizzled over pizza or flatbreads
1 cubeFried halloumi or fried chicken
2 cubesTossed through roast carrots, squash or sprouts
2 cubesGlaze for salmon or sausages in the last 10 minutes

Nutrition (estimated)
	kcal	protein	carbs	fat	fibre	salt
Per cube	62	0.1g	15.3g	0g	0.1g	0.06g

Cook’s notes

Press a cube out of the tray and use it straight from frozen; leave it on a warm plate or on hot food for a minute and it runs again.
Honey never freezes hard, so keep the cubes in their lidded tray rather than a bag, where they would stick together.
Keep it frozen or in the fridge: the fresh chilli means it shouldn't sit in the cupboard like plain honey.
Strain out the chilli before freezing if you want a smooth drizzle for glazing.

Use it for

Drizzled over pizza or flatbreads · 1 cube
Fried halloumi or fried chicken · 1 cube
Tossed through roast carrots, squash or sprouts · 2 cubes
Glaze for salmon or sausages in the last 10 minutes · 2 cubes

Freeze, reheat and serve

Freeze: Cool it within two hours, freeze it in 15ml ice-cube trays, then bag and label the cubes. It keeps for 6 months.
Use from frozen: Press a cube out of the tray and use it straight from frozen; leave it on a warm plate or on hot food for a minute and it runs again. Never refreeze thawed cubes.
A portion: 1 cube is a serving: about 62 kcal.

Hot Honey questions

Why warm the honey so gently?

Boiling honey darkens it and dulls its flavour, and it can set harder once it cools. Warming it until it just steams loosens it enough for the chilli to flavour it.

Can I use a different vinegar?

White wine vinegar or rice vinegar both work. The vinegar is there to cut the sweetness, so taste and add a little more if it still tastes like plain honey.

Can I make it vegan?

Use maple syrup or golden syrup in place of the honey. Maple syrup is thinner, so leave out half the vinegar and taste before adding the rest.