Carnival-Ready: Scotch Bonnet Pickles for Notting Hill Carnival Weekend

Notting Hill Carnival is nearly here, and if you're heading down (or hosting your own pre- or post-Carnival spread), we've got exactly the right thing in our lineup: Scotch Bonnet & Lemon — the liquor that picked up two stars at the Great Taste Awards, three stars at the Nourish Awards  and the one we reach for whenever a dish needs proper heat and brightness in equal measure.

Carnival food is bold, punchy, and is definitely not bland  and neither are we. Scotch bonnet is a staple across so much of the Caribbean cooking that makes Carnival weekend what it is, so this felt like an obvious one to celebrate rather than force.

A few ways to put it to work before the weekend:

Pickled Scotch bonnet peppers, sliced thin. A little goes a long way! Scatter over jerk chicken, curry goat, or festival (the fried dumpling, not the event - confusing, we know) for a hit of heat that doesn't overpower.

Pickled red onions. Sharp, sweet, and citrusy from the lemon in the brine, brilliant piled onto anything smoky off the grill.

Pickled Scotch bonnet and mango. If you've got a ripe mango knocking about, dice it small, pickle it briefly (an hour is plenty, you want it to stay soft), and spoon it over pretty much anything. Trust. Us.

The method's the same as always: Pick your ingredients, Prep them, Plonk them in a jar, Pour over the Scotch Bonnet & Lemon liquor. Give it a couple of hours if you're in a rush, or make it a few days ahead and let the flavour really settle in before Saturday.

Whether you're two-stepping down the parade route or hosting a Carnival weekend feast of your own, we hope this adds a little extra kick to your plate. Enjoy the weekend - and if you spot us out and about, come say hello.