Chef Shivi Ramoutar Spices Up Her Classic Family Dishes With Encona

Encona, the UK’s number 1 Hot Pepper Sauce brand, has teamed up with chef and’fan-of-all-things-spicy’ Shivi Ramoutar. The former MasterChef alumni, who specialises in Caribbean cuisine, has given three of her family’s most-loved dishes a spicy kick using Encona hot sauces.

The first recipe is a warm and comforting Mac and Cheese, made with a healthy dash of Encona’s Jamaican Jerk BBQ Sauce. In this dish Shivi puts her own spin on a traditional Mac and Cheese, adding spinach, kidney beans and an assortment of jerk flavourings for a unique yet wholesome classic.

Chef Shivi Ramoutar comments, “I’ve always been a fan of spicy foods and Encona’s range of sauces are the perfect way to easily add fiery flavour to any meal. They’re a great way to spice up your family’s favourite recipes and the sauces can be used in cooking, as well as a table or dipping sauce.”

Jerk BBQ Mac’n’ Cheese

Timings: 30 minutes prep and 45 minutes cooking

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

  • 500g macaroni
  • 35g unsalted butter, plus 15g for the topping
  • 2 tbsp plain flour
  • 3 spring onions, bulb removed and finely chopped
  • 7 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
  • 5 bay leaves
  • 1l milk
  • 200g mature cheddar cheese, grated
  • 75g parmesan, grated plus 30g grated for the topping
  • 1 tsp chopped thyme leaves
  • 1 tsp ground allspice
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • ½ tsp cayenne pepper
  • 4 tbsp Encona Jamaican Jerk BBQ Sauce
  • 200g spinach, washed
  • 1 x 400g tin kidney beans, drained
  • 6 tbsp breadcrumbs
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

  1. Pre-heat the grill to hot.
  2. In a saucepan of salted, boiling water, cook the macaroni, according to the instructions on the packet, until tender. Drain and set aside
  3. To make the roux, on a low heat, melt the 35g butter, then add the flour, and, whisking continuously, increase the heat to medium until you have a paste.
  4. Add the spring onions, garlic and bay leaf, and whisk continuously for a couple minutes. 
  5. Finally, whisk in the milk, gradually until your roux is smooth. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer, whisking occasionally, until thickened and smooth, about 10 to 15 minutes. 
  6. Stir the cheese (leaving aside the topping parmesan) into the roux, along with the thyme and spices, the Encona Jamaican Jerk BBQ Sauce and finally the spinach, kidney beans and drained pasta. Stir until well combined, and season to taste, then tip into a large, wide, heatproof casserole dish. 
  7. Melt the remaining butter on a low heat and mix in the breadcrumbs and parmesan. Spread this evenly over the top of the Mac’n’ Cheese and pop the whole dish under the grill for about 5 to 10 minutes until bubbling and burnished.  Serve immediately.

Encona has passionately served the UK for over 40 years in supplying delicious quality sauces prepared to original recipes and containing blends of the most authentic chillies, spices and ingredients.

Whilst other brands have come and gone, Encona have grown to become the definitive number 1 UK Hot Pepper Sauce brand.

Our customer base has grown to include a wide mainstream audience of consumers looking to add a dash of inspiration to their everyday dining occasions.

Encona now has a range of over 18 delicious sauces to enjoy.

In addition to our Caribbean favourites, you can now enjoy a variety of flavours from across the globe such as Indian Sweet Mango Chilli, Thai Sweet Chilli, African Peri Peri and Texan Chilli BBQ. 

By Recipes