Savoury, sour, funky and spicy – it’s no surprise that lime pickle has numerous culinary applications.
I’m obsessed with lime pickle. It’s savoury, sour, funky, spicy and full of bold personality that enlivens anything it’s smeared on. It’s made by salting and fermenting limes with chillies and spices to create a fierce, flavour-packed condiment traditionally served as a side with poppadoms or simple dal and rice. Over the years, I have incorporated it into grilled cheese toasties, marinades for fat prawns to barbecue in the summer, and compound butters to spread over sweet potatoes before roasting. It’s an instant flavour bomb and my pantry always contains a jar.
Lime pickle roast chicken (pictured top)
This dish offers all the addictive pleasure of peri peri chicken. If your lime pickle is too mild, you can add a red chilli to the marinade.
Prep 10 min
Chill 2 hr
Marinate 2 hr
Cook 1 hr 15 min
Serves 4
- 1 medium chicken (about 1.4kg)
- Salt and black pepper
- 4 fat garlic cloves, peeled
- 2 tbsp lime pickle
- 2 tbsp finely chopped coriander, plus a handful extra to finish
- 75g softened butter
- Finely grated zest of 1 lemon, plus the juice of ½ lemon
First, spatchcock the chicken to ensure an even and faster cook. Place the bird breast side down on a board with its legs facing you. Using strong kitchen scissors, cut along both sides of the backbone from tail to neck, then lift out and remove it. Spread out the chicken, turn it over, then press down firmly on the breastbone to flatten it. Make a few diagonal slashes along the breast on each side, season the skin generously all over with salt and pepper, and chill for two hours. This process draws out moisture, enhancing flavour and crisping the skin during cooking.
To prepare the lime pickle butter, combine the garlic, lime pickle and coriander in a food processor and blitz to a paste. Stir this paste through 50g of the softened butter. Rub the mixture all over the chicken skin and, if time permits, marinate for another two hours.
When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 220C (200C fan)/425F/gas 7. Roast the chicken, basting regularly, for 45 minutes to an hour until cooked through. Remove and transfer to a warm plate to rest for 15 minutes.
Pour the cooking juices, including the fat, into a pan over medium-low heat. Warm through with the remaining 25g butter, lemon zest and juice, and the extra coriander. Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve immediately with chips or roast potatoes.
Lime pickle, green chilli and cheddar scones
These scones are ideal for brunch or an afternoon snack; they complement a bowl of soup particularly well.
Prep 15 min
Chill 1 hr
Cook 35 min
Makes 8
- 240g plain flour
- 10g baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt and a good grind of black pepper
- 125g mature cheddar, grated
- 115g cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- 75g lime pickle, finely chopped
- 2 green chillies, finely sliced
- 125g buttermilk
- 1 egg, beaten
Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, pepper and half the cheddar in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the cold butter, lime pickle and green chillies, then briefly mix into the flour. Avoid overworking; the butter should remain visible in irregular pieces. Gradually mix in the buttermilk, then tip the dough onto a work surface and push it together, scraping any dry bits to the center. Roll out to a roughly 40cm-long rectangle and sprinkle half the remaining cheese over it. Fold the top third over the middle, then fold the bottom third over both.
Turn the dough 90 degrees and roll it out again to a 40cm-long rectangle. Sprinkle the remaining cheese and fold as before. Pat the dough into a 3cm-thick rectangle, trim edges to neaten, then cut into eight even squares. Place on a lined baking sheet and chill for one hour.
Preheat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Brush the scone tops with beaten egg, bake for 12-15 minutes, then reduce the oven to 170C (150C fan)/340F/gas 3½ and bake for an additional eight minutes until golden. Transfer the scones to a rack and serve warm or cooled.
Achaari Mary
This classic hangover cure gains an unexpected twist with lime pickle. Alternatively, replace the salt, pepper and lime zest mix with two teaspoons of Tajín.
- 2 tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp coarsely ground black pepper
- Finely grated zest of 1 lime
- ½-1 tsp lime pickle, depending on taste
- 40ml vodka
- 20ml lime juice
- 200ml tomato juice
- Tabasco, to taste
- 2 lime wedges
- 1 pickled jalapeño, threaded onto a cocktail skewer for garnish
In a small bowl, mix the salt, pepper and lime zest. In a blender, combine the lime pickle, vodka, lime juice, tomato juice and a few drops of Tabasco and blend.
Rub a lime wedge around the rim of a chilled highball glass, then dip the rim into the salt and pepper mixture (or Tajín) and shake off excess. Fill the glass two-thirds full with ice, pour in the blended liquid, and serve garnished with the skewered pickled jalapeño and the remaining lime wedge.
