I’m going to go as far as saying that in my 70-odd recipe swaps, this week has been one of the hardest to choose a winner; if you haven’t yet discovered the intensely savoury depth a spoon of Marmite can give to your meals, I’d urge you to cook any one of these recipes. Even the haters out there should have a jar of it in their cupboard by the end of this weekend.
I kicked things off with crunchy chickpeas from detoutcoeurLimousin; a hint of warming spice from harissa, gentle bitterness from Marmite and a final lift from lemon zest make these chickpeas pretty irresistible with a cold beer. On the note of irresistible, Peckish Pescy’s Marmite roasted potatoes in their crisp and richly savoury glory would definitely be the star of a roast dinner, but as far as comfort food goes, you’ll do no better than a bowl of these in one hand and a fork in the other. Fposte’s Marmite bread and butter pudding managed to win over a friend who historically likes neither the spread nor the dish, but went back for seconds when presented with this version – it’s as good as it sounds. TwinnyDip’s almond brittle was given a stronger colour and a salty edge with a spoon or two of Marmite; if you’re keen on making edible Christmas gifts then this will have everyone guessing. Arianz’s little pastry bites were fantastically crisp when fresh out the oven, and I’m also intending on experimenting with this as a pastry case for a cheese and onion pasty.
But the winner managed to just pip the other recipes to the post on two fronts: firstly, the sheer amount of Marmite used, and secondly, for showing off the adaptability of the stuff. Sweet, salty, intense and gloriously sticky, this chicken dish manages to draw on all levels of flavour in Marmite, somehow without overkill. Do try it.
The winning recipe: sticky stir-fried Marmite chicken (pictured above)
Adding a little Marmite to a sweet and sticky Chinese-style marinade gives this chicken dish a wonderfully beery flavour - as if you’ve just chucked in the most malty of dark ales. Perfect served with a bowl of steamed rice.
MarmadukeScarlet, via GuardianWitness
Serves 2-3
600g chicken breast, cut into chunks
Vegetable oil, for frying
1 red onion, roughly chopped
Salt
80ml water
2 tbsp honey
1 tsp dark soy sauce
1 tsp oyster sauce
1 tsp Marmite
2 spring onions, very finely sliced, to serve
Sesame seeds, lightly toasted, to serve
For the marinade
2 tbsp Marmite
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
1 Combine the marinade ingredients, then tip in the chicken pieces and stir well to ensure that all the chicken is coated. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
2 Heat 1 tbsp oil in a frying pan. Gently fry the chopped onion with a pinch of salt for 15 minutes, until beginning to soften. Tip the onion into a bowl, leaving any oil in the pan. Set aside.
3 Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade, reserve the liquid. Turn the heat up and add a little more oil to the pan. Stir-fry the chicken until lightly browned all over. Tip the pieces into the bowl with the onion.
4 Add a dash of water to the pan and scrape up any cooked-on bits at the bottom of the pan. Bring to the boil. Add the reserved marinade and the rest of the liquid ingredients (honey, soy, oyster sauce and Marmite). Simmer for 3 minutes until the sauce has begun to reduce a little.
5 Add the chicken and onion; simmer until completely cooked through. Serve with a sprinkling of spring onion and toasted sesame seeds.
Marmite bread and butter pudding
My mum used to make this; it’s a good way to use up stale bread. Eat with something fresh and green.
Fposte, via GuardianWitness
Serves 2-3
6 thick slices stale bread
Butter
Marmite, to taste
3 eggs, beaten
250ml milk
Black pepper
100g cheddar, grated
1 tomato, sliced
1 Lightly grease a baking dish large enough to fit the bread. Butter the slices, then spread each with Marmite and arrange them in the dish.
2 Mix the eggs with the milk and some ground black pepper. Soak the bread well with the mix, then leave to stand for 30 minutes or so.
3 Once the bread has soaked up a lot of the egg mixture, top with grated cheese and tomato slices. Bake at 180C/350F/gas mark 4 until golden and puffed up – around 30 minutes.
Marmite and thyme roast potatoes
Crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside; a hint of Marmite helps to crisp up the potatoes and adds a lovely depth to their flavour, and a touch of thyme brings a sprinkling of richness to the equation.
Peckish Pescy, London
Serves 2-4
2 baking potatoes
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp dried thyme
½ tsp Marmite
Salt and black pepper, to serve
1 Bring a pan half-full of salted water to the boil. Meanwhile, peel and quarter the potatoes. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6.
2 Boil the potatoes gently for 10-15 minutes, until almost tender. Drain, then press them gently with the back of a spoon to remove excess moisture.
3 Pour the oil into a medium baking dish and sprinkle over the thyme. Place in the oven to warm through while the potatoes are cooking.
4 Add the Marmite to the oil, so it melts and is easy to distribute over the potatoes, then tip the potatoes into the dish. Coat all of the potatoes well in the oil, making sure you get a touch of Marmite on all of the slices. Pour over a touch more oil if necessary.
5 Roast for 45 minutes. Check on them every 15 minutes or so and turn them over to make sure they crisp up on all sides. When they are golden and crisp, season well with salt and pepper and serve with a roast dinner.
Marmite caramel almond brittle
It may seem strange to add Marmite to this classic sweet treat, but you will be surprised by the umami-ness that this pungent spread brings.
TwinnyDip, via GuardianWitness
Serves 6-8
50g butter, plus extra to grease
100g toasted almond flakes or other thinly sliced or chopped nuts
½-1 tbsp Marmite, to taste
100g caster sugar
1 Lightly grease a baking tray with butter, then spread the toasted almond flakes on the baking tray in a thin, even layer.
2 Melt the butter in a small saucepan over a gentle heat. Once melted, add the Marmite, then mix well. Add the sugar and let it bubble, but don’t stir. If the mixture is not even, simply tip the saucepan sideways to ensure ingredients are well mixed. Once the sugar has dissolved, increase the heat to bring to a boil, tipping sideways from time to time to ensure even cooking. When it turns lightly golden brown, tip the caramel over the nuts evenly and leave to cool completely.
3 Once cold, shatter the caramel into shards using a sharp knife. Serve with cheesecake, other desserts, or eat them on their own, with a large mug of tea or strong coffee.
Lemon, harissa and Marmite roasted chickpeas
A delicious and healthy treat prepared in minutes. The Marmite adds a lovely salty savouriness, which is rarely a bad thing in a crunchy snack. Serve with drinks or sprinkled on to stews and soups as an interesting topping.
detoutcoeurLimousin, via GuardianWitness
Serves 2-4
400g tin chickpeas
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp harissa paste
1 tsp Marmite
Zest of 1 lemon
Sea salt, to serve
1 Preheat oven to 190C/375F/gas mark 5, then line a baking sheet with baking paper. Drain the chickpeas and pat dry with kitchen paper.
2 Whisk together the oil, harissa, Marmite and lemon zest, then add the chickpeas, stirring until well coated. Spread out the chickpeas in an even layer on the baking sheet.
3 Roast for about 20-25 minutes (stirring the chickpeas halfway) until they are golden and crisp.
4 Sprinkle with sea salt. Leave to cool for a few minutes before serving.
Marmite bites
This is a quick snack that is good to serve in place of crisps with drinks. It also goes well if you have leftover pastry.
Arianz, via GuardianWitness
Makes 12
150g plain flour
½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp oregano
½ tsp chilli powder
½ tsp garlic salt
45g butter
3 tsp Marmite
60ml boiling water
1 In a bowl, mix the dry ingredients, then make a hole in the centre. With your fingers, place the butter in the hole, then start drawing the flour mixture in, so that you obtain a mix that resembles breadcrumbs.
2 In a mug, dissolve the Marmite in the boiling water; allow it to cool so that it is safe to handle it. Tip the liquid into the dry mixture and knead for a couple of minutes, until you have an elastic dough. Wrap in clingfilm and leave to rest for 10-15 minutes at least in the fridge.
3 On a floured surface, roll the pastry out to 2cm thickness, then using a knife or biscuit cutter, cut the pastry into bites. Bake in the oven at 200C/400F/gas mark 6 for 15-20 minutes until risen and golden brown, then cool on a wire rack.
