belazu

A pesto built on roasted aubergine and parmesan rather than basil — deeper, smokier and more savoury than the Genovese style. Stir through hot past...

Sun-dried tomatoes blended with balsamic vinegar into a concentrated, sweet-sharp paste. A spoonful lifts a tomato sauce, a stew or a dressing cons...

A black olive tapenade — olives, capers and olive oil blended coarse rather than smooth, so it keeps some texture. Spread on toast, stir through pa...

The classic Genovese pesto — basil, pine nuts, parmesan and olive oil, made properly. Stir through hot pasta with a spoonful of the cooking water t...

Whole lemons preserved in salt until the peel softens and the flavour turns deep and savoury rather than sharp. Use the rind, not the flesh — chopp...

Garlic roasted until sweet and mellow, then blended into a paste. None of the raw bite, and it saves the twenty minutes roasting a head of garlic p...

Belazu's best known product, and the one that made rose harissa a fixture in British kitchens. Chilli and spices softened with rose petals, which r...

A harissa built on smoked chillies, so the heat arrives with smoke behind it rather than on its own. Stir into stews and soups, rub on meat before ...

Sesame seed paste, ground smooth and pourable rather than stiff. The foundation of hummus and baba ganoush, and equally good whisked into dressings...

A pesto of truffle and artichoke — earthy, savoury and a good deal more grown-up than a standard basil pesto. Excellent stirred through pasta, or s...

A basil pesto made without parmesan, so it is suitable for vegans while keeping the fragrance of the classic. Stir through hot pasta with a spoonfu...

A pesto crossed with harissa — chilli, spices and herbs blended into something hotter and more North African than Italian. Stir through pasta or co...

A tapenade built on roasted peppers — sweeter and softer than the black olive version, and a good starting point for anyone who finds olives too as...

A Moroccan-style tagine paste of warm spices, ready to form the base of a slow-cooked stew without assembling a cupboard of individual spices. Brow...