Nothing quite hits the mark on a chilly winters’ morning than a steaming bowl of porridge with a slick of sweet maple syrup. Be sure to keep a bottle as your store cupboard staple to add an extra special flavour to your favourite recipes. Pulled pork – the seasons must-do recipe is extra special with a glug or two of this amber nectar and roasted parsnips become super sticky and crunchy with a maple syrupy glaze. Simply add to any of your favourite recipes instead of sugar, honey or syrup.

Earlier this year I developed some Japanese themed recipes substituting sugar for Clarks maple syrup. The cleverly designed squirty bottle meant that I could squeeze, slick and drizzle to my heart contents. Perfect for the recipes below.

Huw Jones, food photographer not only devoured the whole lot which is always a relief as a food stylist, but he also made sure the food looked amazing.

 Bwydydd Siapan mewn newydd wedd

Yng nghanol hirlwm y gaeaf mae angen bwydydd cysurus fydd yn rhoi gwen ar eich hwyneb ac egni yn eich naid. Powlen o uwd wedi’i felysu gyda suddog y masarnen yw’r dewis i mi bob bore.  Mae potel o’r suddog arbennig yma’n werth y byd yn rhan o’r cwpwrdd stor ac yn gwella pob math o ryseitiau lle mae angen melysder.

Cefais lawer o bleser yn ddiweddar yn creu ryseitiau newydd yn cyfuno blas unigyw suddog Masarnen Clarks gyda bwydydd Siapan. Gwnaeth Huw Jones, ffotograffydd talentog o Gasnewydd, yn sicr fod y lluniau’n dod â dwr i ddanedd gan fwyta llond bol yn y broses!

Gweler y ryseitiau islaw.

Salmon nigiri sushi with Clarks maple syrup pickled ginger

Ingredients (Serves 6)

200 -250g thick piece of skinned fresh salmon fillet

Wasabi paste

Sticky rice

350 g Japanese sticky rice

600ml cold water

6 tablespoons rice vinegar

3 tablespoons Clarks maple syrup

1 teaspoon salt

Clarks maple syrup pickled ginger

3 tablespoons Clarks maple syrup

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

5 cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced thinly using a mandolin

To serve

4 tablespoons Japanese dark soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 dessertspoon Clarks maple syrup

Wasabi paste

Method

Cut the salmon into thin slices.
Rinse the rice in plenty of cold water. Drain and put it into a large saucepan with the cold water.
Bring the rice to the boil and then simmer, uncovered for 10 -15 minutes.
Remove from the heat and cover with a tight fitting lid and allow to stand for 15 minutes.
Mix together 4 tablespoons of vinegar, 3 tablespoons of Clarks maple syrup and salt.
Tip the cooked rice into a large bowl and gradually add the vinegar and syrup mixture until the rice has absorbed the liquid and looks glossy.
Mix the remaining vinegar with a cupful of cold water.
Wet your hands with the vinegared water and mould a small ball of rice into a small block (about 1 tablespoon rice).
Cut the salmon into small rectangles, measuring about 6 cm x 3 cm (or to the size of the rice blocks). Put a small dot of wasabi on the cut face of the salmon and smear to cover. Finally, lay the salmon neatly on top of the rice.
Pickled ginger

Mix together the vinegar and Clarks maple syrup and add the ginger slices. Leave to absorb the flavours for about 10 minutes then strain.

To serve –

Mix the soy, Clarks maple syrup and rice vinegar together and place in small shallow bowls.

Arrange the sushi on a serving plate. Place a small pile of pickled ginger, wasabi and a small dipping bowl of sauce to the side and serve.

Maple syrup marinated seared beef sashimi

Ingredients (Serves 4 as a starter or light meal)

2 x 250g pieces fillet steak

4 tablespoons Clarks maple syrup

2 tablespoons sake

2 tablespoons light soy sauce

2 tablespoons dark soy sauce

Sunflower oil

Salad ingredients

1 carrot, peeled and sliced finely lengthways

1 Japanese mooli , peeled and sliced finely lengthways

½ red onion, sliced thinly

½ cucumber, deseeded and sliced finely lengthways

1 red chilli, deseeded and sliced finely lengthways

3 cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced finely

4 sprigs fresh coriander

Dressing

¼ tsp wasabi paste

Juice and zest 1 lime

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon sweet chilli sauce

Clarks maple syrup

To serve

Clarks maple syrup

Soy sauce

Sea salt

Method

Place the beef in a shallow bowl. Combine the Clarks maple syrup, sake and soy sauces in a small bowl and pour over the beef. Leave to marinate for 2-3 hours.
Remove from the marinade and pat dry.
Heat a heavy based frying pan until smoking hot. Add 1 tbls sunflower oil and sear the beef on each side until deep brown and caramelised.
Remove the beef from the pan and allow to rest whilst you prepare the salad.
Fill a large bowl with ice water and plunge the salad ingredients into the water for 5 minutes to crisp. Remove, drain thoroughly and pat dry.
To make the dressing. Take a large salad bowl and add the wasabi, juice and zest of lime, the vegetable oil and sweet chilli sauce. Add a squirt of Clarks maple syrup to taste and stir to combine.

To serve – Take a large wooden board and drizzle liberally with the Clarks maple syrup and soy sauce. Roll the beef over the board to coat well. Slice the beef into very thin slices. Sprinkle with sea salt for extra flavour and crunch. Add the salad ingredients to the dressing and toss. Serve garnished with fresh coriander.

Seafood tempura with dipping sauces

Serves 4 as a starter

10 raw tiger prawns, heads removed and peeled

100g small squid, cleaned and cut into rings (and tentacles)

Sunflower oil for deep fat frying

For the tempura batter

100g plain flour

100g corn flour

1 teaspoon salt

250 ml ice cold sparkling water

Dipping sauces

Clarks tempura dipping sauce

8 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce

1 tablespoon light soy sauce

¼ tsp Chinese five-spice powder

1 teaspoon maple syrup

Splash of water to loosen

Soy and Clarks maple syrup sauce

4 tablespoons dark soy sauce

2 tsp maple syrup

Method

Mix together the ingredients for the dipping sauces and divide between small bowls.
Heat the oil in a large pan or deep fat fryer to 190⁰C/375⁰F
To make the batter – mix together the flour and corn flour in a large bowl and season.
Add the ice cold sparkling water and mix with a spoon. Do not over mix. The batter should be quite lumpy.
Drop the seafood into the batter to coat. Add the seafood one at a time to the hot oil for about a minute until crisp and very lightly golden. Drain on kitchen paper. The batter should be crisp but very thin.
Serve immediately with the dipping sauces.

Maple syrup glazed duck noodle soup

Ingredients (Serves 4)

2-3 duck breast fillets

2 tablespoons rice wine

2 tablespoons Japanese soy sauce

2 tablespoons Clarks maple syrup

1 litre chicken stock

4 handfuls mixed greens e.g bok choi, choi sum, chard, washed and roughly chopped

1 red chilli, deseeded and sliced finely

1 spring onion, finely sliced

200g udon noodles ,

Japanese soy, Clarks maple syrup, sweet chilli sauce to season

Method

Mix together the rice wine, soy sauce and maple syrup in a small bowl.
Add the duck, flesh side down and marinate for a few hours.
Pre -heat a frying pan and cook the duck skin side down for 3-5 minutes until dark brown and crispy. Turn the duck over and cook for a further 5 minutes or until cooked to your liking.
Set aside to rest.
Bring the stock to the boil and add the greens for 2-3 minutes until tender.
Take a large plate and drizzle with sweet chilli sauce, soy sauce and Clarks maple syrup. Use tongs to remove the greens from the stock and drain slightly. Pile on to the prepared plate and add the spring onions and chilli.
Add the noodles to the stock you used for the greens and cook according to pack instructions.
Thinly slice the duck at a slight angle and season .
To serve – Take 4 bowls to the table. Let your guests drizzle the bowls with maple syrup, chilli sauce and soy as they wish. Divide the drained noodles between the bowls. Let everyone toss the noodles and then heap on the tossed greens and sliced duck.
Finally, serve the hot stock in a large teapot to pour over the noodles and duck.