Seasonal Sensations Dips & Relishes for Summer Gatherings & Winter Warmers

A good dip does much more than sit in a bowl waiting for something to be dragged through it. It has to cling just enough to whatever you’re dipping, deliver a clear burst of flavour in a small amount, and still make you want another bite. When a dip “works”, you rarely stop to analyse why; when it doesn’t, you notice immediately. This book gives you a simple way to think about what is happening so you can fix problems and design your own recipes with confidence.

At its core, every successful dip balances three things: flavour, texture, and stability. Flavour is the obvious one, how it tastes on the tongue and smells in the nose, but it is also the easiest to misjudge if you only season once and never taste again. Texture is about how the dip feels in the mouth and behaves on the food: too stiff and it tears bread; too loose and it slides straight off a carrot stick or chip. Stability is what stops it separating into sad layers of oil and water in the bowl, or turning watery around the edges after half an hour on the table.