Hot honey is hot property – suddenly, every honey brand has one. As I’m equal parts sucker and cynic, I wanted to take part in this unimportant cultural moment, but I wanted more than a tickle of heat for your toast. I fancied flavour, too – call me old fashioned. The orange gives this hot honey life, which is just so typical of orange. Use it on this dreamboat of ricotta toast first, then keep the rest in an airtight container. It’s great with any salty white cheese (especially halloumi) or drizzled on a chicken halfway through roasting.
Serves 2
ricotta 100g
milk (any kind) 2 tbsp
extra virgin olive oil
sourdough or pain de campagne (anything crusty and rustic) 2 slices, toasted
salted pistachios 20g, roughly chopped
flaky salt
For the honey
dark honey 80g
aleppo chilli flakes 1 tsp
orange peel 1 strip
ground cinnamon a pinch
orange juice 2 tsp
Heat the honey with the chilli flakes, strip of orange peel and pinch of cinnamon until very liquid and bubbling at the edges. Turn the heat off and leave it to cool for five minutes. Discard the orange peel and stir through the orange juice.
To assemble the toast, first loosen the ricotta with the milk in a little bowl.
Drizzle olive oil on the toasts, then spread the ricotta using the back of a spoon. Top each slice with chopped salted pistachios, plenty of honey and a pinch of flaky salt.
Laura Goodman is the author of The Joy of Snacks (Headline, £17) and Carbs (Quadrille, £15)
