THE SECRET INGREDIENT – KINGSDOWN SPARKLING SPRING WATER

Kingsdown_330ml-Sparkling

A premium bottle of sparkling spring water has forever been a staple on fine dining tables to complement the food and enhance the dining experience. However many chefs are going a step further by using sparkling spring water as a secret ingredient.

Robert Hardman for the Daily Mail visited Tom Kerridge’s brand new Bar & Grill at the Corinthia Hotel on Northumberland Avenue and discovered, “the secret ingredient in the batter : Sparkling water. Apparently, the bubbles in the £4-a-bottle Kingsdown mineral water put a little extra lightness and pzazz into the mix”.

It’s the tiny little bubbles that make sparkling water such a smart ingredient in cooking and baking. These bubbles create pockets of air that expand when heated resulting in food having a lighter and airier consistency. Read on to find out our favourite ways of enhancing everyday cooking with that secret ingredient – sparkling spring water.

Batter

Tempura and all other batters used to coat fish, meat and vegetables can really benefit from a good splash of sparkling spring water. The carbonation makes the coating light, airy and crispier than regular batter.

Pancakes and waffles

For a stack of extra fluffy cloud like pancakes and soft bouncy waffles swap the milk or still water in your recipe for sparkling water and cook as you would normally. The results are super light and airy.

Marinating meat

Simply use the same spices and seasoning you usually would and work them into the meat before allowing it to sit in the sparkling water for 30 minutes. It makes cuts of meat softer and juicier.

Boiling vegetables

Boiling vegetables in sparkling water softens them more quickly so that cooking times can be decreased, allowing you to preserve more of the vegetables’ vitamin content. It also helps maintain the vegetables’ natural colour.

Smoothies

Try swapping all or part of the liquid in your smoothie for sparkling water, for a ‘sparkling smoothie’. It makes for a smoothie that’s fizzy, airy and light.