The Botanical Kitchen by Elly McCausland

Author:Elly McCausland
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781472969446
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Published: 1989-03-18T16:00:00+00:00

Herbs often provide useful substitutes for one another, too – lemongrass, lemon verbena, lemon myrtle and lemon balm all contain high levels of citronella and citral, as do the leaves of the kaffir or makrut lime plant. Aside from their curious habit of sprouting one leaf from another like a parent and child, these leaves are visually unremarkable; it is only when shredded and infused in the enveloping richness of coconut milk that their potent citrus qualities come to the fore, and they are essential in many southeast Asian dishes. Only the fresh or frozen leaves – the latter of which defrost in minutes and are every bit as aromatic as their just-off-the-plant counterparts – will offer you the strong, citrus snap of the kaffir lime plant, particularly when shredded finely and stirred into simmering sweet coconut milk or pounded with chilli, ginger and coriander in a pestle and mortar.

One of the best ways to bring out the qualities of many leaves is to cosset them in milk or cream. Dairy coaxes out the flavour of these aromatic botanicals, allowing it to permeate your cooking: think lemon thyme or lemon verbena added to a creamy white sauce for baked salmon, or the grassy tang of blackcurrant leaves rippled through an ice-cream custard. Hot water is also a good way to extract the freshness of herbs: both lemon verbena leaves and lemongrass (pounded briefly in a pestle and mortar) make a wonderfully palate-cleansing tea. As should be obvious from the very concept of pesto, whose name derives from the Italian verb pestare (to pound or crush), applying pressure to fragile herbs releases much of their fragrance. It is a surefire way to unleash their full potential in a dish, whether it be crushed lemon thyme leaves stirred through crumbly ricotta to serve with honeyed figs, or a spice paste, pounded and scented with lime leaves, for baking tender pieces of white fish.

Reading leaves, whether those of tea or books, has long been a magical, transporting experience. Edible leaves are no exception. Learn to ‘read’ these delicate botanicals and harness their potential in the kitchen: it will open up a world of culinary discovery.

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