This time we’re going to spare you some of our favorite recipes and techniques with honey involved. Sweet, isn’t it?
First thing that comes to mind is an infusion. We like to infuse, because it’s one of the easiest ways to turn one ingredient into something interesting and new by altering its flavor but staying with its nature. Toast some spices and warm your honey (place its container in a pot with hot water), blend the two together, and let the mixture sit overnight. Then strain the spices or leave them inside if it’s not a big deal for you. What can go in? Caraway, chili peppers and black peppercorns, fennel seeds and vanilla pods – all is great!
Glazing technique is something that you must think of in an upcoming fruit season. Take pears or apples, peel and quarter them, add some oil in a pan and put fruits in, sear them a little, and add a spoonful of honey to the pan. It will soon start caramelizing and covering pears/apples with a merry glitter. Consider it done. What to do with the finished dish is up to you. You can devour it as is or chop and add to sour cream, ice cream, panna cotta, on top of a cream cheese or goat cheese bruschetta, you name it.
Don’t forget to use honey when you are working with some sour, bitter sauces. Can you add some sugar? Yes, you can. But with honey you can build a more pronounced exciting flavor profile, a whole new dimension of flavor. Consider spaghetti sauce. If it is too sour, you can sweeten it with honey to your liking. Any other sauce can be fixed that way, let alone sauces that were supposed to include honey as one of the main ingredients: honey-mustard or honey-garlic, BBQ, sweet chili or honey-soy dipping sauce. You gotta love them all.
And the last but not the least is our recipe for a dessert (we’ve gotta justify the honey thing somehow, right?). It’s a classic honeycomb that chefs and home cooks around the world love and cherish so much. Why? It’s easy, it’s gorgeous, it’s so honey-oriented. When you look at it, you immediately realize that it’s the essence of desserts with honey. Take 250 gr / ¾ cup liquid gold and 60 gr / ¼ cup water, mix in a pot and wait until it reaches 150ºC / 300ºF (yes, for that you’ll need a thermometer). Stir in 1 Tbsp of baking soda. It will make the candy rise bubbling. Don’t be afraid, it won’t hurt you. But take it, nonetheless, carefully and scoop the mixture out onto a baking mat or a parchment paper, let it cool. It will set and become quite solid for you to crumble it with your bare hands. Use this brittle honeycomb as you wish. We like it on top of a morning porridge, with a scoop of ice cream or as an escort to a cup of coffee or tea.
What do you think?