By Nancy Baggett
Special to The Washington Post
Certain herbs seem to belong in certain dishes: Sage defines poultry stuffing. Tarragon dazzles in sauce béarnaise and, as it happens, lavender is killer in pork fried rice.
Oh, wait. You don’t put it in your fried rice? Well, you’re missing out.
Those who sample my lavender-enhanced version often comment on its tempting herbal element, but they never can identify it, perhaps because it seems refreshing and modern and not at all how they imagine lavender tastes. I’m obliged to clear things up for you: Lavender does not have to taste like it smells in lotions and soaps.
In fact, this herb has a chameleon-like spicy, citrusy, piney character that mingles with and amps up the flavor of fruits, nuts, creamy cheeses and robust meats. It can lend a palate-pleasing pop in far more dishes and cuisines than you would ever guess.
When you are ready to cook with it lavender at home, make sure it’s designed for the kitchen, not for crafting. Fresh and dried lavender buds typically can be used interchangeably, but fresh is more potent and infuses mixtures more quickly. Good sources for culinary dried lavender are gourmet and health food stores and farmers market.
Fresh lavender bunches begin drying out almost immediately after being cut, and once fully dried, all bunches are harvested the same way: Simply rub the spikes between your fingers over a large plate to capture the fragrant buds that fall away. But be sure to use only pesticide-free plants. Specifically seek out culinary varieties: The sweetest and tastiest of all are the “English” angustifolia lavenders; alternatively, go for the “French” lavandin (hybrid) lavenders such as the famous “Provence.”
What you should avoid are all the “Spanish” or stoechas lavenders (those with pine cone-shaped spikes and little floral topknots) and the ones labeled “fern-leaf” or “denta.” Those are too peppery and resinous to eat.
A few ways to jump-start your lavender immersion:
Like tea, lavender flavor is best when the fresh spikes or dried buds are combined with barely boiling liquid and allowed to stand. Steeping it in hot water, oil, cream or other liquids is a common way to extract lavender’s flavor for cooking. Taste the infused mixture occasionally, and once the lavender flavor has reached the desired strength, strain the liquid through a fine-mesh sieve. It’s then ready to use. Avoid a long infusion or lengthy cooking of lavender, as they make the herb taste harsh and stale.
Crushing, grinding or mashing lavender into dry ingredients such as salt, sugar and flour using a mortar and pestle or food processor is another handy infusion method. For fine texture, strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any remaining lavender bits before adding the mixture in a recipe.
Try substituting lavender in recipes that call for rosemary or thyme. Lavender has a somewhat similar scent and pungency yet is a nice change of pace, especially when paired with lamb, pork, smoked meats, duck and poultry. Like rosemary leaves, dried lavender buds are often a bit too coarse to add as-is to some recipes. You can chop them or crush them using a mortar and pestle. Or prepare a large quantity in advance by putting at least 1/4 cup in a food processor; process for four or five minutes or until coarsely ground. (The same job will take about a minute in a spice grinder.)
Pluck the tiny bloomlets, called corollas, from fresh lavender spikes and use them to add beautiful color and tempting little pings of flavor to dishes. You can also garnish using whole sprigs and chopped tender leaves; the latter are less potent than the spikes.
Pan-grilled apricots with honey-orange lavender syrup
5 or 6 servings
This is a riff on a dish served at Nopi that was so popular, the London restaurant’s co-owner Yotam Ottolenghi included it in the “Nopi” cookbook. Here, the stone fruit is quickly seared, then cooked down until slightly caramelized.
It can go savory or sweet; serve alongside robust grilled or roasted meats or poultry dishes. Or create a simple but memorable dessert by dividing the fruit among individual dessert plates or bowls and topping each serving with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Make ahead: The syrup mixture needs to infuse for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours.
For the syrup
2⁄3 cup clover honey
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest plus 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice or blood orange juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh culinary lavender spikes (flower heads) or 1 tablespoon dried culinary lavender buds (see headnote for Candied Lavender Pecans, at top right)
1 teaspoon coarsely crushed coriander seed
For the fruit
6 or 7 medium, just ripe peaches or nectarines, or 8 or 9 large just-ripe apricots
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon olive oil or safflower oil
Pinch fine sea salt
For the syrup: Stir together the honey, the zest and juice, lavender and coriander seed in a medium nonreactive saucepan until well blended. Bring almost to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and let stand 1 hour to allow the flavors to infuse. Taste; if a more pronounced flavor is desired, cover and continue infusing the syrup for up to 4 hours, until the desired flavor is developed.
Reheat the syrup over medium-low heat until warmed through, then strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a glass jar or other nonreactive storage container. Discard any solids. The yield is 1 generous cup; you’ll need 1/3 to 1/2 cup for this recipe (to taste). The rest can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
For the fruit: Thoroughly wash the fruit and pat it dry. Cut each peach or nectarine into 5 or 6 wedges; cut apricots in 4 or 5 slices. Discard the pits.
Heat the butter, oil and salt in a large skillet over high heat until bubbling and hot but not smoking. Add the fruit pieces, flesh sides down; sear them until nicely browned, about 2 minutes. Stir in 1/3 cup of the honey-lavender syrup, reduce the heat to medium and, cook, stirring and gently turning the fruit, for 2 to 3 minutes more, until the liquid boils down and begins to caramelize but the fruit pieces still hold their shape. Use a slotted spoon to immediately transfer the fruit to a plate.
Add 2 or 4 more tablespoons of syrup (the larger amount for tarter fruit) to the skillet. Cook, stirring, until reduced and slightly thickened. Let cool in the skillet.
When ready to serve, return the fruit to the skillet and cook over medium-low heat, gently stirring, just until reheated and well coated. Strew the fruit with fresh lavender “bloomlets” before serving, if desired. Pass syrup at the table, if you like.
Nutrition per serving (based on 6, using apricots, olive oil and 1/3 cup syrup): 110 calories, 1 g protein, 21 g carbohydrates, 3 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 5 mg cholesterol, 45 mg sodium, 1 g dietary fiber, 19 g sugar
— From cookbook author Nancy Baggett
Lavender pom-berry sorbet
Lavender has a great affinity for blackberries, blueberries, pomegranate and honey. The honey not only rounds out the flavor but helps keep the sorbet texture smooth.
Make ahead: The berry-juice mixture needs to infuse for at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours. The sorbet needs to firm up in the freezer for at least 1 hour before serving, and it can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
2 cups fresh or frozen/defrosted blackberries, coarsely chopped
1 1⁄2 cups water
1 1⁄4 cups pure bottled pomegranate-blueberry juice, plus more as needed
6 tablespoons sugar
1⁄2 cup clover honey, plus more as needed
1 tablespoon chopped fresh culinary lavender spikes (bloom heads) or 1 tablespoon dried culinary lavender buds
1⁄3 cup fresh lime juice
Thoroughly stir together the blackberries, water, pomegranate-blueberry juice, sugar and honey in a medium nonreactive saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring. Adjust the heat so the mixture boils gently, and cook until the berries are soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the lavender and lime juice, then remove from the heat.
Taste, and thoroughly stir in a little more honey, as needed. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour (fresh lavender will infuse more quickly than dried buds). Taste; if the lavender flavor is pronounced enough, strain the mixture through a sieve into a 4-cup measure. Press down with a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible. For more intense lavender flavor, refrigerate, tasting occasionally, for up to 3 hours before straining. Stir enough additional pomegranate-blueberry juice into the measure to yield a generous 33⁄4 cups.
Refrigerate, covered, until well chilled. Pre-chill a storage container to hold the finished sorbet. Process the mixture in an ice cream maker following the manufacturer’s directions. Immediately put the sorbet in the chilled freezer container and freeze until firm, at least 1 hour, before serving. Freeze for up to 2 weeks.
Nutrition per 1⁄2-cup serving, makes 8 servings: 140 calories, 0 g protein, 37 g carbohydrates, 0 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 0 mg sodium, 2 g dietary fiber, 34 g sugar
— From cookbook author Nancy Baggett
Quick Ham-Fried Rice With Lavender
You’ll be surprised how well the floral herb marries with pork in this quick stir-fry, providing a certain yet subtle something extra.
If you have leftover cooked rice on hand, you can quickly turn it into a meal with this recipe. Use the larger quantity of ham suggested for a main dish, the smaller amount for a side.
2 tablespoons safflower oil, sesame oil or other vegetable oil
1 cup thinly sliced scallions (white and green parts), plus 1 1/2 tablespoons coarsely chopped scallions (white and light-green parts), for optional garnish
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup seeded, chopped red bell pepper
1 to 1 1/4 teaspoons finely minced fresh culinary lavender spikes (bloom heads) or coarsely ground dried culinary lavender buds
1 1/4 teaspoons minced or grated peeled fresh ginger root
1 to 1 1/2 cups trimmed and coarsely diced thick-sliced baked ham or pre-cooked ham steak
2 1/2 cups cooked and cooled long-grain white or brown rice
1/2 cup golden or dark seedless raisins, or a combination
2 1/2 to 3 tablespoons low- sodium soy sauce, or more as needed
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons salted peanuts or cashews, for garnish (optional)
Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Once the oil is shimmering, stir in the cup of sliced scallions, the celery, bell pepper, lavender (to taste), ginger and ham; cook, stirring frequently,
Thoroughly stir in the rice, raisins, 2 1/2 tablespoons of the soy sauce and the black pepper (to taste). Continue cooking, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes, until the vegetables are crisp-tender and the rice is heated through. Taste, and add more soy sauce, as needed.
Transfer to a serving bowl or divide among individual plates. Garnish with the chopped scallions and peanuts or cashews, if using. Serve right away.
Nutrition Per serving (based on 3, using safflower oil, baked ham, brown rice and golden raisins): 420 calories, 15 g protein, 63 g carbohydrates, 14 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 30 mg cholesterol, 900 mg sodium, 6 g dietary fiber, 17 g sugar
— From cookbook author Nancy Baggett
Candied lavender pecans
These make wonderful cocktail munchies, snacks and garnishes for salads and cheese plates. If you can bear to part with them, package them nicely and give as a gift to somebody you really like.
For gently flavored sugar, use only a tablespoon of dried lavender; add up to 2 tablespoons for a pronounced aroma and taste.
Make ahead: The nuts can be stored in an airtight container at a cool room temperature for up to 2 weeks or refrigerated for up to 1 month.
For the lavender sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons dried culinary lavender buds
2 cups granulated sugar
For the candied pecans
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more as needed
2 cups unsalted pecan halves
For the lavender sugar: Combine the lavender (to taste) and 1/2 cup of the sugar in a food processor. Process until the lavender is ground very finely, 4 to 5 minutes. (Alternatively, grind the lavender and sugar in a spice grinder for 1 minute.) Stir the ground lavender sugar through a fine-mesh strainer, then return the strained mixture to the processor. Add the remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar; process for 1 minute or until well combined. You’ll use 1/2 cup of the lavender sugar for the pecans; reserve the rest in an airtight container at room temperature.
For the candied pecans: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with heavy-duty aluminum foil.
Use a wooden spoon to stir together 1/2 cup of the lavender sugar and the 1/4 teaspoon of salt in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar starts to melt, about 2 minutes. Working carefully, continuously stir and scrape the sugar into a pool until most is melted, being careful to avoid splashups.
Stir in the pecans until coated; this should take about 2 minutes. Don’t worry if the coating isn’t completely even. If at any point the pan smokes or the sugar or pecans smell burned, lift the pan from the burner and continue to stir.
Immediately transfer the skillet to the oven. Roast (middle rack), stirring every 3 or 4 minutes, until nicely browned and fragrant, but not burned; this should take 7 to 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven; immediately sprinkle over additional garnishing salt, if desired. Stir the pecans well, then spread them out on the foil-lined pan. Use forks to separate any clumps or clusters; don’t touch the nuts, as they will be extremely hot. Let them cool completely, then break up any remaining clumps with your hands before serving or storing.
Nutrition per 1/4-cup serving: 220 calories, 2 g protein, 16 g carbohydrates, 18 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 65 mg sodium, 2 g dietary fiber, 13 g sugar
— From cookbook author Nancy Baggett
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