Ripe ... Cloves
The Age
Saturday December 20, 2008
With the promise of honey-glazed ham for Christmas lunch just around the corner, it seems the perfect time to consider pungent cloves. The dried, unopened flower buds of the evergreen tropical tree Syzygium aromaticum pack a punch in flavour. Cloves impart a warm, deep spice to both sweet and savoury dishes, but biting one accidentally is much like chewing on a cardamom pod - awful. Clove comes from the Latin word that means nail, referring to its shape; the rounded end is the flower bud. The clove tree is a native of Indonesia, with Brazil, Madagascar, India, and Zanzibar all large producers of the fragrant spice. Fresh cloves are pink, turning brown once dried. Buy cloves whole and store in an airtight container. The ground version is available in jars too and, while convenient to use, loses its intense flavour quickly. Make a tea to aid digestion by pouring one cup of boiling water on to one teaspoon of cloves, steep for 10 minutes and mix through a teaspoon of honey. Cloves are an essential ingredient in many spice mixes, including garam masala and curry powders, and is a key ingredient in biryani. Add a few with four crushed cardamom pods, curry leaves, a cinnamon quill and turmeric when cooking rice to make an aromatic dish. Clove pairs perfectly with apple, so add a little when making apple sauce or pie. A light shake of clove powder and cinnamon adds depth to bolognese sauces and ragout. Nothing is more inviting, however, than decorative arrangements of cloves on a freshly baked tray of baklava, cut in diagonal pieces, or a pretty, clove-studded leg of ham.
TESSIE VANDERWERT
© 2008 The Age