Orange Blossom Water
How to Use Orange Blossom Water
Orange blossom (or flower) water is one of those ingredients that immediately transports you to another place, somewhere hot, of bustling markets, food stalls and spice traders. Its aroma is addictive, the taste unmistakable.
Made from a distillation of bitter orange blossoms it is most popular in the Middle East, France and other Mediterranean countries. Used sparingly it is most often featured in dessert preperations, flavouring custards, creams, fruit salads and baked fruit desserts. A drop or two in a creme brulee mixture or added to a stock syrup will give an interesting dimension, particularly when paired with fresh mint.
I like to flavour olive oil based dressings for fish and vegetables with it; warm some olive oil, add a teaspoon of crushed coriander seeds, some shredded mint or basil, a couple of tomatoes skinned, seeds removed and flesh cut into dice, mix it all together with a drop of the blossom water.
Miles,
I keep this and rose water in store although I would never have thought of using it in a vegetable dish. I add it to icing for cake and sometimes in a light sponge.
Lemon report … doing nicely. I’m fascinated by the process and feel like an alchemist!
Cid
p.s. Snipe report … zero
September 30, 2007 @ 3:21 pm
Cid,
Re the vegetables, it can also be mixed into softened butter as well as olive oil for a simple flavouring. A little harissa or chermoula also works well.
Glad to hear the lemons are doing well.
Miles
September 30, 2007 @ 4:31 pm
Miles,
I love this blog … no one mentions things like chermoula to me normally. Hence forth I shall be famous in these parts for preserved lemons and slow gin! As you pointed out to us recently, it’s the season for apples and mine have blushed sufficiently to be harvested. I fancy tarte tatin for Tuesday although I’m never certain what type to use. Dare I say it, I also fancy making my own puff pastry for the first time in years. Today I made a pecan, date and apple cake, flavoured with cinnamon (how I hate grinding the stuff) and glazed with quince jelly. My verdict was that it needed more spice but the texture was lighted than expected, due mainly to my vintage Kenwood mixer, god bless it!
Cid
September 30, 2007 @ 6:49 pm
Cid,
Thanks! Great news about the apples, it has been a bumper year for apple harvesting (particularly in Lincolnshire) There isn’t much that can beat an apple tart tatin at this time of year, I served it at an AA (the guide, not the alcoholics) meeting and the Inspectors attending loved it. We use Cox’s apples because they taste great and retain their shape. You could glaze it with some of your quince jelly and then top it with vanilla ice cream, nothing else.
Your cake sounds wonderful, the sort of thing that makes you forget about the end of summer and embrace the autumn. Did you consider spicing the dates?
As for the tuesday gang, they’re a bunch of lucky buggers!
Miles
ps You should e mail me the pecan cake recipe and I’ll gladly post it-might even put it on the menu!
September 30, 2007 @ 9:44 pm
Miles,
I’ll drop you a line with the cake details … the fruit and nuts always seem to lurk at the base, no doubt there’s a trick to sort that out?
You’ll not be surprised to know that I’ve got a multifunctional apple tree that gives three different varieties, one branch of which is Cox’s (mother nature would never approve). I must weigh up whether the Tuesday crowd are worth it … mind you they wouldn’t know their Cox’s from their Granny Smith’s once ‘tatined’ so what the heck!
Cid - taking time out during lunch break
October 1, 2007 @ 1:30 pm