MINT
MINT is another extremely versatile herb with a very aromatic menthol flavor with a cooling after taste.
It’s a fantastic herb to use in savory, sweet and spicy dishes and is so powerful in flavor it will cut through all foods and you will always catch a hint of it as an after taste. It’s used a lot in Mexican cuisine.
There are many different species of mint, peppermint, spearmint, cat mint all are divine to add to dishes.
You can use it dried or fresh, to infuse or as a whole leaf as garnish and it pairs exceptionally well with black beans, lentils, aubergine, tomatoes, yoghurt dressing, chocolate and fruit.
Mint was traditionally used to aid stomach aches and chest pains, and is also used widely as breath fresheners as well as used by campers to repel mosquitoes.
RECIPE:
Lentil, mint and tomato salad
Ingredients:100g lentils
500ml chicken stock
1 onion, finely chopped
1 big bunch mint
3 tomatoes, concassed
Method:
· Soak the lentils overnight, then bring to the boil in the chicken stock and simmer until soft. Drain
· Sauté the onions until lightly golden and add to the lentils.
· Concasse the tomatoes and add to the lentils, roughly chop the mint, combine all together, drizzle with olive oil and season well.
Minted chocolate fondue with fruitIngredients:
300g couveture chocolate
150ml cream
2 big bunches mint
100g sugar
Assorted fruits, to dip in
Method:
· Heat the cream then add the chocolate and mint and allow melting down, adding the sugar once all completely dissolved, and the mint has infused, removing the sprigs and keeping the chocolate on a low heat. Dip in the fruit and indulge……..
These pictures are from http://www.stockfoods.com/
