Aromatics

Some chefs list aromatics as the basic ingredients needed for many dishes, or to enhance the flavours of a dish. These ingredients include garlic, onions, lemons, ginger and can be enjoyed as the feature ingredient in a dish. Here I’ll discuss these, and show what you can create with simple ingredients. I’ll not talk about spices here as there is a separate section on these in the Indian pages.

So here they are in order: onion, garlic, lemons, ginger. With recipes for Pickled Onions, White Bean Dip, Roasted Garlic, Onion Garlic Soup, Fresh Lemonade, Preserved Lemons, Ginger Broth, Pickled Ginger.

Pickled Onions

• 8-10 onions (to fit a litre jar)
• 5 bay leaves
• white wine vinegar (enough to cover onions in saucepan)
• 1 tbs black peppercorns
• sprig of parsley
• pinch of sugar

Place all ingredients in a saucepan ensuring that the vinegar covers the onions. Simmer until soft. Cool, then place in sterilised jars. Prepare a 1 litre (4 cup) jar with lid for use – sterilise clean jars by placing in a warm oven at 110C/225F for 15 minutes. Serve as part of an antipasto plate, for ploughmans lunch, or as a salad – chopped with mint and parsley.

Check out caramelised onion recipes

Garlic, onions, and leeks are members of the Allium family, the most pungent of all vegetables. The flavour and odour is activated when the sulphur compounds and enzymes are exposed to air when the bulbs are crushed or cut. However, during cooking the sulphur compound is destroyed and the garlic becomes sweeter and milder in flavour. When buying choose firm dry heads, without soft or coloured patches.

Roasting garlic enhances the sweetness of the garlic and is great for garlic bread, mashed in with mashed potato, or with other roasted vegetables. Create a white bean dip with cloves from 1 head of garlic roasted, 1 can of cannellini beans (drained), Ό cup chopped mint, 2 tbs lemon juice, 2 tbs olive oil, 1 tsp ground cumin. Process all ingredients until smooth.

To roast garlic – sprinkle wholeheads of garlic (unpeeled with olive oil and roast in a 200C/400F oven for 40-50 minutes. Roast with other vegetables to save energy and your cooking time overall.

Onion and Garlic Soup serves 4

• 3 heads of garlic (unpeeled)
• 8 brown onions (unpeeled and cut in half)
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 2 cups (16fl oz) water
• 4 cups (32fl oz) vegetable stock
• 3 potatoes (peeled, chopped)
• 2 tbs parsley (finely chopped)
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup gruyere or parmesan cheese

1. Place garlic, onions (cut side down) and olive oil in a baking dish in preheated oven 200C/400F. Bake for 50 minutes or until soft.
2. Remove skins from garlic and onions, and chop onions in half.
3. Place all ingredients, except the cheese, in a large saucepan and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes.
4. Serve with cheese sprinkled over the top.

Lemon enhances flavours in a dish. It is used as a souring agent. It can be used fresh, cooked, and preserved using both the flesh and the skin. Choose those that are dry and heavy. They can be kept in a bowl up to a week and in the fridge for 3 weeks.

For dishes that call for the rind – use only the coloured rind, and not the white pith on the underside of the rind. Before juicing press and roll the lemon on a hard surface – this loosens the membranes making it easy to squeeze the juice out.

Use finely grated lemon rind in sweet and savoury dishes. It’s great in stewed apple, apple crumble, and in salad dressings, as well as teas.

Fresh lemonade - squeeze lemons and add to chilled sparkling or still water. Add sugar or honey to taste and serve.

Preserved lemons

• ½ cup rock salt
• 5 lemons
• 5 bay leaves
• 1 tbs black peppercorns
• lemon juice to cover
• 3 tbs virgin olive oil

1. Prepare a 1 litre (4 cup) jar with lid for use – sterilise clean jars by placing in a warm oven at 110C/225F for 15 minutes.
2. Put 1 tbs of salt in the bottom of the jar.
3. In a bowl combine lemons with remaining salt and mix salt into lemons well.
4. Stir through bay leaves and peppercorns.
5. Pack lemons in the jar with the rinds facing out, ensuring bay leaves and peppercorns are scattered throughout.
6. Press lemons firmly into the jar, cover with lemon juice.
7. Top with olive oil to seal. Screw on lid.
8. Leave jar in a cool, dark place for 1 month before using the fruit.

Remove flesh and pith before using preserved lemons leaving just the rind. Rinse, dry lightly and finely chop the rind. Use in salsa with capers and parsley, in cooked fruit dishes or cook with onions and stir through couscous.

Ginger is hot and spicy. Use in juices, marinades, teas, stir-fry, curries, soups. It can be pickled, glace, minced, grated, preserved; it can be used powdered, dried, fresh.

Young ginger is best as it is less fibrous. Look for those with pink tips and paper thin skin. Older ginger is stronger and hotter.

Ginger Broth

• 2 tbs ginger (grated or shredded – cut in very fine strips)
• 4 spring (green) onions (chopped)
• 2 tbs soy sauce
• 4 cups (23 fl oz) vegetable stock
• 1 star anise

Combine all ingredients and simmer for about 3 minutes.Serve with salads, steamed vegetables, or enjoy as a light meal.

Pickled Ginger

Slice ginger very thinly and place in sweetened white wine vinegar. It may turn pink - this is a natural reaction.

Galangal is a member of the same family as ginger. It has a more of a lemon, pepper flavour. It is essential in Thai cooking.
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