If you think of honey only as a stand-in for jelly or as the main sweetener in phyllo-layered baklava and Rosh Hashanah honey cake, there’s a sweet surprise in store for you. Cooking with honey opens up a new world not only of recipes but also of flavor. That’s because honey does more than just sweeten. It adds tastes of its own.
There are more than 300 flavors of honey, from mild and fragrant to wild and assertive, and gradations in color from light gold to darkest amber.
Before the discovery and manufacture of cane sugar in the 18th Century, humankind satisfied its sweet tooth with honey as far back as ancient Egypt in the 40th Century B.C.
Honey is sweeter than sugar, so less is needed in a recipe. Honey also helps preserve moisture in baked goods and imparts a golden color to roasted or sauteed poultry, meat and seafood. And, says Ann Cooper, executive chef at the historic Putney Inn, Putney, Vt., “It takes well to acids such as vinegar. It sweetens with body, emulsifies well and has a nice, well-rounded flavor.”
Cooper uses honey in marinades, sauces, dips and salad dressings, and to saute, bake and roast. Because honey caramelizes or browns faster than sugar, it requires lower cooking temperatures. Cooper’s technique is to start cooking at the temperature called for, then finish at a lower temperature. Her favorite flavor of honey is a Vermont specialty, apple honey.
Steve Chiappetti, chef-proprietor of Mango restaurant in Chicago, has his favorite flavor as well–lavender honey. He first sampled it in Provence, France, where it is a familiar but cherished commodity, and he uses it in a variety of recipes from lamb to honey Dijon dressing.
Chiappetti, who likes honey for grilling and roasting foods, finds its fast-browning feature a plus. He uses honey to glaze lamb, pork and chicken, but also for a signature ricotta ice cream.
Both chefs use liquid honey, the most common and convenient form. Honey also is available as comb honey (contained in the cells of the honeybee’s wax, which is edible), and “creme” or spun honey, which is thick and spreadable–on toast or as cake filling.
Chemically speaking, honey is an invert sugar composed of 38 percent fructose, 31 percent glucose, 1 percent sucrose and 9 percent other sugars, plus water and small amounts of vitamins, minerals and acids.
Nutritionally speaking, it is easily digested, having less effect on blood glucose and insulin levels because of its higher fructose content. But medically speaking, there is one exception: Never give honey in any form to infants younger than 1 year old. (Infants’ digestive tracts have not yet developed enough friendly microflora to kill botulism spores that are occasionally present in honey.) According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, “The safety of honey as a food for older children and adults remains unquestioned.”
Economically speaking, honey is a little more expensive this year. The average retail cost was up to $2.26 per pound in August this year compared to $1.73 last year. That’s due to a decrease in honeybees.
Scott Frank, a USDA public information officer in Springfield, says that a combination of parasitic mites and the exceptionally cold winter caused a 40 percent to 60 percent loss in bees, and, consequently, honey. But there still is ample honey from the country’s 3 million honey-producing colonies to satisfy our national habit. We each eat 1.1 pounds every year.
Culinarily speaking, honey is unquestionably a golden ingredient that gives baked goods, desserts, meats, poultry and seafood a Midas touch, as the accompanying recipes prove.
THOSE DANCING BEES
No wonder “busy as a bee” is a familiar aphorism:
– To make 1 pound of honey, honeybees must tap 2 million flowers, and a hive of bees logs in 55,000 miles of flight.
– A single worker bee makes only 1/12 teaspoon honey in her lifetime, visiting 50 to 100 flowers on each nectar-collecting trip.
– Honeybees have four wings that beat 11,400 times per minute; they can fly 15 m.p.h.
– Honeybees ” dance” to tell other bees the direction and distance of nectar and pollen sources.
THE COLOR AND CHARACTER OF HONEY
There are more than 300 flavors of honey available in the U.S. that derive their taste and color from the kind of flowers the bees were feasting upon. In general, the lighter the color, the milder the flavor.
Single-flower honey is produced by bees (guided by skilled beekeepers) taking nectar from one type of blossom. Multi-flower honey is produced when bees pick and choose their sources of nectar, resulting in a unique recipe. Blended honey is mixed, after harvesting, from a variety of honeys. Most commercial honey not otherwise labeled is blended.
Following are the most widely available single-flavor honeys:
Alfalfa light, mild
Avocado: amber, subtle and fragrant
Basswood: an exception to the light-mild rule, it is white and strong-flavored with a bite
Buckwheat: dark, full-bodied
Clover: light, mild, fragrant
Eucalyptus: varies from light to dark, strong-flavored
Fireweed: (from perennialflowering herb) light, mild
Orange blossom: light, mild and fragrant
Sage: light, mild and herbaceous
Tulip poplar: dark but mild
Tupelo: (from the Southeast tupelo tree blossoms) white to light, mild, resists granulation
TIPS ON COOKING WITH HONEY
– 1 jar (12 ounces) of honey equals 1 cup
– Non-stick measuring: Spray spoon or cup with non-stick spray, or measure oil or fat before honey.
– When substituting honey for sugar, reduce liquid in the recipe by 1/4 cup for each cup of honey used and add 1/2 teaspoon baking soda for each cup of honey used. Experiment by replacing only half the sugar in a recipe at first. When substituting honey for all of the sugar, reduce the amount called for by one-third. (Example: Instead of 1 cup of sugar use 2/3 cup of honey.) When baking, reduce oven temperature by 25 degrees to prevent overbrowning. If sauteing, lower flame.
– Do not refrigerate honey; store at room temperature to discourage crystallization.
– To reliquify crystallized honey: Remove lid, place jar in hot water until crystals dissolve. Or, microwave 1 cup honey in microwave-safe container on high until crystals dissolve, 2 to 3 minutes. Do not boil.
ANN COOPER’S HONEY ROSEMARY SAUCE
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20-25 minutes
Yield: 1 cup
Chef Ann Cooper says this sauce is great on chicken and duck. Just be careful not to boil the sauce more than 1 minute after the arrowroot or cornstarch is added, or it will start to thin.
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 each: small shallot, clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup each: white wine, chicken stock or broth, honey
2 tablespoons each: fresh lemon juice, chopped fresh rosemary
Salt
1 tablespoon arrowroot or cornstarch
2 teaspoons water
1. Heat oil in small saucepan over medium heat. Add shallot and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook until it begins to soften, 1 minute.
2. Add wine; cook over high heat until reduced by half, 5 minutes.
3. Add stock or broth and honey. Heat to boil and cook until slightly reduced, 5 minutes. Add lemon juice and rosemary and cook about 2 minutes to blend flavors. Add salt to taste.
4. Stir arrowroot or cornstarch into water. Whisk into sauce. Heat to a boil, whisking constantly. Reduce heat and cook 1 minute. Add drippings from chicken to saucepan, if desired, and heat through.
Nutrition information per 2 tablespoons:
Calories …….. 95 Fat …………. 2 g Cholesterol …. 0 mg
Sodium ……. 50 mg Carbohydrates .. 19 g Protein ……… 0 g
HONEY ROASTED CHICKEN
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 11/2 hours
Yield: 4 servings
1 frying chicken, about 3 1/2 pounds
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 cup honey, sage honey if available
1. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Have ready a shallow roasting pan and a rack to fit inside.
2. Rinse chicken in cold water; pat dry. Season cavity with salt and pepper. Brush inside cavity with 1 tablespoon honey. Tuck wings under chicken. Tie legs together with twine. Brush entire surface with remaining honey.
3. Place on rack in a shallow roasting pan. Roast until internal temperature reaches 180 degrees, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Let sit 5 to 10 minutes before carving.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories …….. 520 Fat ………… 26 g Cholesterol …. 165 mg
Sodium ……. 420 mg Carbohydrates .. 19 g Protein ………. 52 g
ORANGE HONEY WHEAT CHALLAH
Preparation time: 2 hours
Rising time: 21/2 hours
Cooking time: 35 minutes
Yield: 2 loaves, 18 slices each
This bread also can be shaped into traditional braided rounds.
2 1/2 cups warm water (105 to 115 degrees)
2 packages ( 1/4 ounce each) active dry yeast
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup honey, orange blossom honey if possible
1 teaspoon finely grated orange rind
3 1/2 cups each: all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour
Additional all-purpose flour for kneading
1 tablespoon water
Poppy seeds, optional
1. Stir water and yeast together in 4-quart bowl; let stand until foamy, 5 minutes. Separate yolk and white from one egg; set aside.
2. Add 2 whole eggs, egg white and salt to yeast mixture; whisk lightly. Add butter, honey and orange rind. Whisk to mix.
3. Stir together flours in separate bowl. Add to yeast mixture; stir with large spoon until a dough forms.
4. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and knead until dough is smooth and elastic, 7 to 10 minutes, sprinkling with flour as needed.
5. Transfer dough to large oiled bowl, turning dough over once to coat top with oil. Cover with wax paper or a clean, damp towel; let rise in warm place (85 degrees) until doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
6. Punch down dough; divide in half. Knead one half briefly on floured surface. Roll out with floured rolling pin to 9- by 15-inch rectangle. Cut into three long strips; braid, pinching ends together tightly. Repeat with second piece of dough.
7. Transfer each braid to lightly oiled baking sheet. Beat remaining egg yolk and water together and use to brush each loaf. Sprinkle with poppy seeds, if desired. Cover with lightly oiled plastic; let rise until loaves have doubled in volume, 45 to 60 minutes.
8. About 15 minutes before loaves are doubled, heat oven to 400 degrees. Remove plastic and place pans in oven; immediately reduce temperature to 375 degrees. Bake until loaves are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely before slicing.
Nutritional information per slice:
Calories ……. 115 Fat …………… 2 g Cholesterol … 20 mg
Sodium ……. 65 mg Carbohydrates …. 22 g Protein ……… 4 g
STEVE CHIAPPETTI’S HONEY DIJON DRESSING
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Yield: 1 2/3 cups
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 large egg
2 tablespoons each: Dijon mustard, lavender honey or other flavor of honey
1 cup grapeseed oil or corn oil
2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1. Whisk together vinegar and egg in small, non-aluminum saucepan. Add mustard and honey. Cook over low heat, whisking constantly, until mixture thickens enough to coat spoon but does not curdle.
2. Transfer to blender or food processor. With motor running, slowly pour in oil, stopping occasionally to scrape sides of container. Add pepper and salt. Cover; refrigerate until ready to use.
Nutrition information per 2 tablespoons:
Calories ……… 165 Fat …………. 17 g Cholesterol … 16 mg
Sodium …….. 220 mg Carbohydrates …. 3 g Protein ……… 1 g
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For quick, low-fat honey recipes, send a self-addressed, stamped, legal-size envelope to National Honey Board, Dept. CT, 390 Lashley St., Longmont, Colo. 80501.
