Ingredients
Myrtle
Other Names: Arrayán or mirto (Spanish); as or hadass (Arabic); bahar, mersin, murt, or sazak (Turkish); common myrtle; hadas (Hebrew); hodes or mirt (Yiddish); kulinaval (Tamil); mirto (Italian, Brazilian Portuguese); murta (Portuguese); myrt (Russian); myrte (French); nerto (Provençal French); Roman myrtle; true myrtle.
General Description: The ancient myrtle bush (Myrtle communis) has glossy, long, narrow, oval leaves that are clear, brilliant green; creamy white flowers; small bluish black berries; and highly aromatic wood. When pressed or chopped, myrtle leaves emit a pleasant fragrance similar to orange blossom, though their flavor is quite bitter. Myrtle is the only member of its family in Europe; all the others are found in Australia and the tropics. Myrtle probably originated in Africa and Asia, but today it grows throughout the fragrant macchia (shrubland) forests of Sardinia, Corsica, and Crete, where it is widely used to flavor all sorts of grilled meat. In Corsica, Mirto, a liqueur made from myrtle berries, flavors wild game bird pâté. Myrtle makes excellent firewood, lending a spicy, aromatic taste to grilled meat and fish. The leaves may be used to wrap meat, or the body cavities of fish or poultry may be stuffed with them. Triloba (sacred myrtle), a form of myrtle with three leaves at every joint instead of two, is esteemed by Jews for use with palm and willow branches in religious ceremonies during the Feast of Tabernacles, the Jewish harvest festival.
Season: Pick flowers in summer, leaves throughout the year, and berries in autumn.
Purchase and Avoid: The plant may occasionally be found at farmers’ markets or florists, in season.
Serving Suggestions: Add myrtle berries in small quantities to pâtés and game dishes. Grill chicken, duck, turkey, pork, or venison over a myrtle wood fire. Finely crush myrtle berries and heat in a small saucepan with olive oil, lemon juice, diced tomatoes, and sweet onions; sauté black sea bass or other mild white-fleshed fish and spoon the myrtle sauce over.
Food Affinities: Bacon, brandy, chestnut, chicken, duck, guinea hen, lemon, olive oil, pancetta, turkey, venison.
from Quirk Books: www.quirkbooks.com
