Ingredients
Rue
Other Names: Apiganos (Greek); arruda (Portuguese); fayjan (Arabic); garden rue; gartenraute, raute, or weinraute (German); herb of grace; herbe à la belle fille, herbe de grace, péganium, or rue odorante (French); pegam or ruta (Hebrew); ruda (Spanish); ruta (Italian); sadab (Farsi); sedefotu or sezab (Turkish); vinruta (Swedish); wijnruit (Dutch). Fringed rue: Aleppo rue; Egyptian rue; taena or tena adam (Amharic); wild rue.
General Description: Rue (Ruta graveolens), a member of the citrus family, has small, spoon-shaped, fleshy, blue-green leaves whose shape inspired the design of the clubs suit on playing cards. Rue leaves and berries are most popular today in Ethiopia, where the strong and bitter leaves are used to flavor coffee and are added to the national spice mix, berberé. The fruits are rarely used in other countries. Pure essential oil of rue taken in large amounts was used to cause abortions, giving us its popular French name, herbe à la belle fille (herb of fair maidens). Like many other bitter spices and herbs, rue is popular for flavoring bitters, liquors that stimulate the appetite and help digestion after a rich meal. Small leaf tips of another variety of rue, R. chalepensis, are used in Italy to flavor grappa con ruta, the clear liquor distilled from grape skins; they’re also added to salads. This type of rue, highly esteemed by the Jews of North Africa, flavors merguez (a type of sausage) and the Tunisian egg dish hajja. Use fresh rue leaves only in small quantities.
Note: Rue should never be used by pregnant women because it can cause a miscarriage.
Serving Suggestions: Add a small branch of rue to simmering spicy Italian tomato sauces; remove before serving. Because rue’s natural bitterness is diminished by acids, it works well in pickled vegetables, herbal vinegars, or salads. Make a British-style sauce from damson plums cooked with red wine and rue to serve with meat.
Food Affinities: Bread, capers, cheese, chicken, cream cheese, eggs, grappa, grating cheese, olive oil, pickles, plum, salads, tomato sauce, vinegar.
from Quirk Books: www.quirkbooks.com
