Bottega Pistho
Honey in cooking is used almost exclusively as a sugar substitute, and in that role it gives its worst: the aromatics go and the sweetness stays. Used as an ingredient in its own right, at the right temperature, it does things sugar cannot — it caramelises at lower heat, binds with acidity, and holds moisture in meat.
The temperature rule
It is the one thing to remember. Above roughly 40 degrees honey begins losing its most volatile aromatic compounds; above 100 it is essentially a dark syrup. That does not make it useless in cooking, but it changes when you add it.
- Raw, or on a warm plate rather than a hot one — when you want to taste the honey: on cheese, grilled vegetables, yoghurt.
- In the last minutes of cooking — when you want the glaze and some aroma.
- From the start — only when you need its caramelising and do not care about fragrance. Use a cheap honey for that.
Which honey for which dish
- Honeydew — dark, low in sweetness, malty. Stands up to red meat and strong cheese where a floral honey would vanish.
- Wildflower — the all-rounder. If you do not know which to pick, pick this.
- Acacia — very delicate and liquid for a long time. Use raw, where you want sweetness without character.
- Eucalyptus — balsamic and assertive. It divides opinion: either it works beautifully or it covers everything. Try it on a small amount first.
- Orange blossom — floral and citrusy. For fish, delicate vegetables and baking.
1. Glazed autumn vegetables
Works with squash, carrots, onions, parsnip. Cut into even pieces, dress with oil and salt, roast at 200 degrees for twenty-five minutes.
Then mix a tablespoon of wildflower honey with a tablespoon of cider vinegar and a pinch of salt, pour over the vegetables, toss and return to the oven for five minutes only. The vinegar matters: on its own the honey burns and turns bitter.
2. Roast glazed with dark honey
For pork or chicken. Cook as normal until ten minutes from the end, then brush with two tablespoons of honeydew honey loosened in a tablespoon of hot water with a teaspoon of mustard.
Back in the oven, and check every three minutes: the glaze goes from glossy to burnt quickly, and the right moment is brief. If it darkens too fast, cover with foil.
3. Warm cheese with honey and walnuts
The simplest and the most effective. A semi-hard cheese in thick slices, three minutes under the grill until it starts to colour, then a drizzle of raw honey and broken walnuts.
Here the honey is not heated at all: it goes onto cheese that is already hot, which melts it just enough. Honeydew on an aged pecorino carries an aperitivo on its own.
Two common mistakes
- Adding honey at the start and hoping to taste it. You will not. If the dish cooks long, hold back a teaspoon to add at the end.
- Using it neat in marinades. Thick honey does not penetrate: dissolve it in something acidic — vinegar, lemon juice, wine — which distributes it and tempers the sweetness.
