Anyone with a backyard garden who has tried growing herbs is familiar with the love-hate relationship we have with mint. That tasty, useful little plant is so easy to appreciate… until is spreads like topsy and tries to take over your garden. But Chef Jerry Pellegrino reminds us, we are blessed to have access to such a prodigious herb.
“It’s a great herb to have, and it’s popular the whole world over.” If you think about it, the uses of mint are endless. Not only are there culinary uses, but we have it in medicines, cosmetics perfumes, and in every kind of beverage you can think of. Of course in cooking, we often use it as a garnish… so much so that it is something of a cliché. So you just toss a sprig of mint on a dish; dessert or entrée, it doesn’t matter; and you dress it up. But that’s become overdone.
In terms of cooking with mint, so many things come to mind. For instance, let’s take the mint off your salad as a garnish, and mix it in with everything else. And why not? Mint leaves are 100% edible. So tossed in with other greens, it will add that very fresh flavor and a touch of herbal sweetness.
And of course, it shows up in a lot of Indian dishes, where it’s called “pudina” and they add it to a lot of chutneys and curries. Also it goes well in rice dishes, particularly basmati, when mint will appear with cardamom, cumin and turmeric. To make pudina rice, Indian cooks will make a paste out of the mint leaves some green chiles. They make a curry base with oil and spices, add the mint paste, and finally the cooked Basmati rice. It’s one of those dishes that almost smells too good to eat.
And we all know that lamb and mint have a special affinity. And people think that the mint actually helps digest the lamb which can be rich and fatty. Unfortunately, a lot of people immediately think of mint jelly… which among other things will ruin the wine. But we actually want to encourage people to make a mint-based sauce. The most simple is a bit like chimichurri, chopped herbs, vinegar, oil, and seasonings. And if you go this route, be sure to remember garlic, rosemary and lemon; three classic partners with lamb.
If you want to try something inspired by Greek cuisine, start with a cup of Greek yogurt and half a cup of chopped mint. Toss in some minced garlic, lemon juice, cumin, cayenne and salt and pepper, and mix it up good.
One of our favorite things is to use mint to make a crust for rack of lamb. It’s very simple: breadcrumbs, olive oil, seasonings like garlic and rosemary, a bit of mustard and lots of finely chopped mint. Slather it on the back of a rack of lamb ribs, and roast away. It’s a great technique.
And finally we shouldn’t forget the Mint Julep. Which is best served in shiny silver cups. You only need 8 mint leaves and some simple syrup, which you crush or muddle in the bottom of your cup with your muddler… which sort of looks like a miniature baseball bat. Pour in two ounces of quality bourbon and pack the cup with crushed ice. This is one time when a sprig of mint is encouraged as a garnish.
