Beth Dooley | (TNS) The Minnesota Star Tribune Hot honey has me in its sticky grip. You can pay too much for this spicy-sweet condiment or make your own in minutes. It’s a zippy dip for pretzels and chips, kicks up mozzarella on crostini, enlivens ricotta cheese on berries.
Think Nashville hot chicken, hot honey butter for biscuits and cornbread. Do try it over vanilla ice cream. Now is the time to put up your own hot honey because local peppers at the farmers markets are hitting their peak.
Start with fresh chiles; they are fruitier, brighter and more complex than the dried. Simmer them first with a little vinegar to mellow the chiles’ harshness and give the honey a bit of tang. Use small chiles — the bird’s-eye, habanero, or Scotch bonnets.
Make sure to wash your hands after working with chiles and do NOT touch your eyes when you do. Vary the honey for flavor and color. The darker the honey (i.
e. buckwheat) the more robust the taste; the lighter (i.e.
clover) the honey, the milder and smoother it will be. The number of chiles is up to you: a few for punch, a lot for a bang. Toss in an orange, lemon or lime peel, or a cinnamon stick or several cloves, just for fun.
Hot honey will keep at least two weeks in the refrigerator. It stands up to salty, fatty cured meats — pepperoni, salami, pancetta, prosciutto and bacon — ripe cheeses, as well as salmon and shrimp. Come winter’s chill, swirl hot honey into steamy toddies, teas and foamy lattes.
You just need a small.
