5 FIVE THINGS TO DO WITH ROSE WATER
The Age
Tuesday October 13, 2009
JACK and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of rose water! Rose water, with its heady aroma and distinctive flavour, is used extensively in Middle Eastern cooking, in particular Iranian food.While it is more commonly used in desserts, rose water adds a unique element to savoury dishes and extra oomph to curries, braised dishes and rice.1 Beetroot and rose water relish.Saute 1 finely diced small onion and a clove of crushed garlic until soft. Add 300g grated beetroot, cup of brown sugar, cup of malt vinegar, juice from two limes, one tsp of salt and cook slowly until beetroot is soft and thicker. Stir in 2 tbsp of rose water essence.* (This relish is a good accompaniment with duck.)2 Rose water and watermelon granita. Combine 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water and simmer until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in 1 tbsp rose water. Refrigerate and when cold, stir in 1 cup crushed seedless watermelon and freeze. After an hour, rake mixture with a fork, return to the freezer and repeat in another hour until you have the right consistency. Add fresh lime and mint for extra zing.3 Punch with rose water ice cubes.Mix 500ml of water with 6 tbsp rose water (depending on strength), pour into ice trays with tooth picks. For punch: mix 2 cups of rhubarb syrup, 2 cups of lemon/lime soda, 1 cups dark rum and 1 cups of lemon juice.4 Fragrant swordfish rice pilaf.500g swordfish diced in 2cm squares, 1 cup natural yoghurt, tsp ground cinnamon, pinch garam masala, 1 tsp grated ginger, tsp saffron thread, tsp ground coriander, 3 tbsp peanut oil, 4 cups fish stock, 3 cardamom pods, 2 tbsp rose water, 1 lemon (juice and zest), cup crushed pistachio nuts, 1 tbsp butter, 2 cups of basmati rice. Marinate the swordfish for 15 minutes in yoghurt, cinnamon, lemon, garam masala and grated ginger. Soak saffron in fish stock. Remove excess marinade from the fish then seal it in a little oil in a heavy-based pot. Remove fish and cover. Put the oil and butter in the same pot, add rice, heat and stir to coat. Add the other ingredients and let the pot boil. Put the lid on and turn the heat as low as possible, cook for 10-15 minutes until the rice is cooked and the liquid absorbed. Return fish to the pot and serve with yoghurt and pistachios.5 Rose water syrup.Rose water syrup added to berries, set in a jelly, served with pancakes or with chocolate souffle and ice-cream gives a surprise element to these old favourites.According to Leonie Mills of Jack & Jill restaurant, 247 Moorabool St, Geelong. Phone 5229 9935.*The rose water in the relish is essence, which comes in 50ml bottles. All other recipes use rose water from 300ml or larger bottles.
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