Diana Henry is sweet on honey

It’s always a pleasure to read articles from EYB Member favorite and James Beard Award winner Diana Henry. In a recent article for The Telegraph, she turns her attention to a sweetener that has used by humans even before the earliest recorded history: honey. Diana discusses a few great ways to use this simple product, focusing on specialty honeys. She notes that it is “the honeys that originate from limited areas, from a particular plant, and that have been minimally treated (not significantly heated or severely filtered) that give you the most interesting flavours.”

One piece of advice that Diana offers is not to waste a delicately flavored honey on anything where you will be using a lot of heat, as the heat will obscure  subtleties in the flavor. On the other hand, in something that is heated gently, like an ice cream base, it is preferable to use a honey with an interesting flavor profile, like lavender honey, which will shine through in the finished product.

Of course, you don’t have to use heat at all – many of the best dishes that involve honey are not cooked. Henry notes that a distinctively flavored honey can elevate a dish, “especially when served with cheese: drizzle Greek thyme honey over griddled halloumi; serve chestnut honey (it’s rich, complex and can taste of malt and burnt sugar) with pears and blue cheese.” She also offers other flavor combinations as a starting point. You can also visit the EYB Library for inspiration, choosing from over 12,000 recipes containing honey. Here are a few Member favorites:

Roast chicken with saffron, hazelnuts and honey from Ottolenghi by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi
Honey and harissa farro salad from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook by Deb Perelman
Maple honey mustard glazed ham from Taste.com.au by Australian Good Taste
Rosemary honey walnut ice cream from Scoop Adventures by Lindsay Clendaniel
Apricot compote with saffron-honey syrup, pistachios and yogurt from Diana Henry at The Sunday Telegraph by Diana Henry (pictured top)