I’ve been reading a lot about chestnut honey recently, it seems to be everywhere I look. I took that as a sign and got some in, as it’s been a while since I’ve played with it. The honey that we got was from Piedmont and had a lovely complexity, a syrupy texture, and a slightly tannic finish like tea. It was wonderful, and I pondered the best use for it. I wanted to use it in a savory dish in a way that would best highlight its unique characteristics. An idea for a vinaigrette came to mind. I used some warm water to dilute the honey and melt it into the liquid. I added lemon juice for my acid, salt, and some grapeseed oil. I deliberately chose the lemon to accent the tea-like characteristics of the honey and the grapeseed oil for its neutrality to let the other flavors shine. They worked together beautifully, and since Alex was cleaning some chanterelles as I made the vinaigrette, they seemed like a natural match. We seared the mushrooms to a crispy golden brown and then tossed them with the vinaigrette and left them to macerate. The result is the best of both worlds, where the sum is greater than its parts: sweet, tangy, earthy, chewy, and simply amazing. We will be serving them tonight with seared skate wing, braised baby turnips, and bacon dust. Wish you all could be here to taste it.
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