Crystalized Edible Flowers
Edible flowers are really on-trend right now, and can be used in both savory and sweet dishes. They don’t taste like much, but their aesthetic will take your dishes from basic to stunning! Of course, you can just use them fresh and raw like any other micro green or small-leafed garnish, but I love them slightly candied to enhance their texture.
Ingredients:
1 egg white
1/3 cup superfine sugar
Edible flowers (like roses, pansies, nasturtiums, or borage)
Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper. Pour sugar into a shallow plate. Stir the egg white in a small bowl with a fork just to break up clumps without making foam.
Use your thumb and forefinger to swish and coat a petal in egg white. Remove the petal and slide it between your thumb and forefinger to be sure that it is coated on all sides. Once coated, squeegee off as much excess egg white as possible by continuing to stroke the petal, wiping the excess from your fingers against the edge of the bowl and/or with a paper towel.
Lay the coated petal in the bed of sugar and spoon sugar over it. Use the spoon to flip and sugar the other side. Flip and sugar a couple more times until the petal looks evenly frosted. Slide a fork under the petal and transfer it to the parchment.
Let flowers dry uncovered in a cool place until the coating is crisp. Most petals and small flowers will be still fragile, but dry enough to use for decoration after about 4 hours: I like to wait at least 24 hours (or even longer) depending on the item.
With some exceptions, crystallized flowers and herbs are best used within a few days.
About the Chef
Stephanie Goldfarb is a Chicago-based chef and national food television personality specializing in seasonal, globally-inspired cuisine. Recognized as the winner of Food Network’s America’s Best Cook competition, and a celebrity chef on Kitchen Inferno and NBC’s Food Fighters, Goldfarb delivers unique and relatable culinary experiences to discriminating and casual diners alike. As the owner of the successful Seven Species Supper Club & Catering, she enjoys the challenge of building brand new menus each month that inspire both repeat clients and newcomers, and seeks opportunities to utilize new ingredients, techniques, and approaches in accessible ways.