This post is a slight update to one I wrote in 2009!
We know vanilla, the sweet, but what about her savory side – just as fragrant, just as wonderful. Here are a few savory things you can make with vanilla.
Totally Not-Bland Vanilla Chicken
A delightful roast chicken stuffed with fromage blanc, adapted from a recipe in the book, Chicken & Egg by Laurence and Gilles Laurendon.
On the bird, the vanilla is nice and that, but it is in the stuffing it does its big one – it sings.
Some thoughts on making vanilla condiments. You have two options: use the pods only or use both pods and seeds. Note that if you use just the pods, the effects may take a while longer to manifest… but they will eventually. Truth be told too, just scraping out the seeds will take out the bulk of them but won’t completely render them seedless so the pods aren’t exactly seedless. Below are a few recipes for making some condiments.
Rub in the of ½ to 1 vanilla pod and mix them with about 125g – 180g of fine sea salt. Store the left over pod in the salt container if you like. Use in all the ways you can think of.
I’ve used the salt in a variety of ways including with pan-fried fish fillets which had a delightful vanilla fragrance.
Though trying it on potatoes added nothing to the experience :).
Vanilla Oil
I pop a vanilla pod, seeds and all in a bottle of Extra virgin olive oil. Then I shake it around and then leave it in my store cupboard for about a month. Fantastic on ice-cream…. gelato con sale e olie.
Vanilla vinegar
In a bottle, I put some white wine vinegar and to it I add a split vanilla bean/pod and then I add some leftover blackcurrant seeds/puree to make a delicious vanilla-flavoured fruit vinegar. This I store in the refrigerator because the addition of the blackcurrant and all its moisture dilutes some of the acidity in the vinegar and would make it go off if not refrigerated.
And a few more things I dare say – think salad dressing with vanilla oil, vanilla salt, and vanilla vinegar in the mix! So there, a few savory ideas for our sweet, sweet, vanilla.
What do you think?
