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maltatoday, SUNDAY, 11 OCTOBER 2015 Food 35 Fine food of the week Peppercorns THOUGH no longer used as a currency, to the culinary world pepper is still just as valu- able being a vital ingredient to many cuisines around the world. The world's most traded spice, pepper- corns are native to India, though are grown in many other tropical regions, with Vi- etnam being the largest producer and ex- porter. The dried fruit of the flowering vine Piper- aceae is available in many different varieties – black, white, green, orange and pink. Fla- vours and heat vary according to how ripe the peppercorn is when harvested and the methods used for drying and preserving. The largest black peppercorn is the Telli- cherry, considered to be the best because it's left on the vine longer for more devel- oped flavour. Other black peppercorns are Sarawak, Malabar, and Vietnamese, but unless you're buying from a specialty spice store, the packaging usually doesn't specify the origin. Black pepper Black pepper is produced from the still- green unripe drupes of the pepper plant and are cooked briefly in hot water before they are dried. The heat ruptures the cell walls speeding up the work of the browning enzymes and forming a dark wrinkly shell after being dried. Once the peppercorns are dried, pepper spirit and oil can be extracted from the ber- ries by crushing them. Pepper spirit is used in famous beverages like Coca-Cola and many medicinal and beauty products. Pep- per oil is also used as a massage oil and in certain beauty treatments. Like most spices, black pepper tastes best when freshly ground. A quality peppermill allows you to control the size of the grind from fine to coarse. For small quantities of freshly ground pepper a pepper mill is usu- ally enough but if you need larger quantities a spice grinder or coffee mill is a time saver. White pepper The darker skin of the pepper fruit is removed, leaving the pungent seed. Red pepper berries are usually soaked in water where the outer skin softens and decom- poses. They are then rubbed to remove any excess skin leaving the white spicy seed. These peppercorns have a slightly hotter flavour and help keep light colored dishes and sauces aesthetically appealing. These peppercorns go especially well in sauces, on light colored meats such as fish, and even in mashed potatoes. White peppercorns have a unique aroma that is not only hot, but slightly musky. They are the preferred pep- per in much of the world. Green pepper Green pepper, like black, is made from the unripe drupes and are treated to retain their green colour. Pickled peppercorns, also green, are unripe drupes preserved in brine or vinegar. Fresh, unpreserved green pep- per drupes, largely unknown in the West, are used in some Asian cuisines, particu- larly Thai cuisines and have are piquant and fresh with a bright aroma. Red pepper Orange pepper or red pepper usually con- sists of ripe red pepper drupes preserved in brine and vinegar. Ripe red peppercorns can also be dried using the same colour- preserving techniques used to produce green pepper. Pink pepper These rare and sometimes hard to find peppercorns come from France's Reunion Island off the Madagascar coast in the In- dian Ocean. They have a fruity, slightly tart flavour, which goes especially well in fruit sauces, vinaigrette, and desserts. Pink peppercorns have a rich pink colour that adds an inter- esting touch of colour to foods. These are not true 'peppercorns', but a similar tasting berry from South America. Sichuan pepper The Sichaun peppercorn is widely grown and used in many Asian dishes and like the pink peppercorn is not related to the other peppercorns or chili peppers. It is a key component of Chinese five-spice pow- der and the taste is a bit pungent and very fragrant with a hint of citrus. It also doesn't possess the heat of other peppercorns or chili peppers. Preparation tips Pepper should be added to cooked dishes towards the end of cooking to prevent creat- ing a bitter flavour, which can occur when pepper is cooked too long. Cooking for more than two hours completely zaps the flavour and aromas from the peppercorns. Pepper will have an amplified flavor after food it is in has been frozen. Try adding pink peppercorns to dishes and sauces to add color, or keep your light colored dishes and sauces light with white peppercorns. Freshly ground pepper goes surprisingly well on fresh fruit. This is especially true for pink peppercorns, they are a common ingredient in fruit sauces and as a garnish for fruit dishes. Try lightly toasting peppercorns before use. Ingredients Brownies • 10 tbsp unsalted butter • 1 tbsp Szechuan peppercorns • 1cinnamonstick,broken • ¾ cup brown sugar • ½ cup granulated sugar • 1 tbsp milk • 1 tsp vanilla extract • ¼ tsp kosher salt • ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder • 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate • 1 tbsp espresso • 3 ounces semisweet chocolate chips • 2 eggs • ½ cup all-purpose flour Ganache: • 1/3 cup heavy cream • 1 tbsp Szechuan peppercorns • 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips Method 1. Preheat oven to 180C. 2. In a large sauté pan over medium heat, melt the butter and add the peppercorns and the pieces of cin- namon stick. 3. Melt the unsweetened chocolate and semisweet chocolate together. 4. Stir in the espresso to the melted chocolate. 5. Once the butter stops foaming and you can see browned bits at the bot- tom of the pan (about 5 mins), take off heat and remove the pepper- corns and cinnamon stick. 6. Stir the sugars, milk, vanilla, and salt into the butter in the pan, then stir in the cocoa powder and chocolate and espresso mixture. 7. Beat in the eggs, and then lastly, stir in the flour. 8. Bake in greased pan for about 25- 30 mins, until a tester comes out clean. 9. To make the ganache, bring the heavy cream and peppercorns to a simmer in a small pot. 10. Strain the peppercorns and stir in semisweet chocolate chips. 11. Once brownies are cooled, spread ganache. Recipe of the week The spice of life Flavours and heat of the different coloured peppercorns vary according to how ripe the peppercorn is when harvested, and the methods used for drying and preserving Chocolate and Szechuan Peppercorn Brownies