There is no beating the flavour of homegrown herbs. Yet include a couple of unusual, exotic choices in your plot alongside the parsley and thyme and you will be rewarded with flavours that you can’t buy in the supermarket. Nowhere is this more the case than among the weird and wonderful herbs of Australasia.
Though the region’s native flora still lies largely undiscovered to the foodie mainstream, the dry, Mediterranean-like climate zones of this continent are rich in species which have evolved a range of fragrant compounds. By an amazing stroke of good fortune three of the tastiest also happen to be common garden plants in the UK, meaning they may already be hiding incognito in your beds and borders.
The most notable of these are the gum trees, such as eucalyptus. Don’t worry, using eucalyptus leaves won’t make your meals taste like decongestion ointment. In fact, the leaf has a warm, surprisingly familiar, “foresty” aroma similar to thyme, bay or rosemary. Indeed it shares several compounds in common with these favourites, but to me it is altogether richer and more complex. It is a world away from the harsh, menthol-like scent most people may associate with the plant. Think of the difference between the bright sweetness of fresh garden mint versus the Arctic blast of mentholated mouthwash.
I use eucalyptus leaves just as you would bay leaves: to scent marinades and sauces. It is great with citrusy soy glazes for grilled chicken, for example. Alternatively, you can steep the leaves in milk or cream to make a knock-out custard or crème caramel.
Similarly, the leaves of the Tasmanian pepper bush (Tasmannia lanceolata) are an excellent bay leaf alternative, with an aromatic, woodsy flavour and a tongue-tingling spicy finish. They’re like rosemary or pine with a wasabi or horseradish fieriness. The plants make a beautiful evergreen hedge with pink stems and mossy green leaves which then flush with yellow flowers in spring. The leaves are often dried then crushed to a fine powder with a pestle and mortar. They make an excellent rub for steaks and other BBQ meats, an addition to gravy for a roast dinner and even a pepper substitute infused into cream for a peppercorn sauce.
Finally, there is the manuka tree (Leptospermum scoparium), from whose flowers the famously expensive honey is produced. The manuka also happens to be a common ornamental in milder regions of the UK for its dazzling pink and white blossom that clothes the plants in spring. The leaves again have that characteristic scent of the antipodean bush about them, somewhere between Christmas tree and nutmeg, and make an excellent addition to sauces, broths and syrups.
Email James at james.wong@observer.co.uk or follow him on Twitter @Botanygeek
