The Science of Spice

145

Curdle-free citrus

Flavour Group | CITRUS TERPENES | Lemon Myrtle

RELEASE THE FLAVOUR

Citral is unstable and breaks down over

time, allowing camphor and eucalyptus

notes to dominate. The compound does

not dissolve in water.

CURDLES

EASILY

LEMON

VS

NO

CURDLING

LEMON

MYRTLE +=

+=

Add towards the end of cooking or

use in recipes with only a short cooking

time. Ensure fats are included in the dish.

BLENDING SCIENCE

The leaf oil of lemon myrtle consists almost entirely of citral – a lemon-scented

flavour compound that is up to 30 times more concentrated in this spice than in

lemon rind. Alongside are small amounts of floral linalool, peppery myrcene, and

the green-tasting ketone sulcatone.

FOOD PARTNERS

Garlic and oil Infuse olive oil with

garlic and lemon myrtle for use in salad

dressings and marinades.

Squash Combine with cracked black

pepper and sprinkle over roast squash.

Oily fish Mix crushed lemon myrtle

with sea salt and sprinkle over salmon or

trout before grilling or barbecuing.

Lamb Adapt an Egyptian dukkah (see

p28) with lemon myrtle and macadamia

nuts, for seasoning roast lamb.

Baking Drizzle lemon-myrtle-infused

syrup over a quince, pear, or plum cake,

or use the syrup in a sorbet. Boost the

lemony-ness of lemon meringue pie with

a pinch of lemon myrtle in the filling.

Contains

acid

Cream

Contains no acid

Acids present in the juice of lemons and other

citrus fruits cause protein molecules in dairy

products, such as milk and cream, to clump

together, resulting in curdling. Lemon myrtle

does not contain acids, so can be added to

milk- or cream-based sauces and desserts

to give them an intense lime-lemon flavour

without any risk of curdling.

Kitchen

creativity

Lemon myrtle has a bright citrus flavour – more lemony than lemon, but

without the acidity of that fruit’s juice – with green, herbal notes and a subtle

scent of eucalyptus. Add sparingly to both sweet and savoury dishes.

pair with other

linalool-carrying

spices to reinforce

the floral qualities:

cinnamon

contributes sweet

warming notes

ginger adds sweet

pungent warmth and

citrus notes

enhance refreshing

green flavours with

another leafy spice:

bay has green

undertones from

hexanal and brings in

penetrating and

complex pine and

floral aromas

combine with

spices that

harmonize with the

peppery notes:

Sichuan pepper

adds warming and

tantalisingly tingly

notes

black pepper

contributes warmth

and woodiness

allspice lends

sweet warmth and

also pepperiness

pair with spices

that heighten or

complement the

lemon component:

lemongrass adds

mild pepperiness and

slight spiciness

wattle contributes

sweet, nutty, lightly

charred wood flavours

with hints of popcorn

cacao adds notes

of bitter chocolate

chilli contributes

mouth-warming

pungency

CITRAL

citrus | herbal |

eucalyptus

MYRCENE

peppery | spicy |

balsamic

LINALOOL

floral | woody |

spicy

SULCATONE

green | apple |

musty

LEMON

MYRTLE

Lm

144-145_Lemon_Myrtle.indd 145 13/07/2018 11:43