Giving Recipes a Kick With Black Pepper
In the past few decades the true symbol of how far American cooking has come is black pepper!
Years ago, black pepper was only used as a condiment and recipes never called for freshly ground pepper. It was usually stored near the stove and every table held a pepper shaker, not a pepper mill.
Admidst my spice cabinet, I have peppers from Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Ecuador, Tellicherry and Malabar. And I'm just as likely to use any of them in a dessert, cookie, or as a crust on meat as to just a finishing touch for food. As an ingredient, pepper has come into its own as an ingredient.
As cooks have gotten more discerning and the world has shrunk, the spice rack has undergone an upgrade. But black pepper has benefited most from the new awareness that matters, as much as food as with wine. The all-purpose berries sold as "black pepper" may add heat. If you want nuance and resonance, you need a "varietal."
Tellicherry is the surest sign of quality on a label. Black pepper is native to India, and the peppercorns produced there have the fullest flavor, aroma and pungency of any in the world. The volatile oils are what distinquish black peppercorns, and Tellicherry's are most redolent.
Peppercorns imported from other tropical countries can be nearly as good as those from India, with subtly different flavor. You would not think of floral as a word with peppercorns, but Sarawak, from Borneo, is just that.
Generally, you can use all peppercorns interchangeably at the table. For cooking, however, some are better suited to dessert.
All true peppercorns in the Piper nigrum family are berries from a vine that grows anywhere around the equator. Those from the mountainous southwestern coast of India are allowed to mature but not ripen before they are picked. Malabar peppercorns are harvested at the same time as Tellicherry but grow lower on the same vines. Both types are blanched, then air-dried in the sun until they turn dark and aromatic.
Crush a few Tellicherry peppercorns with a mortar and pestle and you immediately smell why the name has such mystique. The aroma is beyond robust and almost sweet, while the flavor is well-balanced. Taste it and you feel the heat immediately. Malabar peppercorns are smaller and less potent, both to the nose and on the palate. But they can be hotter.
Sarawak peppercorns, which are air-dried indoors and retain more flavor, are also exceptional.
Vietnam produces exceptional white pepper and is becoming a leading exporter of black peppercorns. Its peppercorns have an aroma that is more complex than strong. The heat and flavor are just as rounded.
Peppercorns from Ecuador have a sweet, searing fragrance and intense heat; it seems as if you feel them more than taste them.
Green peppercorns are just what they sound like; picked before they are mature and then either dried, freeze-dried or pickled in brine. White peppercorns are actually fully ripe black ones that have had the husk removed. Pink peppercorns are a different species, while Sichuan peppercorns come from still another family.
Any of the black peppercorn varietals will transform any dish if you do nothing more than grind it over the dish just before serving. But you can do so much more, with sweet as well as with savory recipes. A pinch of black pepper in a pumpkin pie filling or gingerbread batter will add a pungent undertone. But as much as a quarter-cup mixed with panko crumbs will create a vibrant, crunchy crust for seared lamb or pork chops.
Peppercorns, whole or crushed, are also easy to use to infuse sauces, such as a custardy sabayon to spoon over steamed green beans or grilled fish. Add them to port and poached pears for a lively but light dessert.
Black pepper is also underutilized in baking. It suits any yeast bread dough, but is an even more direct pleasure mixed with Parmigiano-Reggiano in a quick bread that can be sliced to serve with drinks or a salad.