I’m not giving quantities here, since you can make as much as you like. Crystallized herbs bring a bright, sweet herb flavor to the plate when you use them as a garnish. You can follow the same procedure with rose petals, too; just make sure they are unsprayed, or pesticide-free.
Cooks' Note
In the restaurant, I store these with silica packets (see page 280) to keep them fresh for more than a day.
Ingredients
Fresh herb leaves, such as mint or cilantro, or fresh lemon thyme sprigs
Simple Syrup (page 184)
Sugar
Preparation
Step 1
Dip the herbs in simple syrup. Let the excess drip off, then place the herbs on paper towels.
Step 2
Dust lightly with sugar and place on a Silpat-lined baking sheet. Place in a cold oven to dry overnight (you could also use a home dehydrator, if you have one).
Step 3
Store in an airtight container.
Reprinted with permission from Dessert Fourplay: Sweet Quartets from a Four-Star Pastry Chef by Johnny Iuzzini and Roy Finamore. Copyright © 2008 by Johnny Iuzzini and Roy Finamore. Published by Crown Publishing. All Rights Reserved.
Johnny Iuzzini,, executive pastry chef of the world-renowned Jean Georges restaurant in New York City, won the award for Outstanding Pastry Chef from the James Beard Foundation in 2006. This is his first book.
Roy Finamore, a publishing veteran of more than thirty years, has worked with many bestselling cookbook authors. He is the author of three books: One Potato, Two Potato; Tasty, which won a James Beard Foundation award; and Fish Without a Doubt.__
