Turkey Chili with Honey

Honey in Savory Foods

For February 10, 2011

Despite modern advances and rapid technological changes, we still live in the Stone Age, at least when it comes to honey. A cave painting from about 7000 B.C. depicts two hands, one holding a jug, the other deep within the dome of a beehive; bees are shown buzzing around the honey-napper, ready to sting. But now millennia have passed and honey is produced in pretty much the same way. Despite the fact that food scientists know honey’s chemical compounds, they have struggled in vain to reproduce the thick, sweet liquid in their kitchens or their laboratories. Only bees have the right stuff.

Here’s how they do it. Basically, worker bees gather nectar from a variety of flowers and store it in a sac in their abdomens. They transfer the nectar to other worker bees back at the hive. The hive bees chew the nectar, while enzymes in their bodies break the liquid down and change sucrose (the primary disaccharide sugar in the nectar) into glucose and fructose (the two primary monosaccharide sugars in honey). Then they deposit the liquid around the hive into honeycombs, where it turns thicker and more syrupy as its water content evaporates.

Science aside, it seems as if we also appreciate honey as much as our cavemen forebears did, for good reasons. No sweetener is sweeter or more natural. None has the culinary complexity or variety of flavors.

We use honey ubiquitously, typically in desserts, cakes and other baked goods. But just a little bit of it can make a huge difference to savory dishes too – to harmonize the acidity of a vinaigrette dressing, to complement salty bacon or balance a fiery, chili-pepper infused barbecue sauce. Brush honey on a roaster chicken, duck, cured ham or pork loin, for a satisfyingly caramelized, crispy surface (but be careful here because honey can burn, so wait until one-third of the way through roasting to apply the first coat, glaze or honey-based marinade).

Mix honey into a white wine vinegar or lime juice-based salsa to bring out the natural flavors of the fruits and vegetables. Use honey to temper a curry or sweet-and-spicy North African style braised lamb or chicken dish.

Darker colored honeys usually have the strongest taste; the lighter ones are milder, so choose accordingly, depending on whether you want the honey flavor to prevail (as you might with honey buns or honey cake, for example) or simply to provide a subtle, mellow sweetness, as you might for a salsa accompaniment to fish.

There are hundreds of different types of honey in the United States, each kind originating with a different flower. Store brands are often a blend of honeys from several floral sources. But single varietals include clover, orange blossom and alfalfa honeys, which are the most popular and the most useful for savory dishes because of their mild flavor. They also tend to be less expensive than the more exotic varieties. Buckwheat honey has a strong flavor that works well with spicy barbecue sauces, but use it more sparingly in milder meat and poultry recipes. Eucalyptus honey is another more robust variety that can be fine in chili, pot roast and other hearty foods. Tupelo honey is lush, mild and mellow but might get lost in a sauce; it’s best to save it as a dipping or pouring syrup for fried chicken or corn fritters.

Remember that honey is sticky! To measure it without mess, coat the measuring spoon or cup lightly with baking spray or vegetable oil; the honey will slide out easily. Honey keeps well in its jar for about a year in the cupboard. But if you don’t use the contents quickly and the liquid crystallizes, place the jar in a pan of simmering water for a few minutes to get the texture back to normal.

That so many people use the word “honey” as a term of endearment is testament to mankind’s enduring love of this ancient sweetener. If you’re among those who love it, why not use some honey to sweeten up your dinner on Valentine’s Day?