Pepper to Taste

The most popular spice throughout history has usually been pepper. In ancient times, it was largely responsible for overland trade between India and Europe. During the Middle Ages, it was so expensive it was used as a medium of exchange; rents were sometimes paid in peppercorns. And as we all know, the great explorers of the 15th century were looking for pepper.

This spice is the berrylike fruit of a climbing tropical vine. Picked ripe, peppercorns have a reddish skin, but boiling them in water for about 10 minutes turns them black. Then they are dried to become the black pepper we all know. White pepper is the same berry with the outer skin removed before drying. White pepper is a bit more fiery, while black pepper is more aromatic.

The volatile compounds that give pepper its aromatic and pungent kick also stimulate gastric juices. In fact, pepper’s allure is more than just the pleasant flavor it adds to foods: It actually makes us hungry. So when the waiter asks if you’d like freshly ground pepper on your green salad, say yes; it will increase the enjoyment of your entree as well.

Pepper, coriander, garlic and salt are the flavors of pastrami, used in curing. In fact, I know people who fill their pepper mills with four parts pepper to one part whole coriander. Coriander emphasizes the aromatic quality of pepper.

Pepper can be used for its own flavor, but most commonly it’s used in combination to help create the fundamental background flavor of savory dishes. Use finely ground pepper--either black or white--to season vegetables, fish, poultry and meats. You need only a pinch or two.

Use whole black peppercorns in meats, stews and other braised dishes in which you use red wine. The pepper slowly blossoms and supports the tannic flavor in the wine. Use white pepper if you are going to braise in white wine. Pepper can also be added at the end of a recipe to help other flavors sparkle.

When using pepper for the primary flavor of a dish (in a pepper steak, for instance), use coarsely ground pepper. Put some peppercorns in a paper bag and crush them under the blade of a large chef’s knife or mallet. The coarseness of the pepper ensures that its aroma and pungency won’t bleed. Thus you can use a lot of pepper, take advantage of its pleasant flavor and not have to call out the fire department to soothe your palate.

In a Vietnamese restaurant in Paris, I was once served a branch of fresh peppercorns as the adornment to a garlic-crusted quail. The fresh berries were more aromatic than pungent--like a dream of pepper, not pepper itself. Green peppercorns, the undried berries of the pepper vine, are available packed in brine or water. I prefer water-packed.

Green peppercorns are used mostly in sauces. They’re very fresh-tasting and aromatic and only a bit spicy, with a pleasantly metallic aftertaste. They go well with meat, fish and poultry. I use them in combination with mustard and tarragon, and red or white wine or brandy.

Pepper’s use goes beyond savory foods. I’ve had the most gorgeous raspberries, picked at their peak of ripeness, doused with Grand Marnier and given a few discreet turns of the pepper mill at the table. The pungent pepper aroma combined with the intense fruit sweetness of the berries, while its heat married with the heady alcoholic orange liqueur.

It was perhaps the most astonishing use of pepper I’ve experienced. But a delicate balance is needed for the proper effect--this will work only with summer berries that have been picked ripe and are bursting with sugar.

Have you ever made ice cream with black pepper? The play between sweet and spicy, with its perfect balance of vanilla and pepper, works well. Sweet pepper jelly is also an amazing taste sensation.

In all these combinations, the play between sweet and spicy and the marriage of aromas is what makes the unlikely combination successful. Often, adding a hint of vinegar helps smooth the transition.

Pepper is truly universal. When we were children, its strength may have been almost fearsome to us, and for many adults, its use is still limited to a tame sprinkling of often stale powder. But any spice that’s used so globally, that is as common in Asian cuisine as in Western European dishes as well as in South American cooking, is worth exploring in the kitchen.

PAN-ROASTED LAMB CHOPS WITH CRACKED PEPPER AND TARRAGON

1/4 cup coarsely crushed black pepper

12 loin lamb chops

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup veal stock or low-sodium beef broth

1/4 cup lime juice

1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon or 1 teaspoon dried

2 tablespoons butter

Grated peel of 1 lime

Place pepper on plate and press each lamb chop firmly into pepper so that it adheres to meat.

Heat oil in 2 large skillets over high heat. Add peppered chops and sear quickly on both sides. Sprinkle chops with salt. Reduce heat to medium.

Do not degrease pan. Add stock and lime juice and continue to cook until chops reach desired doneness, about 2 minutes for medium rare.

Remove chops to plate and keep warm in 200-degree oven.

If using dried tarragon, add it now to skillets and continue to cook until liquid reduces to shiny glaze.

Remove from heat. Whisk in butter. Add grated lime peel and fresh tarragon if using.

Remove chops from oven to warm serving platter.

Add any lamb juices to sauce. Spoon sauce over chops and serve.

Makes 3 to 4 servings.

Each of 4 servings contains about:

588 calories; 516 mg sodium; 134 mg cholesterol; 52 grams fat; 4 grams carbohydrates; 27 grams protein; 0.03 gram fiber.

SAUTEED GRUYERE ON ARUGULA AND PEARS WITH GRAPES AND GREEN PEPPERCORNS

1/2 cup green seedless grapes

3 tablespoons green peppercorns packed in water, drained

1/3 cup olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 Bosc pear

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 bunches arugula

1 egg

1/2 pound Gruyere cheese

1/4 cup dry bread crumbs

3 tablespoons butter

Process grapes, green peppercorns and olive oil in blender or food processor until chunky-smooth. Stir in salt. Reserve dressing in small bowl.

Peel and core pear. Cut into thin strips and sprinkle with lemon juice to prevent darkening.

Make bed of arugula on each of 4 salad plates.

Beat egg lightly. Cut Gruyere cheese into 8 (1/4-inch) slices and dip in egg, then bread crumbs. Reserve on plate.

Heat large skillet over medium heat. Add butter. When melted, add cheese slices and saute until golden on outside. Flip and cook on other side until golden and cheese is melted. Do not crowd pan. Saute in batches if necessary.

Place cheese slices on arugula.

Garnish each plate with pear strips. Drizzle with dressing.

Makes 4 servings.

Each serving contains about:

551 calories; 555 mg sodium; 139 mg cholesterol; 47 grams fat; 15 grams carbohydrates; 20 grams protein; 0.69 gram fiber.

PAN-ROASTED PEPPERED SCALLOPS WITH POTATO CRISPS

1 1/2 pounds jumbo sea scallops (about 2 ounces each)

1 to 2 tablespoons coarsely cracked black pepper

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1 large (3/4 pound) baking potato

1 tablespoon green peppercorns

2 tablespoons minced shallot

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup fish broth or bottled clam juice

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/2 cup whipping cream

2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon or 1 teaspoon dried

1 teaspoon oil

Remove and discard “foot” from scallops. Dip scallops in cracked pepper, pressing to adhere. Add as much or as little pepper as desired. Cover and refrigerate up to 3 hours.

Lightly brush 12x17-inch piece of parchment paper with 2 teaspoons melted butter and place on baking sheet.

Peel potato, slice thinly and arrange 4 rounds of overlapping slices on parchment. Bake at 375 degrees 20 minutes. Flip potatoes, brush lightly with remaining butter and bake 10 minutes longer.

Meanwhile, cook green peppercorns, shallot, wine, fish broth and mustard in saucepan over medium heat 5 minutes. Add cream and cook until liquid thickens, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Add tarragon. Cover and set aside.

When ready to serve, rub heavy cast-iron skillet with oil and heat over high heat. When hot, add scallops and cook 2 minutes. Turn them over. Place skillet in oven to finish cooking, about 5 minutes for medium, longer if you like scallops well cooked and rubbery. Heat potatoes if necessary.

When ready to serve, pour hot sauce onto platter. Arrange scallops on sauce. Arrange potato circles around scallops.

Makes 4 servings.

Each serving contains about:

339 calories; 449 mg sodium; 102 mg cholesterol; 19 grams fat; 11 grams carbohydrates; 25 grams protein; 0.19 gram fiber.