Sesame Leaves

I regularly stroll the isles of one of my favorite farmer's market hoping to discover ingredients I have never used in my cooking. Sesame leaves caught my attention several months ago and I purchased them not really knowing what I would do with them.

I've since learned that sesame leaves are popular in Korean cooking and valued for their mineral content. Good enough for me. Their ample size and pliable texture intriqued me and I soon learned I wasn't the first person who saw their potention as wraps! Into the cart they went!

With so many projects on my "to do" list, I left these in the refrigerator and promised myself I was going to stuff the pretty leaves and make some tasty rice stuffed-Asian wraps. It never happened! The pretty leaves dried and withered. I just didn't have the heart to throw them away.

90% of my leftover vegetables and fruits are reused in another form in my kitchen. Leafy greens and scallions are dried into flavorful blends to season stocks and soups. Fruits are used to make syrups for breakfast dishes and drinks in the bar. Adding the dried sesame leaves to a spice or herbal blend was a natural progression and one of the best I have stumbled upon in a long time. A perfect companion to my dried scallions

Now, I regularly buy up these pretty bundles to dry for broths and stocks. Minty, with a scent a little reminiscent of tea, I add my dried sesame leaves to anything where I might add file. (sassafrass). This week's show is a Seafood Courtboullion with Poached Seafood, flavored with dried sesame and saffron. Truly, this is one of the best broths I have ever made, and I only added the poached seafood out of a sense of obligation! The broth was a "stand-alone" success!
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Comments

Christo Gonzales said…
Thanks - no really thanks a lot! Now I have to spend days if not weeks trying to track down sesame leaves -
December 5, 2010 at 8:02 PM
Home At Last said…
Easy to find in Korean stores and worth it (I think).
December 6, 2010 at 4:28 PM
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