Elderflower Chive Fritters

Chives provide brightness without overpowering the elderflower.

As I've mentioned before, I love elderflower and feel a strong connection to the elder tree (more on the “regal elder” and foraging here). Until recently however, the only things I've ever had made with elderflower have been using a sweet cordial. So when I saw a few recipes for elderflower fritters using the whole flower, I was immediately intrigued and wanted to attempt a savory version. The batter contains lemon zest and chives, because I felt that these would add some zest and complexity without overpowering the floral qualities. I served it with ponzu for a dipping sauce, but honestly, we didn't use it much as the fritters stand best on their own! The below recipe makes about 40-45 small fritters, enough for 4-6.

• ~10 medium-large elderflower heads, broken up into 40-45 small florets

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• Pinch yeast (champagne or baker's, I used champagne because I had some leftover)

• 6-8 fluid ounces apple cider or sparkling water

• 1/2 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest

• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, divided 

• 2 tablespoons diced chives, divided 

• Grapeseed oil, for frying

• Ponzu or aioli for dipping (completely optional)

1. Shake blossoms to remove hitchhiking bugs and dunk into a large bowl of cold water. Remove from water, shake to remove as much water as possible (and probably more bugs!), and pluck smaller clusters (about 1-inch each) from larger clusters, removing as much large stem as possible (there will be some stems still, as that's how the flower clusters stay together). Set aside on a paper towel to dry more.

2. Whisk flour with yeast, 6 ounces cider, lemon zest, and 1/8 teaspoon salt until combined. Batter should be runny like pancake batter and will start to fluff up from the yeast. If batter is not runny enough, add some more cider then gently whisk in 1-1/2 tablespoon chives. 

3. Pour enough grapeseed oil into a frying pan so that oil is 1/2-inch up the sides of the pan and heat to high.

4. Once oil is hot, dip florets (one at a time) into batter, shake off any large clumps, and fry in oil until golden brown, about 1-2 minutes on the side opposite the stem, then flip and fry another 30 seconds on the stem side.

5. Remove fritters and place on paper towel, then repeat with florets in batches until all are fried.

6. Top fritters with dusting of remaining salt and remaining chives. Serve with ponzu or aioli if desired.

Ponzu not needed, but a cocktail is!

Exploring Elderberry

Note: The below is also published in the Fall 2016 edition of Edible East Bay. 

Harvesting elderberries.

The culinary and medical applications of both elderflowers and berries are many, which has led to the plant’s frequent appearance in world mythologies. Among pagan traditions, the elder tree is attributed with powers from protection and healing to vivid dreams and removal of negative spells.  It is fun to use both harvests from the tree (flowers and berries) in a dish, such as elder almond pound cake. See previous post, the Regal Elderflower or Exploring Elderberry for more information about processing elderflower and the plant's uses in general. 

Autumn’s elderberries—the dark and pungent counterpart to the sweetly fragrant blossoms—offer flavor that varies from tree to tree. At its best, the berry is juicy and bittersweet, similar to a blueberry, but smaller and more acerbic. At its worst, the bitter flavor shines through and the texture can be coarse and dry.

Processing the berries by cooking or drying will render them safe and improve the flavor. Elderberries are often cooked down into a cordial syrup, made into elderberry jam or wine, baked into pies and cakes, or dried and used as you would use dried currants. Dried berries can also be rehydrated by simmering with water and sugar for a more “stewed” flavor.

On Foraging: The elder plant found in Northern California (and most of the Western United States) is Sambucus cerulea, also known as blue elder for it's dark-blue berries. This shrub, which can grow to 30 feet high, has reddish bark and pinnate leaves that grow opposite each other. Like elder plants everywhere, it prefers warm, damp environments, so look near flowing water inland from the foggy coast. If you noted where you found elderflowers in early summer—you can return now through September (in our region) for the berries.

Some examples of using elderberries: Elderberry cordial, jam, elderberry buckwheat tart.

Dark blue elderberries with whitish bloom.

Elder Almond Pound Cake

This nutty loaf cake uses both elderflower cordial and elderberries for the complete elder experience. Cordial can be substituted for any sweet syrup and elderberries for other berries, if you only happen to have one of the gifts from the elder tree on hand. The time for harvesting elderflower in the Bay Area is May through June/July and elderberry season is July through September. See related the Regal Elderlflower article for information on the elder tree and harvesting elderflower - more information on harvesting elderberries will be available soon as July approaches! Serves 8.

Elderflower

Harvest May - July.

Elderberry

Harvest July - September.

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar

• 4 eggs

• 2 tablespoons plain yogurt

• 6 tablespoons elderflower cordial (see Edible East Bay Summer 2016 issue for recipe or use St.Germaine or any other sweet syrup), divided

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 3/4 cup almond meal

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 3/4 teaspoons salt

• 2 cups fresh elderberries, washed and dried (may be previously frozen, can use other berries if needed)

• 1 cup whipped cream or crème fraîche (optional)

The line of elderberries in this pound cake is delicious as it is visually appealing.

Grease one 9 by 5-inch loaf pan (or 4 mini loaf pans) and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Cream the butter and granulated sugar until they are light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time then incorporate the yogurt and 3 tablespoons of the elderflower cordial.

Wait for a golden crust and clean toothpick.

In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, almond meal, baking powder, and salt and slowly whisk this into the wet mixture until incorporated. Pour half of the batter into the greased loaf pan(s). Toss elderberries with remaining 3 tablespoons elderflower cordial and spread evenly over the batter in the loaf pan(s), followed by the remaining batter. Bake for 1 hour or 30 minutes if using the mini loaf pans. Cake is done when top reaches a golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Remove cake(s) from loaf pan(s), slice into pieces to reveal berry layer, and serve with optional whipped cream or crème fraîche.

Mini loaf pans or a standard 9x5-inch loaf pan can be used. Serve with whipped cream or crème fraîche (optional).

Classic Elderflower Cordial & Elderflower berry birthday cake

Any search for the culinary uses of elderflower will pull up elderflower cordial. By cooking the flower head in what is essentially a diluted simple syrup, you can pretty easily preserve its fragrance for future use. Which is great, because elderflower is an amazing, special plant that deserves to be savored. The most common way to enjoy elderflower cordial is by using it in cocktails (gin, elderflower, and lemon, is a tasty simple classic) or adding a bit to sparkling wine or even sparkling water for a nice kid-friendly afternoon refreshment. I also love drizzling elderflower cordial over any dessert for a quick and easy way to make that dessert oh-so-special (such as for my huckleberry-elderflower birthday cake below).

Elderflower cordial: Makes about 1 liter.

• 20 medium elderflower heads (about 2-3'' across)

• Grated zest of 2 lemons

• Juice of 2 lemons

• 4 cups water

• 3.5 cups sugar

• Note: Some recipes call for citric acid (about 1 teaspoon for this batch), which helps the cordial keep for longer.

Infusing water with elderflower essence.

Inspect the elderflower heads carefully and remove any insects. Remove flowers from most of stems (especially the large ones), wash by quickly submerging in cold water, and drain. Place the flower heads in a large bowl together with the lemon zest.

Bring water to the boil and pour over the elderflowers and citrus zest. Cover and leave overnight to infuse.

Strain the liquid through cheesecloth and pour into a saucepan. Add the sugar and the lemon juice. Heat gently to dissolve the sugar, then bring to a simmer and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Use a funnel to pour the hot syrup into sterilized bottles and seal with a sterilized cap or cork. Bottles can be sterilized by washing with soapy water then plunging into boiling water for 5 minutes and allowing to air dry.

Allow to cool then store in the refrigerator or freezer. Cordial will keep in the fridge for 2 weeks and in the freezer for 1 year. I like to freeze the cordial in smaller batches so I can use it as needed.

Elderflower-Mulberry Birthday Cake: Serves 12.

Bottom half of the cake has been drizzled with cordial and is about to be spread with tart whipped cream.

For my birthday last weekend, I had an inkling to make a cake infused with elderflower cordial, but had a hard time deciding exactly what else to include - apricots and almonds? loquats and honey? lemon and poppyseed? Spring is a fun time to daydream about desserts! While walking through my surprisingly abundant neighborhood however, I was lucky enough to stumble upon some mulberries, which helped to complete my vision. My birthday party was a campout and the cake held up nicely for several hours, even though I was impatient and made the tart whipped cream earlier than necessary:) My photos do not show the final spread of whipped cream on the top, as it was too dark for photos when I added this piece.

• 1/2 cup plus 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

• 4 eggs

• 2 tablespoons yogurt

• 3 tablespoons plus up to 3/4 cup elderflower cordial

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 1/2 cup almond meal

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 3/4 teaspoons salt

• 2 cups fresh mulberries, washed and dried

• 3/4 cup whipping cream

• 1/2 cup crème fraîche

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Grease a 9-inch springform pan and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Cream the butter and 3/4 cup sugar in a mixer until they’re light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time then incorporate the yogurt and 3 tablespoons of the elderflower cordial.

In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, almond meal, baking powder, and salt and slowly whisk this into the wet mixture in 3 batches. Once its fully incorporated, pour half of the batter into the greased springform pan, then spread mulberries evenly over the top, followed by remaining batter and bake for 1 hour. Cake is done when a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

While cake is baking, beat whipping cream until almost stiff, continue beating as you add in 2 tablespoons sugar and vanilla and then lightly whisk in crème fraîche.

The gorgeous mulberry layer is revealed!

Once cake has cooled, cut in half to make two layers using a large serrated knife. You should be cutting right through the berry layer and at this point, you will be able to see all of the beautiful mulberries hiding inside. 

Drizzle up to 1/4 cup of elderflower over the bottom layer and top with half of the tart whipped cream, followed by the other half of the cake. Drizzle up to another 1/4 cup of elderflower (for both of these, it depends on how sweet/moist/elderflowery you want the cake) and spread the other half of the whipped cream over the top. Top with a sprinkling of fresh elderflowers if you have them and drizzle each piece of cake with a little more elderflower cordial before eating.  

This version is before the addition of the final tart whipped cream layer.

The Regal Elderflower

Processing elderflower for fermented cordial with the Nordic Food Lab crew. We were all covered in pollen after this flower-plucking session! Species of elder likely Sambucus nigra.

There's something truly special about the elder, or Sambucus, plant and I've always felt a special connection to it. Not only does it proclaim to the world that summer is approaching and provide culinary and medicinal benefits, but it also somehow manages to be both utterly wild and elegantly refined at the same time. The plant is likely called "elder" because it is so old that you can find varieties of it around the world. It's no surprise then that so many cultures have different symbolisms and uses attached to Sambucus including (but definitely not limited to) the below.

Symbolism

• Shakespeare: Grief (the "stinking elder"), yet also beloved

• Pagan: Superstitions around cutting it back or burning it (will cause bad luck)

• Danish: The elder Mother or "vegetation goddess" lives in the tree (HyldeMoer) - you need to ask her permission before cutting it.

• Sicilians: Kill serpents and drive away robbers

• Serbians: Good luck if used during the wedding ceremony

• England: Hold in pocket to ward off lightning, cross above animals to ward off evil

Supposed Medicinal Uses (Note: I have not looked into the scientific evidence supporting any of the below, but rather wanted to show the breadth of supposed medicinal uses)

• Bark: Purgative, emetic, diuretic, asthma (not consumed anymore due to toxins)

• Leaves: Bruises/sprains, wound healing, expectorant, diuretic (not consumed anymore due to toxins)

• Flowers: Tea for swollen sinuses, colds, flu, diabetes, constipation, rheumatism, influenza, relaxant, complexion, blood purification

• Berries: Hot wine for influenza, asthma, juice for antiviral/antibacterial

Food

• Flowers: Cordial (St.Germain is an elderflower liqueur), desserts, jelly, shrub, fritters

• Berries: Cordial, wine, syrup, desserts, jelly, etc.

The elder tree can grow up to 25 feet tall and has reddish bark and pinnate leaves opposite of each other. The tiny star-shaped flowers, which bloom in May/June, are a yellowish white/cream color and grow in clusters. The elder plant that you will find in Northern California (and most of the Western United States) is Sambucus cerulea, also known as blue elder for it's dark blue berries. The berries can be found later in the summer, are a bluish/black often with a whitish powder sheen and also grow in large clusters. 

ELDERFLOWER AND ELDERBERRIES MUST BE PROCESSED BEFORE CONSUMING. Don't just go around grabbing handfuls and consuming them raw like you would blackberries! However, the berries may be fine in small amounts and both berries and flowers are definitely safe after cooking or drying. When using the flowers, such as in this elderflower chive fritter recipe, it's best to remove as much of the stem as possible, but some stem is fine if cooked.

Notice tiny star-shaped flowers. This Sambucus nigra from Europe has larger clusters and whiter flowers than the Sambucus cerula of California. 

My first experience with elderflower (other than St.Germain) was during my stint as a visiting researcher at the Nordic Food Lab in Denmark. We spent a morning riding all over Copenhagen to forage huge clusters of elderflowers and stuffing them into sacks before plucking the flowers to be used in a fermented cordial. I still fondly remember being covered in pollen afterward while enjoying a well-deserved chocolate rye roll. Denmark is really a magical place and elderflowers unsurprisingly about there. The elderflowers you find in Denmark are most likely to be Sambucus nigra rather than the Sambucus cerulea that is found in California and are a bit larger and whiter, but both have the same beautiful fragrance and uses. As I left Denmark before the berries came out and just recently found a spot for elder in California, I have yet to experiment with the berries, but am greatly looking forward to doing so this summer!

Yellower, yet still star-shaped, flowers of the Sambucus cerula foraged from Tilden Park in Berkeley, CA.

The Celery Sour cocktail

This drink is crazy, in a good way. You take all of these ingredients that are tasty on their own, but sound really weird together (when was the last time you mixed Fernet with elderflower liqueur?) and they combine into an entirely refreshing drink that, yes, tastes a bit like celery. This cocktail is why I bother with cocktail recipes. Enjoy!

• 1-1/4 ounces (5 parts) gin, preferably St.George Spirit's Terroir gin

• 1 ounce (4 parts) St.Germain or other elderflower liqueur/cordial, such as this homemade elderflower cordial

• 3/4 ounce (3 parts) fresh lemon juice

• 1/4 ounce (1 part) pastis, such as Ricard

• 1/4 ounce (1 part) Fernet Branca

• 2 dashes of Peychaud's bitters

• Lemon peel (garnish)

Shake all ingredients apart from lemon peel and serve up in a pre-frosted coupe. Garnish with lemon peel.