Haitian epis, herbal vinegars, and infused culinary oils: My Introduction to Kitchen Herbalism
My passion for kitchen herbalism didn't come out of nowhere.
I have vivid memories of young me sitting with my grandmother and my mother while they taught me how to use a pilon. A pilon, otherwise known as a mortar and pestle, is an essential kitchen tool in Haitian kitchen to make the herb and aromatic filled marinade blend that is central to Haitian cooking - epis. There are some regional differences and of course, each family and household puts their own twist on the recipe but the base ingredients are usually scallion, garlic, thyme, scotch bonnet pepper, and parsley. Every Haitian household always has a jar of epis in the fridge, whether they made it themselves or someone in the family made it for them. I’m blessed to know how to make it myself and to have grandparents who always blend and freeze some for me whenever I visit home.
This fiery and flavorful seasoning is added to almost every dish, whether it’s meat, fish, rice, or veggies. It taught me the value of using fresh herbs and spices in food rather than relying on powdered seasoning blends. That lesson stuck with me. Not only was it my first real understanding of a form of a kitchen herbalism but it’s also why I think I’m so open-minded about just tasting herbs and finding ways to incorporate them into food and drinks I already like to make. For example, I love making a pot of greens every week or two during the seasons when leafy greens are in season. The first time I encountered dandelion greens, I just treated them like any other green I would cook - Saute some aromatic, add some red pepper flakes or hot peppers, add the greens, cook them down, and finish with a little vinegar, salt and pepper. With that framework, I can switch out the green, experiment with different aromatics (for example, fennel instead of onions), and try different vinegars.
Speaking of vinegars, my grandmother also taught me the magic of a seasoned vinegar at a young age. It is common to see a platter of steamed vegetables at Haitian gatherings and dinners - some combination of cabbage, corn, carrots, green beans, or beets all arranged nicely and finished with what is simply called ‘sauce de salade’ or ‘vinaigrette’. A blend of white vinegar, oil, diced onions and/or garlic, salt, pepper, and sometimes mustard. Mix it all in a bowl or put into a bottle to shake it up. Let the flavors sit together and steep for a few hours before serving. And it was the perfect topping. So simple but so much flavor while still allowing the vegetables’ natural tastes shine. Such a treat. It’s no wonder I started infusing aromatic herbs already common in Haitian epis into vinegars when the pandemic first started, as a way to experiment with flavors I was already familiar with. And now? I can’t remember the last time I purchased salad dressing from the store. I always have at least 2 vinegars in the pantry so it’s easy to mix it with whatever oil and aromatics I have at the time then shake it up in a bottle to make sure it all emulsifies. Currently, my favorite thing is a hot pepper vinegar that I use on a lot of things but mostly sandwiches, kinda like the vinegar that people get on their subs at sandwich places.
I saved my favorite for last - infused culinary oils. My first introduction to this was a spicy pepper sauce called “piman” or “piman confit”, which translates to pepper or confit peppers. A simple recipe - you fill a jar with chopped scotch bonnets with a little bit of onion, garlic, thyme, and dash of sour orange juice. Then you fill the jar with oil until it covers everything. Unlike many other Haitian families I know, my grandma’s pepper sauce was oil based and not vinegar or citrus based. Many street vendors and Haitian families on the island and abroad make this recipe by filling the jar about half way with vinegar or citrus and keeping it refrigerated. But my grandma used oil and kept it in the cabinet or on the kitchen counter. After letting it infuse for a bit, she would sprinkle the oil on her food to add spice, while sometime catching a piece of pepper or two. Over time, the oil level would reduce and the scotch bonnets would break down and get super soft. When that happened, she would do one of two things:
`1) If there was a lot of space between the broken down scotch bonnets and the oil level, she would add a few more fresh chopped up scotch bonnets on top, making sure that the peppers stay submerged.
2) If the oil levels were getting low enough to the point where they were no longer covered the peppers completely, she would add more oil.
Because the peppers have a lot of water content, it’s important to keep them submerged, whether you’re using acid or oil. This will reduce the chances of bacterial growth inside the jar.
When the pandemic started and I had a lot more time on my hands, I dove in head first with infused oil experiments. (add picture here). I started with woody herbs like rosemary, thyme, and dried bay leaves. Then I started adding other things like black, green, and pink peppercorns, aromatics like garlic, and fun herbal flavors like peppery nasturtium flavor. But ultimately, hot pepper confit will always be my favorite.
With love,
Rebecca
