It is not often you can find a herb whose every aspect delights the culinary capabilities of even the most sensitive cook. Whether in a soup, a potato dish or a simple Kilner of potted crab, lovage reigns supreme in raising these ingredients to divine heights.
It is described as tasting somewhere between flat-leaf parsley and celery. The golden seed heads of this herb offer a wonderful alternative to those who like to scatter black pepper all over their plates.
What I love about lovage (pardon the pun: its name means “love- ache”, ache being a medieval name for parsley) is that every part of the herb has a culinary use. It is as close as you can get to a nose-to-tail herb.
Because lovage has a mild, acidic and tangy taste, it pairs well with foods that need a little lift. The tart quality that it delivers is further balanced by the aniseed flavour it carries through on the finish.
I like to use the seeds of lovage (if you can get them) as you would use fennel seeds: toasted and then combined in a quick bread loaf or a cream and brandy sauce for some spring lamb chops (spring lamb is better value in the summer). The stems of the herb are very good pickled. In spite of its acidic properties, I still like to combine it with a bit of lemon juice for freshness, particularly in relation to fish.
To make a nice crab and potato salad, first boil some new potatoes until you can pass a small knife through them. Allow to cool and quarter them.
For the crab meat (about 500g): gently squeeze the excess water out and check for any small bones. Season the crab with the sea salt and the juice and rind of one lemon.
Gather a nice handful of lovage leaves and thinly slice them. Mix half of them through the crab and the other half with the potatoes. Season the potatoes with sea salt and a really nice olive oil. Plate up and scatter a few lovage seeds over the top.
