Last evening I was going through our pantry and came across our last box of Panda black licorice. I had previously used the licorice to make a port-licorice puree, which we have used in a number of dishes. Yesterday, I realized I wanted a licorice puree with a seasoning that complemented and piqued the intense character of the black licorice. I turned to our jar of black limes for assistance. I took one black lime and smashed it into pieces. I scattered these shards over the black licorice, which I had poured into a bowl. I then sprinkled some salt on the ingredients and just covered the licorice and lime with hot water and then plastic wrap. I let the mixture sit at room temperature overnight and then blended the softened licorice and lime into a puree this morning. The balance of the licorice and lime is quite amazing. In fact, the flavor is more exciting than I had first anticipated. Now begins the task of integrating the licorice-lime puree into our cooking. A few concepts from the start include serving it with grilled squid or poached turbot. In fact, I believe this licorice puree would have worked even better than the port-licorice puree we served with another turbot and melon dish.
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