Sunday 21 January 2007

Ingredient Alert: Boyajian Citrus Oils...

This post is in part a paean of praise, and in part a straightforward gripe. The paean of praise is for Boyajian Citrus Oils. I first discovered them ten or more years ago in the States, and my kitchen has never been without them ever since! Cold-pressed from the rind of the fruit, the flavours of these oils are intense and accurate, and in many instances are a perfectly valid replacement for either zest or juice in either sweet or savoury recipes. A drop of orange oil in a Creme Anglaise can replace the chore associated with juicing half a dozen oranges and then reducing the liquid to concentrate the flavour for e.g. an Orange & Raspberry Tart; or a drop of Lime Oil at the end of making mayonnaise is fantastic for eating with Globe Artichokes. Boyajian have branched out into a much broader range of flavoured oils than merely their base citrus range, but I confess I've never really got to grips with the more complicated items on their list, and in fact stick pretty much to Orange and Lemon Oils, with an occasional use also for Lime Oil. I can't recommend these oils highly enough!

And my gripe? I can't seem to get hold of them outside the States, and I can't get a response from the Customer Service people at the Boyajian website when I ask whether they will ship orders to the UK. Frustrating? And how!! If anybody reads this and knows where I might be able to replenish my declining stocks, please let me know........I probably have about six months' future supplies, and after that the future looks worryingly bleak!

Today's menu:

Scrambled Egg with Smoked Salmon. Winter seems finally to have arrived, and this is a very Sunday evening, Home & Hearth type of starter.

Boeuf Bourguignonne. Same reason as above, I guess....

Mango Souffle Glace. Enough dwelling on winter......! For the full recipe, see below.

4 comments:

MarkP said...

Don't know if you have solved the lack of replacement citrus oil stocks yet, but they can be obtained from www.hardtofindfoods.co.uk. I'm pretty sure I've seen them in my local Sainsbury's as well the the "Special Selection" section.

Good luck. Great blog.

Pomiane said...

Many thanks......In fact,since originally posting about Boyajian, I tracked the oils down to Blas ar Fwyd (there's a link in the sidebar on the home page)who seem to be the most economical option - cheaper than hardtofindfoods.co.uk, and much cheaper than Lakeland, who also now stock the stuff, but who seem to have an 'interesting' mark-up policy....

Anonymous said...

I have managed to source Boyajian Citrus Oils from www.kingsfinefood.co.uk as my local Sainsbury's have never heard of them and their Head Office has advised that they only sell the range at certain branches.

LouiseS said...

I also buy my boyajian oils from Kings fine food! I love the lemon oil and its only £15.99. Here is a link incase any of you ever need some help finding the oils!

http://www.kingsfinefood.co.uk/shop/luxury-oils-vinegars-dressings/boyajian-oils

Keep up the good work!