Strange but great uses for maple syrup
Breakfast food is one of life’s most wonderful simple pleasures. Honestly, what’s not to love about meats, eggs, fruits, pancakes and waffles, particularly when those last two are smothered in maple syrup. Regardless of your age or favorite morning delicacy, the odds are decent that you enjoy maple syrup, but you may have never taken the time to sit down and think about how else it can be used. The fact of the matter is, maple syrup has far more uses than simply being a delicious topping for your favorite breakfast. Culinary academy students and amateur foodies alike should do themselves a favor by checking out these strange but great uses for maple syrup:
Maple mustard glaze
When we consider what to pair maple syrup with, we tend to think of sweeter dishes. Believe it or not, maple syrup’s flavor profile can make for a wonderful savory complement to a number of meat, poultry and fish dishes when paired with other ingredients. For example, Serious Eats recommends mixing maple syrup with mustard and a few other ingredients to make a phenomenal maple-mustard glaze for salmon and Brussels sprouts.
Cool, sweet chipotle tacos
Mexican food is obviously delicious, but for those of us with more sensitive tastes some dishes can often be too spicy. If you love the crisp heat of chipotle flavor but are looking for a way to cool it down just a tad and add a bit of sweetness, maple syrup may be your answer. According to Leite’s Culinaria, a chipotle-maple barbecue sauce can be the perfect addition to your next tacos, burritos or enchiladas. If you’re cooking for multiple guests, make sure you offer this sauce on the side so that they can elect whether or not to try some.
Cocktails
Admittedly, your favorite alcoholic beverage is probably one of the last places you would ever think to put maple syrup. Nonetheless, there are actually a large number of phenomenal drink recipes that call for the use of the sweet breakfast syrup. Cook The Story has featured a magnificent cocktail that calls for the use of Champagne or sparkling wine, a small amount of scotch and, you guessed it, a dash of maple syrup. You can also add a hint of lime to round out the flavor profile. Get the full recipe from Cook the Story here!
