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Flower power

Now that spring is in the air and milder weather and sunshine are starting to emerge at last, my thoughts are turning towards lighter, more delicate flavours, after the rich heavy foods of winter.

One of my favourite treats is orange flower (or orange blossom) water, a clear distillation from the small white waxy buds and flowers of the bitter orange, which contain the essential oil neroli. The fragrant flowers are crushed and the neroli oil is distilled into a water with an exquisitely sweet fragrance that, incidentally, doesn't bear any resemblance to oranges, but is instead very delicately scented and pleasantly flowery. In the Middle East and North Africa it's used to flavour tagines and other savoury dishes.

It doesn't bear any resemblance to oranges, but is instead very delicately scented and pleasantly flowery

In and around Nice, orange flower water is widely used to flavour patisserie, confectionery, ice creams and breads, notably fougasse. It's also stirred into fresh ricotta cheese and is added sparingly to some vegetable dishes, particularly those containing spinach. If you visit Nice, do try the sublime glace à la fleur d'oranger (ice cream flavoured with orange flower water).

I love the Niçois way of serving oranges too. Take six oranges. Zest the rind of three of them and peel the rest, discarding the pith. Thinly slice the oranges, (reserving any juice), discard the pips and arrange overlapping slices in concentric circles in a shallow serving dish. Mix the reserved orange juice with 2 tablespoons water and 3 tablespoons of orange flower water and pour over the orange slices. Sift over 2-3 tablespoons of icing sugar, then cover and leave in a cool place for several hours, but not in the fridge. Scatter with the zest just before serving.

There are several brands of orange flower water on sale in the UK and they vary hugely in strength, flavour and fragrance. I think the best are from Lebanon and France, especially that from Provence, which is very fragrant and is usually sold in dark blue bottles. I always bring a few bottles back with me, as not only is the quality excellent, it's also much cheaper there.

A bottle will last for ages, as you need add only a small amount to flavour dishes. I like to add orange flower water to iced sparkling water and fruit drinks - its elusive fragrance adds an unusual touch and is very refreshing. Stir a small amount into whipped cream, plain yogurt or rice pudding. Its subtle flavour also enhances chocolate desserts and cakes and fruit salads. Orange flower water is reputed to have a digestive and calming effect on the system. An old country remedy for insomnia is to add just a few drops of orange flower water to a small coffee cup of hot, boiled water and sip this just before bedtime.

Which ingredients make you think of spring?

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