Not a sugarplum, but this ethereal looking candied ginger looks kissed by frost and makes the kitchen smell like a holiday.
We had a favorite Indonesian candy we would buy in Chinatown called ting ting jahe- a chewy bon bon so hot your cheeks would flush and eyes would water. Part of the pleasure was the full-flavored stickiness, and part the mild euphoria at gradual ebbing* of the searing heat (a gentler version of how you feel when the sting of tear gas subsides- not uncommon in urban Greek life). These beautiful sugared sticks of candied ginger - not quite so painfully hot- give a nice hit of heat and a lasting glow. They are made with just two ingredients in the simplest proportions, and a vague, flexible cooking time.
We will need:
A hand of fresh ginger
400 g/2 C sugar
450 ml/2 C water
more sugar for coating- we used Demarara on half, granulated on the other half, and liked the rough crunchy demarara best for color and flavor
Peel the ginger, cut it into thin slices with the grain, and stack the slices to cut into matchsticks.
Pour the sugar into the middles of the pan and pour the water around it so no crystals stick to the sides of the pan. Stir gently, cover, and simmer until sugar dissolves completely, stirring occasionally. Bring to a boil, add the ginger, and turn down the heat to let it simmer gently. After about 15 minutes the ginger will look limp, and after another half hour or so it will be translucent, and the thin clear syrup will have thickened and darkened. Check throughout the cooking time every now and then- it may thicken so much you will want to add some water. It's not at all an exact science- cook until the ginger is as tender as you like and the syrup is slightly thinner than honey.
Your house will be filled with the sweet scent of ginger.
Remove the ginger to a fine mesh strainer set over the pan so the syrup drips back in. Shake it a little- we want the ginger as dry as possible before we toss it in sugar.
Put a rack over some baking paper, and some sugar in a wide shallow bowl. Fine white granulated sugar makes delicate fairy-tale sticks, and coarse demerara rough, rustic, and more substantial ones. Try some of each.
Take small handfuls at a time and toss them in the sugar, separating the ginger into individual strands as you do. When each is thoroughly coated with sugar, spread them out on the rack to dry.
For our two ingredients, we have two things- lots of this beautiful confection, and a jar of dark spicy syrup- for adding to tea, or for holiday cocktails another time. We will experiment and pass along any good ideas- please do the same!
*Like some philosophy with your confections? Muse on Burke's thoughts on negative pain.
