Lavender-Infused Lardo

Pork back fat, also known as fatback, cured in salt is a feature of culinary traditions in many parts of Europe, from Italy, where it is known as lardo, to the Ukraine, where it is called salo and is often smoked or coated in paprika. Prepared with salt, herbs and spices, lardo has been made for centuries in Tuscany, the fat curing for several months in large containers carved from the marble quarried at nearby Carrara. As with all curing processes, the salt draws out moisture from the fat, thus preserving it by removing the medium in which bacteria flourishes, and the fat is infused with the scent and flavour of the herbs and spices. Lardo di Colonnata has been awarded protected geographical status by the European Union, but it is possible to find similar lardo elsewhere in Italy. Friends with a restaurant and organic herb garden near Modena used to make their own, without the marble tubs, and it was very good indeed, sliced paper thin and served on hot toast or with gnocchi fritti, large pufïs of deep-fried dough. It was tasting this delicate fat infused with herbs that led me to experiment with lavender when I began to buy large slabs of fat from jamón ibérico to bring home from Spain, and later from Spanish shops like García on Portobello Road. In this case the fat has already undergone a lengthy curing process during the making of jamón, so needs no further salt. Instead, I mix freshly ground black pepper and lavender flowers, fresh or dried, depending on the season, sprinkle it over the fat and wrap closely in greaseproof paper, then in foil to make a parcel that I keep in the fridge for a couple of weeks or more. The fat takes on a hint of lavender. If I have already used up my lavender flowers, I turn to the bundle of stalks I keep in the freezer and use a few of these to wrap with the ham fat.