2 pink peppercorn recipes that bring out their sweet aromatic flavour

Pink peppercorns look like pepper and are sometimes sold along with white, black and green peppercorns in a mixed packet, but unlike the other three, which are the dried fruit of the Piper nigrum shrub in different stages of ripeness, they are harvested from at least two plants that are unrelated to the pepper family.

Also called poivre rose, the pink peppercorn’s colour, texture (it has a delicate crunch) and flavour – sweet, aromatic and only slightly peppery, without the “hotness” of true peppercorns – make it seem frivolous. There are times, however, when you just want a subtle pepper flavour, and pink peppercorns are particularly suited for desserts and seafood dishes.

I like to crush pink peppercorns then infuse them in hot cream before straining the mixture and using it to make white or dark chocolate ganache or mousse.

There is some concern that pink peppercorns can irritate the skin and mucous membranes. Rest assured, though, you would have to consume a lot of them to run the risk of that happening.

Rack of lamb with pink and black peppercorns, glazed chestnuts and figs