Edibles are coming of age

Edibles are coming of age.

Marijuana enthusiasts have long since embraced cannabis for eating, not just smoking or vaporizing. But gone are the days when eating weed meant choosing between a classic marijuana brownie or laced chocolate chip cookie.

Options are more varied now, more elegant, more refined.

This is gourmet ganja.

In honor of 420, here are a few cannabis-infused recipes from Stephanie Lamb, an Airway Heights chef who specializes in marijuana-infused edibles.

For the uninitiated, 420 is the not-so-secret code term for cannabis consumption. It can refer to the time of day, such as 4:20 p.m., as well as April 20.

Below, find Lamb’s recipes for Honey-Sriracha Glazed Canna-Wings, Garlic Canna-Soup and Soft Ginger Canna-Cookies. Look for additional cooking-with-cannabis recipes in Spokesman-Review Food, coming soon.

Honey-Sriracha Glazed Canna-Wings

From Stephanie Lamb

2 pounds chicken wings

1 quart vegetable oil, for frying

2 tablespoons cannabis-infused butter, melted

3 tablespoons butter, melted

1 tablespoon all purpose flour

¼ cup honey

¼ cup Sriracha

1 tablespoon soy sauce

Heat oil in deep fryer or large skillet to 375 degrees.

Deep fry chicken wings in oil until done, about 10 minutes.

Remove chicken from deep fryer or skillet and drain on paper towels.

To make glaze, melt butter and cannabis-infused butter in small sauce pan over medium heat. Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Stir in honey, Sriracha and soy sauce. Bring to a boil; simmer until slightly thickened, about 1-2 minutes. Place chicken wings in large bowl, pour glaze over the wings and toss to coat.

Garlic Canna-Soup

From Stephanie Lamb

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

2 large heads hard-neck garlic (12-15 cloves each), divided

1 large shallot, peeled and sliced

¼ teaspoon chili pepper flakes

Sea salt, to taste

Black pepper, to taste

1 tablespoon white wine

1 quart rich stock such as chicken, beef or vegetable

4 sprigs each fresh thyme and parsley, tied with twine

2 medium russet potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes

2 tablespoons cannabis-infused butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Trim root end off one head of garlic. Set cloves, trimmed side down, in a small, oven-proof ramekin. Add 1 teaspoon olive oil and a pinch of sea salt. Cover with foil, set on a rimmed baking sheet, and slide into oven. Roast garlic for about 15 minutes, or until garlic is soft, but not at all brown. Once garlic is done, carefully remove foil and set aside to cool. When cool enough to handle, slide cloves out of their skin and reserve.

In a heavy bottomed 2- or 3-quart pot, heat butter and 1 teaspoon olive oil over medium heat. Trim, smash, and peel remaining head of garlic. Add cloves to pot, along with the sliced shallots, a pinch of sea salt, black pepper, and chili pepper flakes. Sauté for 2 - 3 minutes, then turn heat to low and cover; cook, stirring occasionally, cook for about 30 minutes.

Remove cover, up heat to medium, and sauté until shallot and garlic brown just a bit on the edges. Add white wine and scrape up any brown bits, then pour in 3 cups stock and add the potatoes, reserved roasted garlic, the tied herbs (or bouquet garni), along with a generous pinch of sea salt.

Bring mixture to a boil, and then turn heat down to a bubbling simmer. Cook until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.

Remove the bouquet garni, add 2 tablespoons cannabis-infused butter and carefully puree soup in a blender or with an immersion blender. Return soup to pot, adding up to 1 more cup of broth, if needed. Adjust salt levels, add a splash more of white wine if needed, lots and lots of black pepper, and serve with a sprig of thyme and minced parsley leaves.

The flavor will develop further after a day in the fridge. The soup reheats beautifully, but does tend to thicken – keep a ½ cup or so of stock (water will work, too) on hand to thin soup if needed.

Soft Ginger Canna-Cookies

From Stephanie Lamb

2 ¼ cups flour

2 ½ teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon cloves

¼ teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons butter

6 tablespoons cannabis-infused butter, softened

½ cup white sugar

½ cup light brown sugar

1 egg

1 tablespoon orange juice

¼ cup molasses

2 tablespoons white sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, cannabis-infused butter, ½ cup sugar and ½ cup brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then stir in the orange juice and molasses. Gradually stir the sifted ingredients into the molasses mixture.

Shape dough into walnut-sized balls, and roll them in the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Place the cookies 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet, and flatten slightly. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.