Mind of a Chef Part III
Flavors, and a recipe drop
Greetings Anon, 🏝
Continuing in the Mind of a Chef series, today we will talk about Flavors.
If you didn’t see on Twitter, I dropped a Pineapple Salad recipe [LINK], in honor of BowTiedPlatypus 🍍 👑 , which is simple and delicious. Definitely check this out, it’s an easy addition to your rotation.
We are now 9 days away from the order deadline for the “Few” Founding Member knife drop. This is a one time only release. On the 15th, order availability will close. Would make a great holiday gift, as it comes with the Annual Paid Substack in addition to the knife. 🔥
Flavors:
Many articles and books have been written on this subject, one in particular comes to mind, “The Elements of Taste”, so what follows are some considerations. Written with Chef Gray Kunz (RIP), it is a methodical and enlightening breakdown of flavors. If you’re a cooking geek you’ll love it. Chef Kunz was one of the first chef’s BITD that combined “exotic” and global ingredients into the classic techniques known to Francophiles.
At the foundation, you have the 5 basic Tastes on the human palate. Sweet, Sour, Bitter, Salty, Umami. This should not be the only context for flavor, though. It should be noted that texture has a powerful influence on flavor perception as well as spiciness (or Piquancy, as referred to in TEOT).
And we can’t forget our sense of smell as it relates to taste and flavor.
Why?
~80-90% of flavor we perceive is from our sense of smell (olfactory sense), which is why when you have a cold or allergies, your sense of flavor is significantly less. Those with a keen sense of smell will have am advantage in certain flavor discernments but this is largely not a concern.
It is also worth stepping back and looking at a macro view of global flavors. There are definite distinctions in countries, continents and cultures on flavors that are desirable and acceptable.
Case and point: Bitter
This taste has been much maligned in most English speaking cultures, which tend to be more geared for sweet flavors. However, go to China, India… even Italy (think radicchio and other bitter lettuces), and you will find bitterness to be an important component to meals and certain dishes. Grapefruit, one of my favorite citrus fruits, carries a subtle bitterness that finishes after you get that initial blast of sour/sweet up front.
I find bitterness to provide a lovely counterpoint on the palate. To any sweetness present, bitter comes along and rounds out those flavors. The skilled chef looks to play with all 5 tastes with alchemic unity.
As a chef, the most important thing you can do is taste food often. Each time you are reinforcing flavors and combinations that serve as a mental memory-bank for you to draw upon as you evolve.
Over time this will deepen and you will come to recognize “natural flavor pairings” that just work well together.
Some common examples:
Asparagus & Lemon
Leeks & Potato
Corn & Chili
Salmon & Sorrel
Radish & Salted Butter
Raw Oysters & Mignonette
Green Beans & Dill
Carrots & Orange
And the list goes on and on. Granted, these are not “out of the box” pairings, but the point is, you start with what works… what flavors have natural affinities and it serves as a base for you.
Putting it All Together:
Once you have a developed a base, this is where things can get very interesting. When cooking, being present of all the flavors and tastes at your disposal, you can completely dial in a dish or plate to be exactly what you are looking for.
This is why recipes are only guidelines, and should be altered to taste before serving your guests (or yourself).
Example 1: You’ve made a recipe for a salad dressing but the taste is kind of “flat” and dull… then you should probably add more acid to the dressing (vinegar or citrus). This will cut through the fat/oil and provide a contrast to lift the entire dressing to better flavor.
Example 2: You’ve made a braised beef in red wine. Upon finishing your cook, you note the flavor is watered down/muted. But you followed the recipe exactly. Most likely, add a dash of salt which will lift up the muted flavors to the appropriate levels.
Lifelong Learning:
I find food and cultures fascinating. I also believe food should be enjoyed and not a flavorless-obligation to keep our bodies functional. As such, some of my most enjoyable and impactful times with food and learning more about flavors come from traveling. I would say this is the best education a cook can have, and some of the most skilled chefs I’ve had the pleasure of cooking with all have this habit in common.
Traveling and Curiosity.
In addition, it’s helpful to keep in mind that certain regions, countries, cultures etc have different Flavor points of emphasis.
For Broad Examples: Japan would be: Salty, Umami. Korea: Spicy, Salty, Umami. Thailand: Sour, Sweet, Bitter, Salty. Germany: Sweet, Sour, Salty. (etc. etc.)
Improvising:
Given my fascination with other food cultures and flavor traditions, I have been able to take lessons and techniques from cultures all over the world and add them to my memory-bank of flavors and techniques.
This has allowed for endless variation, expression, and some successes 😂
You can do this at home, by simply cooking more and exploring cuisines that are of interest to you. Comment below some of your favorites or feel free to DM.
Friday I’ll be dropping a luscious Squash Soup just in time to make Fall flavors you love, a part of your recipe stash.
Until next time! 🥂