05.16.07
Two Ingredients I’m Taking With Me
Every chef is different and composes flavors in unique and characteristic ways. Just as you could identify which chef made your dish by the fingerprints he may have left on the side of the plate, you can also identify a specific chef’s handiwork by the spices, sauces or special ingredients he chose to use. The trick to developing as a chef is to learn how to incorporate the special ingredients that other chefs use into your own personal pantry, marrying them with the set of flavors and techniques that already characterize your own style of cooking. In this way, one becomes their own chef with their own style, and the creativity and inventions of the culinary world continue to grow and branch out.
 Broccoli Rabe (or “Rapini”) was something I avoided as a child, but now embrace as a chef. (Photo from gourmetsleuth.com) |
That being said, there are also ingredients that I don’t like and therefore typically won’t use, or perhaps I don’t use them from sheer ignorance on how to cook them. For example, growing up I always thought of broccoli rabe as a bitter and disagreeably pungent side dish that was loved only by Italian grandfathers or people who pretended to enjoy it. Then I attended a cooking demonstration by Giuliano Hazan (son of the great Marcella Hazan) and he showed me how to blanch the broccoli rabe to draw its bitterness out before then sautéing it for a long time over low heat in garlicky olive oil with red pepper. It was fabulous, and gave me a new appreciation for this otherwise inedible green.
Or perhaps some of you remember my earlier post on how to make Brussels sprouts. These little green nuggets of flavor were one of the most dreaded additions to my plate as a child. I would go to incredible lengths to avoid them, or hide them, when they were plopped down on the dinner table. Again, it was through the work of another chef that I learned how to caramelize them in butter or oil instead of boiling or steaming them. The result is that I often use them as a go-to side dish when they are in season instead of avoiding them like the plague.
So in this light of incorporating new ingredients into my repertoire, there are two ingredients that I’ve gained a new appreciation for in my tenure at Vero that I previously considered to be, well, rather useless. Neither of these were foods that I disliked, I just always considered them to be on the fringe of cooking - something to be used only rarely. My time at Vero showed me the light, and now I use these ingredients often, and will continue to do so as I journey forth to new kitchens.
 We go through cans like this all the time. |
The first ingredient is pineapple juice. This is something that I have always considered delicious, but previously I only thought of it as something to add to mixed drinks. I always thought of the flavor as too powerful to use in cooking; I was afraid it would dominate any and all other flavors in the dish. At Vero though, I learned how pineapple juice is great for marinating meats and is a fantastic addition to fruit (especially spicy mango) salsas. It’s acidic nature makes it a natural addition to ceviches, and in Asian sauces, pineapple juice adds sweetness without diluting or thickening the sauce too much. And if you thin some yogurt by whisking in a little pineapple juice, and add some preserves for flavor and color, and you have a great dipping sauce for fresh fruit skewers. Simply put, when you need moisture and sweetness together, pineapple juice is often a much better option than just adding sugar and a little water.
 And I thought it was only good as a garnish… |
The other addition to my pantry is crystallized ginger. Before working at Vero, I really didn’t have much use for this stuff at all. Upon my arrival there, I noticed a large tin (about the size of a large coffee can) of crystallized ginger, and I assumed that was a lifetime supply - even for a busy restaurant. How wrong I was. Crystallized ginger is not just for garnishing, but it can be pureed into carrot soup for a noticeable, yet not overly spicy, ginger flavor. It can be chopped into fruit crisps and other desserts for a refreshing addition. And mixed in with hoi sin sauce, sesame oil and garlic, it makes for a fabulous sauce for topping off spicy beef short ribs. It’s used so much in Vero that we not only went through the whole giant tin of it in my time there, but we actually had to buy a new one which is already being used in the kitchen.
It is said that the mark of a great chef is that he can make a fantastic meal out of whatever is on hand. However, I’m firm believer that the way he gets to this stage in his abilities is by watching how different ingredients are used by other chefs, and then experimenting with everything he can lay his hands on. In this way, he adds more and more ingredients into his own personal pantry, and is then able to surprise those around him with his incredible spontaneity by creating a proverbial “stone soup” from seemingly nothing at all.
So if anyone out there has any pineapple juice or crystallized ginger lying around that is eating up space in your pantry or fridge, just invite me over, and I will make it look like I am inventing something magical for you from the top of my mind. That is, I’ll do it so long as you pretend to be amazed…
Stumble it!
Eize said,
May 16, 2007 at 9:20 pm
I have another example for you:
Where you have Thanksgiving turkey, we have Christmas ham (must-have for Noche Buena–and in our family, we prefer the leg of ham; boneless ham is for sissies!
). Marinate hunk of ham in a mixture of spices, pineapple juice, and one bottle of beer (if you’re going to tell me you don’t use BEER in cooking…). Let ham simmer over low heat in the mixture until the meat softens a bit. Remove ham from mixture, set it on oven tray (or whatever you call the thing over there; it always comes with the electric oven :/), sprinkle brown sugar on top, and roast in the oven until you hear the meat sizzle and the sugar melt. Admittedly, its salty, but my mom’s excuse is THAT’S WHAT THE SLICED TOMATOES ON THE SIDE ARE FOR. 
Not just for pizzas; we also add chunks of pineapple to certain dishes, just to offset the saltiness of the dish or add texture to it, like adobo. However, that depends on the taste of the person, so pineapple is considered optional.
Curiously, what other ingredients do you not like to use?