Distracted

 

I just finished a piece of assigned writing on the subject of savory chocolate applications, and in my research rediscovered a very old idea, agrodolce. Similar to what the French might call gastrique, this Italian version was believed to be of Arab influence, then pushed through the filter of Sicilian cooking, before taking hold on the 'boot' proper. Literally meaning 'sour-sweet', more often than not it was, and is, a reduction of wine and/or vinegar plus sugar. Additions can also include fruit, citrus peel, spice, and yes, chocolate. Just thinking about the versatility and endless combinations has had my head spinning for a couple of days now.

Back when I was a line cook/sous chef, I played around with different gastriques quite a bit, trying a range of acids in the form of vinegar, verjus, and fruit juices; sometimes the sugar was caramelized first, and usually there was some sort of aromatic spice or herb component. In fact I'd say half the sauces we keep on our line today are simple caramel/liquid reductions: red wine, citrus-ginger, apple cider, soy. There is something about reduction in tandem with light caramelization that produces something greater than the sum of its parts. Today I wanted to go further with it, by taking some of the traditional ingredients and produce more of a puree, something with more substance and mouthfeel to better appreciate what I hoped to be a complex harmony of the four primary tastes- bitter, sour, salty, and sweet. I also saw this idea as being related to a request from a friend, who recently asked for advice on a sort of savory pate de fruit (in case he's reading- sorry, but I haven't gotten to it yet!).

I instinctively began to grab ingredients during a few moments of downtime tonight: white wine, Minus 8 ice wine vinegar, cardamom, long pepper, orange zest, raisins, and cacao nibs. While shuffling other tasks, I started with some sugar, lightly caramelized. In went the white wine to reduce alone, then the spices. I'm writing down some vague measurements, but I'm also diverting attention to orders coming in, prep for tomorrow, even stuff going on later in the week. But I add the vinegar, then the raisins, and reduce further. In my head, I'm envisioning a smooth puree, sweet and acid, to which I'll add cacao nibs and a hit of salt after the fact, for texture and balance. And I don't want to reach for our friendly hydrocolloids just yet, as I figure the raisins will provide the body, as well as their... 'raisin-ness'.

Picking out the spices, I transfer the whole to a blender, thinking that I would often use gastrique as a foil for something like foie gras; how different, really, is that from what I can coax from chocolate, in terms of texture and fattiness. I have a direction. But I soon realize I didn't produce a quantity large enough to properly mash up in the VitaPrep. Damn. A splash of water and I'm fine, and then another splash. Well needless to say, the result bore no resemblance to what I thought I might get. It was too loose. And the flavor was muddy, with too much of everything, none of it creating any sort of synergy. The cardamom was too strong, Minus 8, good enough on it's own (not to mention expensive) overpowered it... The problem with instinct is that it's just that, a feeling. And being distracted by seven other things didn't help.

Defeated, I instantly realized the answer lay right before me, on the line. Our fig puree is like an agrodolce: sugar (caramelized), fig pulp, orange juice, and a touch of cinnamon and jalapeno, the method is just a little different. Bumping the acid, adding a bit more nuance in flavor (fennel seed immediately came to mind), and I had the complex flavor and texture I was looking for. The fennel suggested the fresh anise flavor of tarragon, along with the garnish of grated lemon zest and the cacao nibs I originally intended to use.

Download: Caramelized Fig Purée-Workbook 12.1.09

This is just the launching point; the possibilities seem endless. But a lesson about focus and distraction was learned. I once read something attributed to the psychologist/art theorist Rudolf Arnheim that I've always liked: Unplanned accidents, no matter how satisfactory their outcome, still indicate a lack of control.

 

   

Comments

[chadzilla]

I read something about agrodolce a few months ago, sparked an interest, filed it away in my head, and forgot about it completely. That's the great thing about constantly reading and checking out other chef's ideas... kick-starting the brain.
I hope that the savory chocolate post comes out soon. We have recently been perusing Federic Bau's book on Chocolate (which belongs to Fabian, our pastry chef). What an amazing must-have book. I'm just waiting for the right opportunity to purchase it. I cannot wait to see what ideas or thoughts you have in this area as it seems far broader in complexity once analyzed than it appears on the surface.

[Michael Natkin]

I did something like this, with raisins instead of figs - but simple, like the version you have in the PDF. Basically just caramelized raisins in butter for a long time, a bit of Maldon salt, then pureed. That flavor is pretty amazing by itself; I'm sure the cinnamon/jalapeno/orange is incredible. Crap! Now you've got me second guessing a Spanish chocolate trio (of pectin gels) I'm working on :). Wait, that's a good thing.

[Michael Natkin]

Ok, I ended up going right home to make a variation of this. I decided it isn't right for the chocolate trio, but it was spot-on with vanilla ice cream :). Here's what I came up with: http://tinyurl.com/7qn8nh .

[Simon]

Beautiful dessert. Every time I see your new desserts I am inspired. Thank you for the insight into agrodolce, it has given me some great new ideas. Pictures are wonderful.