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fredrikegerman ([personal profile] fredrikegerman) wrote2007-03-21 09:40 pm
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Umame goodness in Western Cooking

Two recent recipe successes indicate (in part) the benefits of injecting a bit of umame goodness into western cooking.

For those of you who haven't been keeping track, umame is the recently-discovered fifth flavor. I don't use MSG (which triggers it), but I do think of things like Shiitake mushrooms and soy sauce---along, of course, with regular old meat---as having umame goodness. The other themes here: sauteeing leeks and using evaporated skim milk as a cream substitute.

Cream of Leek and Potato Soup



This was going to be a standard Leek and Potato soup, based on the recipe in Everybody Eats Well in Belgium (a favorite cookbook). Sautee four largish whole leeks in butter, add chopped potatoes, a box of TJs Chicken stock, and random seasonings (I think I used thyme as usual, plus chervil which I'm very partial to and is appropriate to low countries cooking). Then the secret ingredient: a dollop (a couple of Tbsp) of dark miso for umame goodness. Adds that little extra something that actually makes you feel like you've had a meal when you're done. After it's cooked, I ran it all through the blender, then added a can of evaporated skim milk and a bunch of chives.


Leek, Mushroom and Goat Cheese Tart


I made my first Goat Cheese Tart for [livejournal.com profile] nacht_musik and [livejournal.com profile] coraline and the assembled mob, and it went quite well -- but I couldn't quite remember what I did. This time I was attending a Scotch tasting and decided to make two tarts, one to take and one to keep. I found a couple of whole-wheat crusts at Wild Oats -- not necessarily great for pies, but perfect for tarts for which I'd have a total of 2 hours of prep time end to end. I brushed 'em with beaten egg and pre-cooked for 15 minutes as is my wont. I diced 3-4 whole leeks and sauteed in butter (in two batches). The batches were added to 3-4 beaten eggs (leftover brushing egg plus 3 more); I should have used 1-2 more eggs. As the leeks went in, I discovered reason to panic: in the store earlier in the week, a bunch of stuff had fallen off the cart. I'd apparently forgotten to pick up the mushrooms when they fell. Result: no mushrooms (they weren't on the receipt either). What to do? Pull out a pile of Chinese dried mushrooms, pull out the stems, and rehydrate with boiling water. After a good soaking, I chopped and sauteed these too. Meanwhile, I added 11oz goat cheese (the large Trader Joe's log), a bit of salt, and a can of evaporated goat's milk to the egg. The latter was a fortuitous find -- I went looking for evaporated milk at Wild Oats, and there was the goat's milk. Score! Was in a hurry, so whipped out the electric mixer and beat everything together. Seasoned with a teensy bit of paprika, plenty of pepper, and a generous dollop of lemon thyme and tarragon. Layered this with the mushrooms in the middle, and put it in the oven to bake.

Conclusion: tasty, but very rich; I got some mixed greens to go alongside, and they're really a necessity if you're eating more than a tiny sliver. Mushrooms add umame goodness. Chinese mushrooms add extra umame goodness. Not quite as much filling as I had planned; the extra eggs should make this up. Also consider another leek, or separating the eggs and folding in beaten whites to lighten things up.

On the Scotch tasting front, 18-year Islay malts have proven once again to be my favorites (Caol Ila, and 10-yr Ardberg when cut). The more medicinal Orkney Scotch was a tougher sell. A revelation: small amounts of room-temperature water clear the alcohol smell and bring out the nose of the malt. Stronger Scotches benefit from more dilution. Indeed, one of the effects of aging a Scotch is to evaporate some of its alcohol, concentrating its flavor.

[identity profile] kirisutogomen.livejournal.com 2007-03-23 09:46 pm (UTC)(link)
Dude, it's not all that recent a discovery. The umami receptor was identified like 20 years ago. It's actually a glutamate receptor, and most things with plenty of glutamate are things heavy on all the amino acids, i.e., protein-rich things like big slabs of cheese, or evaporated skim milk. Or miso, yeah.

My recollection on the Scotch front is that you're absolutely right about the water. It takes very little; an eyedropper of distilled water is handy, because adding the water immediately before tasting is most effective. (but a nasty tap water can ruin it.)

[identity profile] ukelele.livejournal.com 2007-03-24 10:42 pm (UTC)(link)
Mmmm sounds so good. Would that [livejournal.com profile] nonnihil liked those sorts of things.

[identity profile] fredrickegerman.livejournal.com 2007-03-25 09:10 pm (UTC)(link)
The Scotch, or things involving leeks and dairy products? :-)

[identity profile] ukelele.livejournal.com 2007-03-25 11:39 pm (UTC)(link)
The leeks and dairy products. Scotch is kinda vile ;).

[identity profile] fredrickegerman.livejournal.com 2007-03-26 12:41 am (UTC)(link)
Uh oh, we may have to revoke his blond hair and pasty white skin...

"The Britons live on milk and meat -- lacte et carne vivunt"

[identity profile] ukelele.livejournal.com 2007-03-26 11:10 am (UTC)(link)
I think he's mostly a Scot. They live on the blood of their enemies, right? So we're good.

[identity profile] fredrickegerman.livejournal.com 2007-03-26 01:13 pm (UTC)(link)
Hmm, lowlands or highlands? I think the lowland Scots were the last few Britons left after the Anglo-Saxons showed up... Apparently Robbie Burns-style Scots is believed to be similar to the original language spoken by the Britons. Or something like that.

I don't think Caesar tells us what the Saxons live on...