In
an ideal world the ingredients that chefs work with would be fresh, at the peak
of their maturity, readily available from a local farmer, and perfect in every
respect. Mother Nature and our system of logistics for restaurants don’t always
cooperate in this regard. Certainly chefs, as some do, can design a menu to
only reflect these characteristics and ignore the expectations of guests to
have what they want any time of the year, but sometimes business is not that
forgiving.
Historically,
the supply and demand challenge of perfect ingredients has plagued chefs so
they relied on a deep understanding of the foundations of cooking, their
educated palates, and some tricks of the trade to compensate for sometimes -
imperfect raw materials. Little did chefs know that what they were doing was
applying science to the art of cooking.
The
sophistication of equipment and enhanced technique has allowed contemporary
chefs to take the science of cooking to new levels, but for me at least, I am
quite content with the alchemy of old. The following represents just a sampling
of what seasoned chefs have known and practiced for generations:
The right cooking
method is the universal equalizer
Chefs
unable or unwilling to work with the prime sections of an animal can bring
about results that rival the flavor and texture of the most expensive cuts by
applying alternative methods of cooking such as braising, roasting, or flash
grilling. This knowledge has been a part of every chef’s bag of tricks since
way before Careme and Escoffier.
The wonder of
caramelization
Known
as the Maillard Reaction, the process of caramelization involves the
application of direct heat or flame to a product while converting amino acids
into sugars resulting in the browning of the product and imparting a sweet,
nutty flavor. This is one of the most universally pleasing flavors imparted
through the cooking process and is somewhat separate from the foundational
flavor of the product.
Oven drying
intensifies flavor
A
chef who required to present tomatoes on a dish at a time of the year when
finding this fruit at it’s peak is nearly impossible can use a time tested
method of converting a bland, mealy tomato into one that is delicious and
enjoyably textured. Splitting those Roma tomatoes, brushing them with a quality
olive oil, dusting with sea salt and cracked pepper and allowing them to dry
for a few hours in a 200 degree oven will result in a sweet, rich, and melt in
your mouth alternative to a sun ripened tomato in the month of July. This is
science that marries the gradual breakdown of the fibers of the tomato,
incorporation of the added flavor from olive oil and salt, and intensification
of flavor as the tomato gives off a portion of it’s moisture.
Salt as a flavor
enhancer
Excessive
amounts of salt may be harmful and can, if overused, overpower the natural
flavor of the ingredient used, but if used with care and a knowledge of flavor,
it can help to break down protein strands and enhance the natural flavors of
the item that it complements.
Sugar, alcohol, and
out-of-season fruit
Is
the restaurant guest intent on seeing strawberries on a buffet menu in the
month of February? Surely, the product will lack any flavor or appearance that
closely resembles what a local, sun-ripened strawberry in June might provide.
Chefs faced with this dilemma know what to pull out of their back of tricks.
Sugar and a splash of Kirshwasser or Cognac, and a little time and those berries
will be full flavored, tender, and bright red in color.
Pickling and curing
to keep and transform food
Ingredients
with such a crippling short season have driven some chefs to refuse going
without the impact of those essential items in their cooking. A salt brine,
vinegar, fresh herbs, maybe some garlic and a blend of unique spices have
allowed chefs to preserve those ingredients, albeit in a slightly different
form, for use throughout the year. This process of pickling has been part of
cooks’ repertoire since the beginning of recorded history in the kitchen. Meats
and fish have followed a similar dry process using salt and sugar with the
addition of air-drying in cool temperatures for hundreds of years. The
Norwegian salt cod, Italian salumi, and German Bundnerfleisch are fabulous
additions to any chef’s larder of ingredients. It is the scientific reaction of
the salt and evaporation through exposure to air that allow for the intense
flavor and firm texture from curing and the preservation of these meats that
wards off harmful bacterial growth.
Marination is a
different kind of cooking
Although
there are many factors that play into the action of cooking (application of
heat) on protein there are two common areas of impact: the breakdown of
connective tissue and the denaturing of the protein. The cut of meat, cooking
method used, length of cooking time, and aging of meat all play a role in not
only the flavor, but also the tenderness of the cut. Marination (the addition
of an acid) can result in some similar action, as the acid will help to break
down the collagen. Thus, marination can help to tenderize a less than prime cut
of meat.
Reduce to intensify
Every
line cook practices science when he or she reduces a sauce in a pan. This
reduction intensifies the flavor profile and increases the viscosity of that
sauce. Evaporation is helpful in chemically changing the nature of this
accompaniment.
Dry aging is a
metamorphosis for meats
Once
an animal is slaughtered an enzymatic reaction begins to take place that
converts muscle into a more tender and intensely flavored product taking on a
nutty taste profile. The dry aging process that is handled under specific
temperature and humidity with direct exposure to circulating air takes place
after the typical 14 - 35 day period of rest. As a result, the science of this
transition yields a full flavored, denser, and far more-tender end product. Wet
aging, or aging in cryovac is said to yield similar results although chefs
might tend to argue this point. In all cases, the dry aging process is science
in action.
Infuse to bring out a
products best
Allowing
a flavoring agent to coat or steep in the presence of another transitions the
nature of the primary ingredient. Vinegars combined with herbs, or other
ingredients such as garlic, berries, stone fruit, or chilis will take on the
subtle, or not so subtle, flavor profiles of these added ingredients. The
application of heat will speed up this process of infusion. This marrying of
flavor is science in action. The same can take place with dry rubs, more
complex oils, and alcoholic beverages.
All
of these processes will have little value unless a chef has a well-developed
flavor memory. Once a chef knows, through experience, what a dish should taste
like – it then becomes part of their cook’s subliminal database. If a chef
understands the processes listed above and combines that knowledge with his or
her flavor memory, then it is possible to alter less than stellar ingredients
to reach that flavor goal. Although chefs of centuries gone by may have viewed
these processes as somewhat magical alchemy, we now know that they are based on
controllable science. This alchemy is what truly separates a cook from a chef.
Adding the toys of molecular gastronomy will only benefit a chef if he or she
has the knowledge of the classic alchemist to begin with. Every great chef is
an unknowing food scientist as well.
By Paul Sorgule/
FDL