Minding your Ps
BRITISH chef Yotam Ottolenghi says Flavour is all about ‘‘creating flavour bombs especially designed for vege’’.
He explains how this book follows Plenty and Plenty More, becoming ‘‘P3’’, and echoes the three ways those flavour bombs can be created.
He says the ‘‘three Ps — process, pairing and produce’’ are the key concepts behind ‘‘what makes certain vegetable dishes taste so good’’.
First there is process, for example with celeriac in the initial cooking phase when something ‘‘magical’’ happens as the water evaporates and the flesh turns from white to brown and the celeriac becomes sweeter and richer.
Other processes which have a similar effect are charring, ageing and infusing.
Pairing is the combination of ingredients in the four most important pairings: acidity, heat, fat and sweetness. Take the addition of soursweet tamarind and lime juice to fresh asparagus:
‘‘All these layers and iterations of sour come together in a single harmony which heightens and alters the taste of raw asparagus in a way that really opens your eyes to the vegetables.’’
The third is produce. While most vegetables are not as good at imparting flavour as meat or fish because of their high water content and low levels of fat and protein, some such as mushrooms are brilliant at it as they are ‘‘bursting with umami’’.
Using all three principles to create a dish is what makes it ‘‘exquisite’’, he says.
The book is divided into three sections based on these processes, each with an introduction explaining the concepts.
Taking on the challenge to ramp up flavour in vegetables, he has used every possible tool available, including using ingredients such as anchovies, fish sauce and Parmesan, which are not often used with vegetables.
Ottolenghi likes to take a ‘‘flexitarian’’ approach to cooking and eating, so many of his recipes are easily ‘‘veganised’’.