Chef Watson’s recommended flavor pairings: Swallow or spit?
Here are six flavor combinations suggested by Chef Watson; the dishes Chronicle food writer Sarah Fritsche created; and the comments from Chronicle staff tasters:
SAUVIGNON BLANC, GINGER, WHITE PEACH, ANCHOVY
Dish: A sweet and savory warm fruit salsa. First, I melted minced anchovy fillets in sauteed onions with a bit of grated ginger. I deglazed that mixture with a bit of Sauvignon Blanc, then added chopped white peaches.
Verdict: “I wouldn’t spit it out, but I wouldn’t eat it again either.” —Jonathan Kauffman; “None of that mixes and I feel like the ginger just makes it worse.” —Justin Phillips; “I don’t like it, but I don’t hate it.” —Catherine Ho
CHICKEN, PARMESAN CHEESE, LEMON, FISH ROE
Dish: A warm cheesy-lemony dip with chopped chicken folded in. I seasoned the dip with lemon juice, zest, and a bit of sauteed onion, garlic, parsley and a garnish of tobiko.
Verdict: “That tastes pretty good. It seems like it would be a good party snack. I could see that really well with Champagne.” —Carolyne Zinko; “It’s just like an umami explosion up in there.” — Owen Thomas
SEAFOOD, FISH, DARK BEER, FETA
Dish: A cold and creamy seafood dip/onion dip hybrid. This one was a doozy, and by far the most hated among our tasters. I used the dark beer to deglaze some caramelized onions, then folded them into feta whipped with cream. Then I added cooked salmon and shrimp.
Verdict: “I’m not happy right now. I need to get this out of my mouth.” —Tara Duggan; “It tastes better than it smells.” —Nanette Asimov; “There’s nothing in that that is appealing. None of that mixes. That is a new worst.” —JP
ROASTED PECANS, FINGERLING POTATOES, BLACKBERRY JUICE, KALE
Dish: Crostini topped with potato puree and kale. To finish, I blitzed fresh blackberries in a blender, then strained and reduced the puree with a touch of brown sugar to make to drizzle on top. The whole affair was garnished with chopped roasted pecans. Verdict: “This one tastes really rustic and nice.” —JK; “It’s really pretty. I would never have thought of putting blackberry with (potatoes), but it’s a nice combination.” —TD
GOAT CHEESE, CHIVES, SOY SAUCE, SMOKED HAM
Dish: Crostini with whipped goat cheese and ham. I finely diced smoked ham and sauteed it with a bit of soy sauce, brown sugar and chives. This mixture topped the whipped goat cheese on the bread. I garnished the dish with fresh chives. Verdict: “This is really good; it’s really straightforward. Classic.”—JK; “I thought this was going to taste gross, but it actually tastes pretty good.” —Janny Hu; “Do I have to finish swallowing?” —CZ
AVOCADO, BEER, GINGER, CELERY
Dish: Avocado toast. This was another flavor combo that stumped me, but I ended up doing a riff on avocado toast, with the additions of thinly sliced celery that was braised with ginger and a light Japanese beer. Verdict: “It tastes like upscale guacamole.” —TD; “I would eat it if I was really hungry, I guess, but not if I wanted something really tasty.” —CH; “That’s good. Way to go, robots!” —OT