Single bite tastings

[bonkboo]

A friend and I are going to enter a local Brew n Chew competition. He's brewing and I need to lead the charge on the single bite accompaniment. Anyone have any macro guidance? Late august date so likely a room temp bite. Wondering about size, mixture of textures, favors, etc, for a first timer.

[smokinjack]

These go great with beer and can be made ahead of time and heated up if need be. They travel well too.

You can do them on the grill or kitchen oven.If you prefer you can substitute crème fraiche for the sour cream.

I can guarantee there won't be any left to take home.

Here's the link:

http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1141456/pig-shots/p1 

[Duvel]

Could you tell us which type of beer you want to match ?

[Lisa Shock]

Get the rules, read the rules, follow the rules.

 

If you can, make the item just slightly larger than a 'bite' if you can get away with it. The reason is the secret behind the Dorito. Frito-Lay knows that the Dorito doesn't quite fit in your mouth all at once. It's a psychological trick; the chips seem fresher, crunchier, crisper, if you have to bite into them with your mouth open. If they were 30% smaller, you could get the whole thing in your mouth and then chew it and it would seem less fresh and crunchy. So, push the size limit if you can, with something crunchy.

 

Your item should have components from most (doesn't have to be all) of the types of flavor: sweet, salty, sour, bitter, umami, spicy and fat. Having a mix of textures is good, just avoid things that are tough, super hard (like peanut brittle), super sticky, or really chewy. Crunch can come from a lot of places: fried chips, water chestnut, jicama, other fresh veggies, etc. The classic Rumaki works on these principles: crunchy water chestnut, soft liver, crunchy bacon; salty bacon, umami soy marinade, sweetness of liver and chestnut, fat of bacon contrasting with no-fat chestnut.

 

An example off the top of my head would be a loaded potato chip, like a nacho. Make a really thick potato chip from a flavorful potato like a red. (If you're really a go-getter, cut the potato into perfect cylinder with a cutter before slicing to get perfect circles. Fry the potato in a good peanut oil and salt with popcorn salt immediately out of the oil. Top with Swiss cheese and broil til melty, add warm garlic-sauteed mushroom slices (discard any mushroom liquid), top with a garnish of bitter microgreens (or chiffonade of radicchio) tossed in a vinegary vinaigrette. Serve on a hot plate to keep the bases warm. Dunno if that would go with your beer or not.

[ChrisTaylor]

Why not look at a book that focuses on dishes that can be consumed in one or two bites? I've worked from the Alinea book to create a 'snack' for a staff morning tea. All components assembled at home. Forty or so portions were reheated and plated in the space of a few minutes. You'd have to pick your dish, of course, and maybe cut a corner or two to make it workable for a 'first timer', but it's worth considering.

 

EDIT

 

Of course, if you wanted to get really, really, really simple you could buy a boat load of pig skin and make crackling (see the recipe in Heston Blumenthal's Heston at Home).

[bonkboo]

Thanks folks. Beer is a saison with herbs d'provence. Was toying with the idea of a potato chip, fig, tapenade foam and balsamic pearls. It's later in august so was thinking not-hot food. Any feelings on that?

[Duvel]

Bonkboo,

I would go with something a little more rich to complement the acidity and fruitiness of the Saison. Maybe circular puff pastry base, some "confit" meat (think Rillette, slice of foie, slice of Boudin noir), something sweet on top (caramelized apple, onion marmelade, ...) and a dusting of the herbs you put in the beer ...

Good luck with the "Brew & Chew" and let us know how it turned out ;-)

[Lisa Shock]

My only thoughts on cold food are that, to a certain extent, people don't view them as taking as much effort as hot food. (Tom Coliccio saying "but he didn't cook anything" about Sam's offering in TC Season 2's finale is sill ringing in my ears.) Also, there's a sense that maybe the cold food is more of a snack than a real meal -people still buy hot lunches like burgers & fries or pizza in the heat of summer. IMO, you will have an edge with a hot offering. But, then I don't know the crowd you're facing either.

 

Has this event happened before? If so, research last year's winning entries and try to read anything you can about it. I once entered a competition where a judge had told a reporter the year before that he loathed curry, any and all types of curry. I managed to read the comments, I then stopped thinking about putting any sort of curried item in my entry, while others who did not do research were not so lucky.

 

If you have access to good artisan bread, you might want to explore the connections between bread and beer. Maybe get the baker to make special bread for you, or you make it, and do baby bread bowls with soup/stew. How about mini cassoulet with items cut into small dice and brunoise, and maybe one bean on top as part of the garnish?

 

Soup/stew can also be served in hollowed out new potatoes which have been roasted with oil and herbs. -Customers really love the potato cups.

 

I like Duvel's suggestions of confit items, and I would definitely garnish with the herbs d'provence.

[bonkboo]

Thanks Lisa and Duvel. The event is a charity event where I believe it's voted by the 150 attendees. Will try to find out.

I recall Tom's comments. But if I've cooked stuff before and assembled cold does that count.

As for using herbs d'provence my friend the home brewer has heard you should NOT use them in both the beer and food. Using them was my original thought.

Deviled eggs gussied up perhaps?

[Lisa Shock]

Deviled eggs can go a lot of ways. I have an interesting recipe in La Cuisine De France by Mapie, the Countess de Toulouse-Lautrec which is moistened with brandy and contains tuna, capers and olives. Perhaps you could moisten yours with the beer... That said, I think (feel free to disagree) people would think more highly of braised short ribs served in sweet potato cups garnished with creamed pearl onions.

 

I think the herbs can be in both, I am thinking that they express themselves differently when cooked and/or brewed in different ways.

[jmacnaughtan]

Michael Ruhlman has some interesting ideas for deviled eggs.

 

I say go classic.  Bring back the vol-au-vent.  Filled with confit rabbit would be excellent.

[Shel_B]

http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/recipe-of-the-day-recipes/slideshow/one-bite-appetizers#one-bite-appetizers/?slide=1&_suid=140428464595202730200852239904

 

http://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/cooking-tips/article/8-new-one-bite-appetizer-recipes-i-e-8-reasons-to-throw-a-party-this-weekend