Excellent flavor combinations

[Wendy DeBord]

Here's a qoute from Ling. It was on a thread asking for flavor ideas doing creme brulee trio's.

"-amaretto, Grand Marnier, dark rum

-caramelized banana, dark chocolate, dark rum

-toasted coconut, macadamia (would this be good? maybe the bits of nuts would ruin the creamy mouthfeel?), pineapple

-ginger, cardamom, cinnamon

-pear, vanilla with a reduced port sauce, blue cheese"

[Wendy DeBord]

Here's a qoute from Bripastryguy, that I saved because I liked it so much:

"along these lines.... I will be donating my time to a charity I give to every year which is in my local community....

Evening of Good Tatse to benefit South Nassau Community Hospital...

I will be in the Chocolate Pavillion sponsered by Cacao Noel and Paris Gourmet

www.eveningofgoodtaste.com

I will be preparing 4 passed desserts

Cream filled madeliene's with warm chocolate fondue

Passionfruit Creamsicle

passion fruit curd, passion gelee and white chocolate foam

Banana Cloud and praline crunch

toasted banana chiboust, banana ganache and praline crunch garnished with a banana chip dipped in chocolate sea salt

Chocolate Brownie tart with mascarpone mousse and cabarnet cherry jam"

[MelissaH]

The one I'm not quite sure of is mint with ANY and EVERY dessert.

Apart from that, I adore the chocolate/raspberry combo (the taste of visiting my grandfather: those chocolate-covered raspberry jelly rings), and I also enjoy chocolate with orange (but it's gotta be real orange, nothing fake that tastes like something I once made in organic chem lab). Hazelnut and chocolate (with or without raspberry) is also terrific in my book, although not terribly original. My husband's enamored of chocolate with lemon, after tasting something like that during a tour of a Las Vegas chocolate factory many moons ago, but I'm not quite sure I'd want to try and duplicate it at home.

One of my favorite herb teas is mint with lemongrass. I've occasionally made brewed tea into sugar syrup, and mixed that with lemon juice to make a sorbet. (This is one dessert for which the ubiquitous sprig-of-mint garnish would be appropriate!)

MelissaH

[etalanian]

Great thread! Thanks, Wendy.

dark chocolate + ancho chile + espresso

lemon + basil

goat cheese + fig + port + rosemary

goat cheese + long pepper + apples or pears

chai spices + green tea powder (matcha) + cheesecake + plum brandy sauce

dark chocolate ice cream + homemade dark chocolate chips + fresh spearmint

banana + cinnamon + creme fraiche + dulce de leche

butterscotch + rum

blood oranges + balsamic

blood oranges + zinfandel

lime + cilantro

mascarpone cheesecake + fresh berries

blueberries + corn

mango + caramel sauce

pate a choux + lemon

lemon + orange blossom honey

cookies containing dried fruits and nuts + fleur de sel

hazelnuts + meyer lemon + berries

bananas + pineapple + coconut + rum + black pepper wafers

valencia oranges + honey + saigon cinnamon

pears + ginger + lemon

and my favorite savory: filet of beef + fig balsamic + long pepper

This is a GREAT thread!!

[tb86]

ok here are some of my favorites

candied fennel + meyer lemon + absinthe (king 100cl thjuone per l) + sugar + fire = fun

rosemary + 65% choc

thyme + 64% choc <manjari>

fennel seeds + white chocolate

tarragon ice cream + chocolate

saffron + 72% choc

curry + coconut + chocolate

foie gras + muscat + vanilla ice cream = foie gras mlkshake

black truffle + sugar + cream + water = truffle caramel sauce

mango puree + curry = sorbet

roobios tea + lobster

yuzu + champagne = drink + ice cream = sorbet

tonka bean + scallop

tonka bean + milk chocolate

amaretto + kalamansi lime

saffron + white chocolate

saffron + honey + pear

apple sorbet + bacon + caramel + balsalmic

creme fraiche + black pepper + figs

grahm maslal + lebne (middle eastern yougurt like fage only much better)

espelette pepper + macadamia nuts + caramel + maldon sea salt

white truffle flour + madeline batter (10%)

porchini mushroom + brioche + brulee + black walnut = porchini bread pudding

[Ktepi]

I'll second saffron + white chocolate.

Saffron + caramel (just steep some saffron in hot water and add it a batch of dulce de leche as it simmers)

Saffron + creamy/sweet in general (saffron ice cream etc)

Bourbon + lemon (Buffalo Trace makes a good bourbon lemon curd; it's one of those flavor combinations that seems to become a third thing unto itself)

Campari + grapefruit

Bourbon + tart cherry

Peppermint + any melon

[tb86]

ok

nice last list here are some more

guiness + + chocolate biscuit + hazelnut mousse + sel gris

red stripe beer caramel + sauteed bananna + espelette pepper + hybiscus syrup + cardamon ice cream

beet sorbet + sour cream cake + candied beets + lemongrass syrup

gavoita strawberries + icewine vinegar + chocolate mint + black pepper icecream= (works every time)

summer melons + nori + sesame seed nougitine + yuzu + chiffonade shiso

muscovado sugar ice cream + everything

cured watermelon (in brown sugar and icewine vinegar) + frozen youghurt mousse

white peach + lavender powder + honey comb + creme fraiche mousse + marcona almond

[tb86]

working on a new menu gonna brainstorm for a while let me know what you think

this stuff may appear at alto in nyc

albis olive oil ice cream + citrus salad + dried black olives + albis oil + vanilla campari gelee+ tarragon mousse

warm chocolate custard + hazelnut nougatine + warm chocolate amaretto air (using lecithin for volume) + cafe mocha ice cream

tahitian squash "ravioli" + caramalized & salted squash seed + muscovado ice cream + meyer lemon confit + micro basil

black truffle ice cream + truffle caramel + marcona almonds + shaved truffle + cognac choco sauce + warm chocolate chip & truffle cookie or white truffle madelines = $50 ice cream sunday

chestnut mousse + tempered 70% choc + orange confit + orange ice cream + orange powder + chocolate meurenge (dry)

??????????????????????????????????????????????????????

[azureus]

Try this combo: Pear +ceylon cinnamon, galangal, rosemary and juniper

It works really well as a filling for a sweet bread. Chocolate +anything citrus doesn't do anything for me. I don't know why.

April

[filipe]

CHOCOLATES :

dark chocolate + cinnamon

dark chocolate + yuzu

dark chocolate + port

milk chocolate + matcha + pistachio

milk chocolate + cocoa powder + matcha

milk chocolate + currant

FRUITS:

yuzu + mango

strawberry + port

WEIRDOS:

custard + cinnamon

tagliatelle + nutella

milk chocolate + french fries

[Pezchef]

Bacon and..........whatever!

[jgm]

Stop! Stop already!

Do you know how DIFFICULT it is to sit in an office all day and read incredible threads like this? It's 8 1/2 more hours until I can go home! (Not reading the thread is not an option.) (Don't tell my boss.)

Has anybody mentioned grapefruit and honey?

Also, I received "Chocolate Obsession" by Michael Recchiuti as a gift; it's at home and I can't check right now, but last night I noticed some really tempting combinations.

[Teri Everitt]

Roasted Banana, Hazelnut and Cinnamon

Espresso and Caramel (especially for ice cream)

Earl Grey Tea and Dark Chocolate

White Chocolate and Cranberry with either pistachio or almonds

Toffee Chocolate and Almond

Coconut & just about anything sweet!

On the savoury side....duck foie mousse with carmelised apples and onions.

[Ling]

It works really well as a filling for a sweet  bread.  Chocolate +anything citrus doesn't do anything for me.  I don't know why.

←

Same here...I also don't really like any sort of berry with chocolate--I think the acidity cuts through the richness too much.

[helenjp]

I agree with the nix on acidity and chocolate - bitterness, yes, acidity, no.

Sanrensho asked about lemon...I like lemon with cardamon, or with nutmeg.

Green tea with ginger.

Touch of cumin in Christmas sweet spice mixes.

Kiwifruit with ginger (a wonderful jam combination).

[McAuliflower]

Wow. I've been behind on my eGullet and finding this now is such a reward for checking back in!

My recent favorite...

- dark chocolate with pomegranate

a wonderful drool conjuring chocolate from Eugene's Kitchen Witch (Michelle Lodjic at the Holiday Market) taught me this one

- and thyme with vanilla

via a wonderful creme brulee

McAuliflower-

who digs chocolate with raspberry & pistachio cherry biscotti & lavender truffles

[duckduck]

I'm another one that has a difficult time with chocolate and fruit. The classic chocolate and strawberry or raspberry or orange never works for me either. I find it surprising that they are so common.

One that I love in a salad is cashew and dried cranberries. I would think they'd go good in a dessert as well.

[Wendy DeBord]

I'm drawn to a couple of chocolatiers combinations even though I haven't even tasted their work. I can't tell you exactly why but many combinations I read look like they're too adventurous just for the sake of being different...or they read too plain, which they might not be, but the wording sounds plain.

Something draws me to Drew Shotts combinations in his advertisements more then others. Here's some of his:

Morello cherry pate de fruit over homemade pistachio marzipan, enrobed in dark choc.

Minty white chocolate ganache over a layer of bittersweet ganche.

Buttery caramel ganache enrobed in dark chocolate and garnished with candied Hawaiian ginger.

Cinnamon ganache over a layer of finely ground homemade pecan paste, enrobed in milk choc.

Caramel ganache over cashew praline, enrobed in dark choc.

Dark choc. ganache infused with pear puree and brown butter, enrobed in milk choc.

Pear pate de fruit over a layer of dark choc. that's been finished with beurre noisette, enrobed in dark choc.

Milk chocolate ganache with caramelized bananas tossed in Jamaician rum and vanilla seeds, enrobed in milk choc.

Key lime with dark chocolate

Granny smith apple pate de fruit over a white choc. ganache with ground caramel, nutmeg, cinnamon, clove and all spice

Apricot pate de fruit over white chocolate and yogurt ganache, enrobed in dark choc.

Caramel ganache over coffee ganache enrobed in milk choc.

Coconut white chocolate ganche infused with dark rum, enrobed in dark choc.

Key lime infused white ganache over a graham cracker crust, enrobed in milk choc.

[dmalouf]

i really dig

pistachios + cardamom

dark chocolate + clove

honey + macademia nuts + coconut

[mpshort]

My favorite obsession du jour, chocolate bark made with:

bittersweet chocolate (Valrhona 70%) + Hawaiian salt + macadamia smoked almonds = * bliss*

[kaneel]

I am planning on making a green tea genoise with some kind of filling.

What flavors/ fillings would go good with this you think???

Something different than ginger or lychee......

[Sethro]

I am planning on making a green tea genoise with some kind of filling.

What flavors/ fillings would go good with this you think???

Something different than ginger or lychee......

←

I always found mellow fruits to work well with matcha. Mango, Raspberry, and Cantaloupe particularly.

Here's a Matcha Raspberry Salad recipe with a surprisingly round flavor:

1pt raspberry

2Tbsp vanilla sugar

2Tbsp lemon juice

2tsp matcha

1pinch salt

1pinch white pepper

garnish micro mint

Makes an awesome accompaniment to chocolate or citrus desserts.

You could make a your green tea genoise and fill it with the matcha raspberry salad and matcha creme chantilly if you really wanted to reinforce the flavor.

Just remember that you'll probably want to soak the genoise with a green tea syrup before building.

[McAuliflower]

mint and lemon

mint and cherry (sorbet)

green tea and cantaloupe (ice cream and sorbet!)

bitter orange and cinnamon (tea)

[NickLam]

Ah, I've seriously damaged some taste buds to test out these combos on durian.....love that prickly fruit!

(1) Dark Chocolate (70%) and sweet mongthorn (Thai) durian

The bitterness of the chocolate blends with the sweet flesh for a wonderful finish. I think coz durian is slightly fermented when you eat it, there may be similar flavour notes as chocolate that make them taste good togather.

(2) Milk or dark chocolate with Malaysian bitter durian

This type of durian is 'bitter' in taste. Well.....we describe it as bitter, but its not...it tastes heavenly! Definitely 10 times more flavourful than Mongthorn durians, these kinds of durians are like the criollos of the durian world. Sweet or bitter, your choice.

Pretty hard to find these durians outside of SE Asia, coz they don't keep well at all. IF you can find durians in non Asian countries, especially the huge ones, its probably a Mongthorn, cut off the tree whilst green and devoid of any flavour at all.

(3) Either type of durian with banana

Really really awesome taste. They blend beautifully with each other.

(4) Chocolate and blue cheese

Saw this on tv with Heston Blumenthal, and even Harold McGhee and Tetsuya have their own recipes for this combination. Did a chocolate and blue cheese cheesecake once and it was amazing.

(5) Vanilla ice cream with angostura bitters

Yum!

One combination NEVER TO TRY FOR THE LOVE OF HUMANITY

Durian and blue cheese. This actually damaged me somewhat, gave me a headache and killed my tastebuds for a while. Imagine the good things bout durian and blue cheese cancelling each other out, and the bad things about both being brought to the forefront.

[McAuliflower]

.:bump:.

eje just reported a nice one in a liqueur thread:

- fantastic lemon/oregano jam at Babbo