Concentrating Flavor in Vegetables

[Robert Schonfeld]

One reads often of chefs having the ability to "get the most from" or "concentrate" or "intensify" the flavor of an ingredient.

My interest in this right now applies to vegetables.

Can anyone offer ideas about how to achieve such results? For example, in making a puree of peas, what method or technique might one use to get the deepest, richest flavor? Does it involve a particular treatment of the ingredient itself, or perhaps the addition of another ingredient which brings out the flavor of the principal ingredient? For example, Bugialli points out that basil is added to a basic tomato sauce not for its own flavor, but to bring out the fuller flavor of the tomatoes.

All comments, advice, suggestions welcomed.

[Sandra Levine]

I wonder if that is why lettuce is sometimes added to the pot when cooking peas, as well as a pinch of sugar.

The technique of roasting is the simplest way of concentrating flavor, since the process causes the water in the vegetables to evaporate.

[Jinmyo]

There's no one way to do it. It depends on the vegetable. In general, yes, roasting. Using reduced vegetable stocks (made with roasted vegetables). Adding particular herbs or other ingredients.

[Jonathan Day]

I've made the French Laundry carrot soup a number of times; this has about the most concentrated flavour you can imagine. You juice around 20 carrots, then you simmer another 20 carrots (cut up) in this juice, then you puree the whole. It's delicious, but the flavour is so pure and strong that an espresso cupful of this is plenty.

[Jinmyo]

Right, juicing is a great method. Vegetable waters (like cucumber, tomato, and so on) too.

[helenas]

To enhance peperonata Mario Batali adds pureed roasted peppers to the basic recipe.

Jacques Pepin uses the similar technique in many of his fruit desserts. He adds a bit of fruit jam to fresh fruit for crisps and gratins.

[Brad S]

All of you are ofcoure correct, different techniques should be used for different ingredients. The bottom line is to concentrate the natural sugars the exist in your product

Extraction and reduction of natural flavores is the best way to go about your procedure. Ofcourse with fresh English pea's a touch a raw sugar and fluer de sel with highlight it's natural flavor,but if you let's say caralize a shallot or two in butter and add your pea's (that have been blached in salted water) to the sweetened shallots you will naturally highlight the sweetness of the pea's Carrots,unlike pea's do not loose there brillient color when cooked,so you need to be aware when preparing greens as to not destroy there fresh,bright apperence.

I believe in cooking as much as humanly possible with the seasons,hence,less manipulation needs to take place to the ingredient because it is already at it's flavor peek.less is more in this situation. For those of you whom insist on strawberries in December,well that's another story.

Also, taste and learn as much as you can about fresh herbs..there flavor profile can work magic in your dishes