Something’s Missing Here…But I Don’t Know What It Is
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
When I look at this picture and remember this meal, I remember that it was good but not very good. No, there was something missing, but I am not sure what. In this case, it needs one more component to make it memorable, extraordinary, whatever – I don’t know.
I can remember certain dishes where the addition of a single ingredient increased the quality of the dish exponentially. The best chefs do this instinctively. At Vetri, I remember sugar snap pea flan with pecorino shavings. At Southwark, I remember a goat cheesecake infused with lavender. In my own cooking, though, I’ve needed help. I grate nutmeg into grated, sauteed zucchini or sauteed spinach (thanks to the River Cafe Cookbook); add lemon zest to brussell sprouts and to a shrimp frittatta (thanks to Jamie Oliver); and include dried oregano in a marinade for grilled portobello mushrooms (thanks to Lynne Rossetto Kasper). In each case, there was nothing overly elaborate in terms of presentation, ingredients or technique, but the combinations were extraordinary. They may have been unexpected, but the surprise is not what is memorable: it’s how that one addition somehow managed to enhance the overall dish and each, individual ingredient as well.
And so I return to the roasted beets and goat cheese. What is it missing? Aceto tradizionale? Torn mint leaves?
Posted by Kevin on 06/18 at 07:13 AM
strawberrys.
balsamic reduction.
bacon.
shallots.
all tried and true.
walnuts or walnut oil
rosemary
olive oil and balsamic vin
salt and pepper
They’d also be good on a greens base of some type, either lettuce or arugula, or a sauteed chard.
Is your heart set on the goat cheese? If not, what about bleu cheese, with its creamy and tangy/salty thing? Maybe it’s the type of cheese that would take it in a different direction.
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Beets like a nice splash of vinegar. In this case perhaps a red wine vinegar or something herbally infused? Or a toss with some zingy lemon or lime juice? You may try adding some chopped herbs - Greek oregano would give it a little bite to play off the sweetness of the beets. Or lemon thyme would add a brighter note.