Always Be Tasting
“Taste for seasoning and adjust.” We say this a lot. And we’re going to keep saying it, so let’s run through exactly what it is we’re telling you to do.
One of my worst habits is adding garlic liberally without much thought. As a rookie I made a particularly egregious error with hummus. I had just learned to roast whole garlic. Unfortunately, I underroasted it, then tossed the whole thing in without checking. The resulting hummus was…incredibly garlicky, to say the least.
I ended up quadrupling the batch in a hail mary to dilute the garlic, and I never really fixed it. I’ve since blocked out the ensuing conversation with chef, but I’m pretty sure he made me compost the whole thing. The point is: “taste for seasoning and adjust” has its limits.
The primary levers we can pull are salt, acid, sugar, and fat. This week we’re serving one of the best early spring offerings, purple sprouting broccoli, with caesar dressing and breadcrumbs.
As a general rule, add salt last. Anchovies, our favorite little umami bombs, are the foundation of caesar dressing, so it’s especially true here. Anchovies are not all the same, but they’re always salty, so it’s essential to taste before adding extra salt.
If you taste, and anchovy is the only note, acid is the best antidote. Lemon, lemon, lemon. You also don’t need to be fixing something to add more lemon. Mac and I both enjoy a super bright dressing. I don’t recommend sugar for caesar, but it also balances salt and acid.
Fat is the lever most forgotten. Emulsifying with a few extra tablespoons of olive oil adds body and helps smooth out all the other flavors.
But isn’t this just lazy recipe writing? If we measure, test, and execute accurately, shouldn’t we be able to specify all quantities and guarantee perfect taste?
No. First, what is perfect? We all have mutable preferences. Second, we’re working with organic materials - ingredients are not consistent. That being said, “taste for seasoning and adjust” is fine-tuning. Think dashes and splashes, not wholesale restructuring.
We’re glad you’re cooking with us.
Cheers,
Sten and Mac
Chef Snacks
KITCHEN TIP
Get a mandoline. A Japanese mandoline is one of our top three essential prep tools that aren’t a chef’s knife. (Can you guess the other two?) There is no substitute for creating uniformly thin vegetable slices.
They’re also a bit tricky to use. Check out my how-to video.
