I never really thought about it before, but I had one of those deja-vu olifactory-triggered memories yesterday. Upon preparing bittermelon for 'pickling,' I decided to use a suggested Phillipino method of removing excess bitterness from the melon. Yes, it is bittermelon and yes, it's supposed to be bitter and yes, that's part of the enjoyment of it, but we just wanted to tone it down a bit. The method involves 'cleaning' the melon in salt after cutting, then rinsing. Upon tossing the cut pieces in kosher salt to coat and letting them sit for 10 minutes, the most intense astringent aroma began to diffuse out into the kitchen air. The smell instantly reminded me of the aroma the comes from garden-fresh mustard greens when they are broken up and blanched to 'cook out' the bitterness. All of those bushels of mustard sitting under my grandma's porch... being picked through, then blanched, bagged, and frozen in the big freezer in the garage... waiting to be cooked down with pork and served with slow-cooked 'sticky' chicken on the side.
What exactly is this scent, and is it actually the aroma of bitter? ...and if so, how can I use that vapor of bitterness in a menu concept?
Rotovap?
Posted by: sygyzy | 12 February 2008 at 02:47 PM