Flavour Combinations

Ken Natton

Ken Natton

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Right, I have had a couple of abortive attempts at composing this post to start this thread. I would like to generate some discussion around that most famous mantra of Masterchef and other cooking shows – ‘balance of flavours’. The question of what flavours work together and what flavours don’t. It does seem to me to be a valid parallel to draw, to point out that when it comes to colours, which colours work together and which don’t, there is some science behind it – it is all about wavelength and harmonics. But so far as I am aware, there is no wavelength involved in flavour, there is no harmonics of flavour. So let’s start with the most obvious one.

Pork and apple sauce. Lamb and mint sauce. Is there really some identifiable reason why these combinations are ‘right’ or is it just culture, is it purely a convention? The options are broader with duck, generally it’s something fruity – orange or plum. With venison it seems quite common to pair it with blackberries in some form. Again, is there some universal absolute that says that these combinations are right? Is beef and apple sauce a disaster? Is pork and mint just plain wrong? Why does one combination ‘work’ and another one doesn’t?
 
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I have a lot of things to say about the concept of flavour combinations. Give me a bit of time...
 
This is an interesting topic for a thread and one that has been on my mind through watching Masterchef. Quite often John Torode says that meat with something sweet needs to be offset by something sharp. More powerful meats can take stronger accompaniments whilst fish is easily overpowered.
 
I don't like anything fruity with meat, except for bacon and tomatoes, and I very rarely have mint sauce with lamb - more likely lemon and garlic with lamb these days. My parents always used to have apple sauce with pork, and horseradish with beef (I like horseradish but prefer mustard), and mint sauce with lamb, so it wasn't a case of there not being anything - in fact it may have been a case of too much because the apples, horseradish and mint came from the garden. Mind you, I can't remember having any meat at all until I was about 5 - I usually had vegetables with gravy or rice with curry sauce up until then. Most food was still rationed and meat was expensive, and I think the amount of meat we got went in order of priority (and I was the youngest by far). Perhaps I never got the taste for the traditional accompaniments.
 
I know a number of people who dislike fruit with meat.

I was raised with apple sauce with pork, and pineapple with ham, but I can see how that the matching of fruit and a roast can become a one trick pony.

For flavour combinations. I think the Thais have it all over everyone else with their balance of salty, sweet, sour, bitter, and spicy.

Now, as far as things that don't go together, mint and citrus are a no-no. Think of brushing your teeth, then drinking orange juice.:headshake:

When it comes to rich, fatty foods, you need something either bright and/or acidic to cut through the richness (which is why wine is such a great accompaniment), or I've found a basic starch can help with unctuous foods. The first thing in that direction that comes to mind is rice with a rich Chinese dish.
 
buckytom said:
...mint and citrus are a no-no. Think of brushing your teeth, then drinking orange juice.:headshake:
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Right, but that one is easy, there is an obvious science behind that - mint is alkali citrus is acid. I have heard it explained what the deal is with pork and apple but I'll be darned if I can remember how it went. I would point out that personally, I prefer the pork without apple sauce but that is just personal and this isn't really about personal opinion. I'll tell you a don't-go-together that's a common one on the British version of Masterchef; fish and cheese. Hugely frowned upon by the judges of British Masterchef. Now it's not particularly something I would argue with, can't say I've ever felt the urge to put fish with cheese. But is there something behind why that doesn't work or is it just the opinion of Messers Wallace and Torode?
 
All taste is subjective, so all anyone can really talk about is personal opinion.

You never know, someone might actually like mint and citrus

As far as fish and cheese goes, there aren't many combinations that are widely accepted, but there are many types of cheeses of various flavours, and the same with fish, so that again is a subjective thing.

I happen to like a little grated parmesan cheese on my linguini alla vongole, so there's a fish and cheese combo.

My Macedonian neighbors from my old house used to make a really strange sponge like cheese that had a very mild flavor, and it was often served along with pickled fish and veggies to be eaten together as an appetizer.
 
buckytom said:
I know a number of people who dislike fruit with meat.
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Perhaps you should challenge them - I would bet that they have eaten fruit with meat. It may be an honorary vegetable, but in reality the tomato is a fruit. And I'll bet they will have eaten meat with some sort of tomato sauce - bolognese? Ketchup on a burger?
 
morning glory said:
Perhaps you should challenge them - I would bet that they have eaten fruit with meat. It may be an honorary vegetable, but in reality the tomato is a fruit. And I'll bet they will have eaten meat with some sort of tomato sauce - bolognese? Ketchup on a burger?
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Well, I'd rather not argue picayune points with anyone about what is a fruit. I was speaking of sweet fruits such as berries, apples, peaches, and such.
 
buckytom said:
Well, I'd rather not argue picayune points with anyone about what is a fruit. I was speaking of sweet fruits such as berries, apples, peaches, and such.
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Fruits are both sweet and sour of course. Tomatoes are rather sweet on that scale. I just thought it might be fun to catch them out (I mean the folks who think they don't like fruit with meat).:happy:
 
I agree. I like the combos of sweet, savory, and meat. Sometimes all at once. But some folks just have their own ways with sweet and meat, and it's a no go..
 
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