Spirited Culinary Concoctions 

Seasoned chefs understand that the key to making great food is having the best possible ingredients to work with. More importantly, they understand that there are natural flavor marriages in cuisine and know the culinary techniques that can best heighten the taste profiles of these combinations.

The juxtaposition of two or more complementary ingredients serves as the foundation of great dishes. Classic haute cuisine has many examples of these, which are used today in many contemporary dishes. Tomato and basil complement fresh mozzarella, cucumber and dill work with poached salmon, and orange and chocolate accent desserts. These are but a few of the well-known examples.

The pairing of fine wines further enhances these building blocks. A crisp Sancerre accents lobster, a rich Sauterne goes naturally with foie gras, and a fine Pinot Noir adds interest to steak au poivre. Understanding these pairings helps product developers make better use of spirits in foods.

Not to limit our focus to classic cuisine, we must remember there are literally hundreds of flavor combinations to pull from. Creative chefs are now concocting new balancing acts all the time. In order to wow customers, high-end, white-tablecloth restaurant chefs are toying with textural contrasts, temperature differences, essences, vapors and foams; theyre deconstructing classics and using ever-changing, exotic ingredients. Some are successes, some are flops, but the order of the day is to continue to seek new combinations.

Sousing seafood

I cook fish for a living, and have done it for years. From scallop shanties on Nantucket to three-star restaurants in France, its been all about the fish. I now work in product development in one of the largest seafood companies in the world. I cook fish for a living, and have done it for years. From scallop shanties on Nantucket to three-star restaurants in France, its been all about the fish. I now work in product development in one of the largest seafood companies in the world.

The greatest thing about working with seafood is its diversity. There are so many variables to take into consideration when cooking seafood that it can be overwhelming. Take, for example, differences in texture, flavor, fat content, thickness, how and when it was caught, diet, seasonal variations, sex, color, flake, available heat source, fresh versus frozen, and on and on. Its difficult enough to execute a good seafood dish repeatably in a restaurant environment, but to blow that recipe from a service of 20 to a 30,000-lb. production run... It can be mind-boggling!

Because wines and spirits complement seafood so well by nature, I often craft recipes for new-product development by using them in a combination of ingredients. It is important to understand exactly what quality or functionality a wine or spirit brings to the dish.Lets take lobster bisque. When the raw shells of lobster are sautéed with a vegetable mirepoix (celery, onions and carrots), they exude a nutlike aroma that is slightly briny or redolent of iodine. Adding brandy enriches the bisque with a depth of fruitiness and subtle smoky notes that pushes the lobster flavor forward. Lobster stock is added, along with cream, and this becomes the vehicle to carry the flavor. Slow simmering reduces and concentrates the flavors. Then the bisque is forced through a sieve, breaking shells into tiny pieces that further release lobster notes into the soup. At this point the viscosity is classically adjusted by using a purée of rice or a roux (cooked flour and butter). Then seasoning is added. Cream sherry is then added and, again, the mixture is slowly cooked to allow the raw alcohol flavor to evaporate out. The sherry brings a flavor-rounding quality to the bisque that works by complementing the sweetness of the lobster and its nutlike notes.

Perfecting the process

These steps and combinations, when explained and thought out, help set the process for new-product development. Our team uses a three-prong approach to product development. First, the gold standard is made by culinary; R&D and the plant-process department watch the steps involved. Each step is then analyzed and converted over to formulation and manufacturing systems. At no point does anyone on the team walk away from the process until it is line-perfected, andeven thentweaks are common well after launch.These steps and combinations, when explained and thought out, help set the process for new-product development. Our team uses a three-prong approach to product development. First, the gold standard is made by culinary; R&D and the plant-process department watch the steps involved. Each step is then analyzed and converted over to formulation and manufacturing systems. At no point does anyone on the team walk away from the process until it is line-perfected, andeven thentweaks are common well after launch.

This all said, when using wines and spirits in a scale-up formula for a large run, one must understand why and how to best capture the essence of the dish. Those of us in manufacturing know well the complexities that ingredients take on when placed in pumps and drums, rolled and pressed, and sped along a cook line. By fathoming what flavor quality the spirit or wine brings to the product, we can then look to industrial ingredients to enhance those flavors.Alcohol is volatile and expensive, flavors flash off quickly and are lost under more-durable ingredients. The scientist and chef have to figure out what flavors support the integrity of the dish through the use of ingredients, both traditional and industrial. Is it the anise powder or fennel seed that will replicate the Pernod in a bouillabaisse? Other substitutions, like swapping almond flavor for amaretto or raspberry flavor for Chambord are a little more obvious.Using ingredients or denatured spirits to replace real liquor in formulations can save some headaches when it comes to state and federal regulations. Each state regulates permitted liquor levels in packaged foods. On the federal level, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives levies a tax on the purchase of liquor ingredients.However, manufacturers can be reimbursed for that tax once the liquor goes into a food product (see Title 27, Section 17 of the Code of Federal Regulations). ATF also needs to approve all food-product formulas that contain real liquor.

Island ideation

Recently, our company launched a co-branded line, Island Inspired Seafood, with Bacardi® rum. When used correctly, rum tastes great with shellfish and finfish. We discovered that when you add the smooth, sweet taste of rum to quality seafood you get an exciting, Caribbean flavor.Recently, our company launched a co-branded line, Island Inspired Seafood, with Bacardi® rum. When used correctly, rum tastes great with shellfish and finfish. We discovered that when you add the smooth, sweet taste of rum to quality seafood you get an exciting, Caribbean flavor.

I immersed myself in the world of rum to get my arms around it. I was sent to Miami to work with the Bacardi folks to learn about rum qualities and the Bacardi line. I learned about the complexities of rums, and how they can complement foods. Some have heady, tobacco-like, smoky notes. Others offer bouquets of roasted nuts, vanilla and honey qualities. Still others exuded fruit and butter notes. I had fun learning!However, once we would get a recipe to the plant floor, it would lose its essence. We tried using rum flavors and extracts, more rum, and reduced rum. Sometimes, the flavors would go way off course, and we once had crab cakes that tasted like bubble gum!As our team hunted for ingredients, we dug into just what it was, flavor- wise, we were attempting to grasp. Then one of our team exclaimed that it was the very essence of the rum we were hoping to personify. A simple epiphany, but it worked! Take molasses and brown-sugar notes andbingo!you have it. Mixed with the Bacardi rums in the recipe, it was exactly the catalyst to carry the flavor through an industrial run.With the rising popularity of food and drink pairings and the perfect marriage behind this seafood and rum co-branding initiative, our next step beyond product development entailed partnering with Bacardi to pair complementary rum beverages with the seafood dishes. This process required working with a mixologist to explain the flavors layered into the seafood products and what potential drink profiles would match up nicely.As part of the partnership, Bacardi created six new custom drinks that paired well with our new products, smoothing out and balancing the heat, zest and sweetness of our seafood selections and allowing operators to create a rum-island themed experience for their customers.

Other alcohol options

In other products, we use white wine mixed with coating systems to add fruitiness to counter a spicy jerk seasoning enrobed onto shrimp for our Margaritaville line. The wine helps lower the heat level found in the combination of herbs and spices that helps build the authentic flavor profile. A sherry rounds-out the flavor of heavy garlic notes in a shrimp scampi product we sell in retail. The thick umami quality it gives to the scampi is similar to what you would find in a white-tablecloth restaurant.In other products, we use white wine mixed with coating systems to add fruitiness to counter a spicy jerk seasoning enrobed onto shrimp for our Margaritaville line. The wine helps lower the heat level found in the combination of herbs and spices that helps build the authentic flavor profile. A sherry rounds-out the flavor of heavy garlic notes in a shrimp scampi product we sell in retail. The thick umami quality it gives to the scampi is similar to what you would find in a white-tablecloth restaurant.

Again, capturing authentic sensory nuances by understanding how an ingredient enhances a dish is key. Layering in the wine at the right time in production will help add depth between the sensations on the palate. The plant-production managers understanding of this is brought to test at this point. The pumps, sprays, belts and drums, are each aligned to add just the right quantity of ingredient to end up with the desired flavor and texture.Beer-battered seafood is very popular. The yeasty, hops flavor of beer works well against the sweet, briny flavor of shrimp, as well as complements a mild, white fish such as haddock or cod. The use of beer in batters has been around for years, but recently the discerning consumer has come to prefer certain nuances in the flavor of the batters. Milder yeast notes and more-complicated hops profiles are the trend. Keep in mind that beer also leavens batters, so some adjustments might be required to compensate for that effect.

We work with Corona beer in one of our lines. The beer has just the right balance of flavor to not overpower the seafood, yet is distinct enough to profile its identity. When you add the beer to tender fillets of cod and succulent shrimp, you get more than great flavor. You get premium seafood and all the support that comes with a well-established, popular brand.Industrial batters are the alchemy of the food scientists; I will not pretend to understand the complexities of them. I look for a gold color with good adhesion, thinly crisp bite, distinct beer aromabut not overwhelming and minimal grease pickup. Some beer batters call for equal parts of beer and another liquid, such a milk or water. I prefer a once-frozen natural filet from a haddock or codnicesize flake, but not too large, and not too much silver skin. Ideally, it should cook back in 4 to 5 minutes. To serve, you cant go wrong with a classic: Try a little homemade tartar sauce and a splash of malt vinegar.

Scaling-up reductions

When I worked in France, we would build wine reductions to have on hand to freshen the sauces before each service. Reducing red or white wine down by 50% to 75% of its original volume did this. We would then whisk these into a sauce with fresh herbs as dictated by the nature of the dish. Reducing wine intensifies its flavor and brings out the stronger elements of the grape. At the same time, reducing can eliminate some subtleties. But reductions can also blur some flavors, such as the delicate, berry notes of a Cabernet.When I worked in France, we would build wine reductions to have on hand to freshen the sauces before each service. Reducing red or white wine down by 50% to 75% of its original volume did this. We would then whisk these into a sauce with fresh herbs as dictated by the nature of the dish. Reducing wine intensifies its flavor and brings out the stronger elements of the grape. At the same time, reducing can eliminate some subtleties. But reductions can also blur some flavors, such as the delicate, berry notes of a Cabernet.

Its interesting to note that the craft of the poissoner (aka, fish cook) was focused more on monitoring cook time than the other parties (aka, chef stations). A meat cook would let their sauce reduce for hours, where the fish cook would make a stock from racks of white fish bones and cook it only 25 minutes so as not to lose the fresh flavor. Cold water and white wine poured over the fish racks would come to a boil, then simmer before it was strained and chilled. The proteins would infuse with the liquid and form a clear, gelatinous stock for a variety of sauce work, fumés and bouillons. My sauce mise en place (aka, prep work), was done quickly, but the true test of skill would be in the timing of cooking each piece of fish to order to a specific temperature driven by the nature of the fish or the customers request. Balancing 30 to 50 orders of fish at a time during a seating is no easy task, and god forbid if the chef found an order of overcooked fish!

Today, several ingredient manufacturers specialize in producing wine reductions for the industry. These are carefully made to exact specifications, densities and flavor profilesno easy feat given the fluctuations in grape production as driven by weather. Many flavor houses make excellent wine flavors with astonishingly accurate profiles of varietals. Here again, the craft of the chef and the food scientist blend to create dishes that simulate restaurant quality in mass production.Some liquors and fortified wines, such as sherry and port, form the basis of reduction sauces. A reduction made with dry, slightly salty Manzanilla sherry can provide a nice accent to seafood, such as lobster or crab cakes, whereas a darker, nutty Amontillado reduction often accents poultry or wild game, such as rabbit. Reduction with port, which has a distinct sweetness, can work in dessert applications, such as drizzled over poached pears, while also pairing well with savory center-of-the-plate preparations of beef tenderloin, squab or lamb.

Complementing trends

The recent trends we see in recipe development are calling for ingredients that portray authentic ethnic cuisines, not holding back on using big, bold and fresh flavors. Sake, tequila, verjus (acidic juice from unripe fruit, like grapes), rums, and a whole host of flavored vodkas, brandies and so forth are components that help manufacturing chefs build exciting, new products. Sake, sometiems combined with ginger and/or miso in a sauce application, can instantly add an Asian influence to seafood dishes. Vodka has, of late, appeared in retail pasta sauces where it helps potentiate flavors.The recent trends we see in recipe development are calling for ingredients that portray authentic ethnic cuisines, not holding back on using big, bold and fresh flavors. Sake, tequila, (acidic juice from unripe fruit, like grapes), rums, and a whole host of flavored vodkas, brandies and so forth are components that help manufacturing chefs build exciting, new products. Sake, sometiems combined with ginger and/or miso in a sauce application, can instantly add an Asian influence to seafood dishes. Vodka has, of late, appeared in retail pasta sauces where it helps potentiate flavors. As chefs work closer with food technologists, food engineers and plant-manufacturing specialists, we grasp a mutual understanding of each others contribution in the process of product development. Wine and spirits can be very complicated ingredients to work with, but when all is taken into account regarding the spirits role in a dish, it can add an exciting depth of flavor. And flavor is the key to success in the any new product launch.Cheers! Salute! Kanpai!

Brian Halloran joined FPI/Ocean Cuisine International in Nov. 2002, bringing over 30 years of experience in foodservice and hospitality industry to the company. His background includes high-volume feeding, academia, resorts, working a three-star restaurant in France under Chef Roger Vergé, catering (including Americas Cup races) and ownership. He was executive chef for Cornell Universitys School of Hotel Administration for 12 years teaching classes in back-of-house management, culinary technique and catering. He received an Ivy Award while at the helm of Locke-Ober Café in Boston. At FPI, Halloran heads up culinary development, provides sales support, works on new-product development and gives educational seminars for the industry. Halloran is the North Atlantic Region event director for the Research Chefs Association and a member of IFT. He resides in Jamestown, RI with his wife and childrenand loves to fish!