Years ago, I shot a television segment at a 250-year-old mustard factory in Dijon, France, that also housed a state-of-the-art food laboratory. A prim, bespectacled scientist in a white lab coat measured our senses and determined I was “bitter deficient.” I was equally appalled and fascinated. Something was wrong with my palate? I cook and write recipes for a living!
We moved on to the next series of smell tests. We were given a dozen or so clear vials of liquid and asked to identify the scent. I got the best score. In fact, I was in the top three of the thousands in the history of the lab. I felt gleefully redeemed and relieved. Taste, flavor and aroma are all incredibly complex.
The core behind a great combination of flavors can be distilled into sour, salty, bitter, sweet and umami, or savory. If you taste a dish and “it’s missing something,” this is the place to start.
Meyer lemons are floral yet pungent, checking the sour box. Bold blue cheese grabs the salty and the umami flavors with a bonus creamy, fatty mouthfeel. Belgian endive is bitter yet sweet, crisp and juicy.
Belgian endive and Meyer lemons are in high season during winter months. Meyer lemons are moderately acidic and far sweeter than a regular lemon; the zest is lusciously aromatic.
This Endive and Roquefort Slaw with Peel and Eat Shrimp is casual, but with a bit of flair that breaks the monotony of months of home cooking and the lull of cold weather comfort food. Shrimp have been a mainstay in my regular cooking rotation during COVID-19. (Make sure to seek out shrimp that is deemed sustainable by Seafood Watch.) Slaw is often a down-home summer side dish, but here it’s made with uptown ingredients. The sweetness of the shrimp, sharpness of the lemon, and grassiness of the lettuce and herbs is as refreshing as a winter supper can be.
Virginia Willis is an Atlanta-based Food Network Kitchen chef, James Beard Award-winning food writer and author of seven cookbooks. Follow her at virginiawillis.com.
Credit: Virginia Willis
Credit: Virginia Willis
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