How to clear your palate between different flavored dishes when cooking?
I found myself making a couple of disparate-tasting dishes. One was a salad dressing with blue cheeses and garlic, and another was meat flavored with thyme and rosemary.
I tried to taste both while cooking, but as I sit here and write this, all I can taste is the salad dressing.
I'm guessing this might be covered in some formal cooking education: how do you clear your palate when cooking multiple dishes, each with a strong and powerful flavor? I am asking this from the point of view of the chef, not the diner.
I would assume that this could become problematic as the size of the kitchen gets larger, and the number of strongly-flavored dishes would become more prevalent.
Best Answer
My first thought is to tie them together or plan them in order to closest ingredients that might lend flavor to the next.
On another note, here is an article at About.Com written by By Rebecca Franklin a French Food Expert: http://frenchfood.about.com/od/explorefrenchfood/a/palatecleanser.htm
Traditional palate cleansers:
- Apple and Calvados Sorbet
- Lemon Sorbet
- Lime Sorbet
- Mint Sorbet
Unorthodox palate cleansers:
- Sparkling water, with or without a twist of citrus
- Lightly brewed green, black, or mint tea, with minimal sweetener
- Celery sticks or fresh tart apples
- A sprig of parsley Flat water with a twist of citrus
Here is, Fig & Brie “Bites” found here: http://entertainingiseasy.com/fig-brie-bites/
I would add fresh mint leaves and ice to a glass of water or ice cubes with mint leaves and put them into sparkling water or citrus in sparkling water. I'd try mint or ginger tea, a creamy cheese or port wine cheese on table water crackers, or even something creamy like shrimp scampi might be helpful as well.
Please let us know what you choose :)
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Quick Answer about "How to clear your palate between different flavored dishes when cooking?"
How do you cleanse your palate between food tasting?
Water crackers, white bread, and tortilla chips can all serve as palate cleansers. Fruit and vegetables: In India, sliced raw fruit and vegetables, sometimes served with a squeeze of lime or lemon juice, are common accompaniments to a rich, flavorful meal.What is a palate cleanser between meals called?
Other Names Palate cleansers are also known as entrements, Trou Normand (in Normandy), Trou Bourginon (in Burgundy), and remise en bouche. Not all small dishes served between courses are palate cleansers.How can I neutralize my taste buds?
Try simple swaps like having a cup of herbal tea in place of that extra caffeinated cup and alternate a glass of water with alcoholic drinks each round. Try to eat between 5-10 portions of different coloured fruit and vegetables a day. You've heard this before for a reason.How do I reset my mouth palate?
Believe it or not, plain white bread or even french bread is considered the best way to cleanse your palate because of the simple, starchy flavor. It works wonders at absorbing the flavors from the previous wine. It is also very neutral and won't leave any remnants in your mouth.Tips For Developing Your Flavor Palate [The 5 Tastes]
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Answer 2
Unless you have to serve them close together then one of the best palate cleansers is simply time plus a glass of lemon water.
If you want to serve close together then some sort of palate cleanser is not a bad idea. There are many traditional palate cleansers which have already been covered very well, if you want something different then try serving a small, strong cocktail like a gimlet or a lemon drop. It doesn't have to be alcoholic, although a bit of kick won't hurt - just keep it reasonable so your guests don't get sloshed. Of course you could just give them a piece of lemon to suck on too.
Also keep in mind that the palate isn't just the tongue, your nose is at least as important as your tongue when tasting food - try pinching your nose while eating and you'll see what I mean. The upshot is that strong smells help clean the palate as well as strong tastes, try giving them some ground coffee to smell, that's what many wine tasters do in between tastes.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
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