Topic: A lesson in my local take-away

[adriandavidb]

Looking back on my last two posts, you are right, that language was not justified, and for that I'm sorry.

What absolutely galled me however, was that you ASSUMED I didn't know what I was doing without even taking the trouble to ask!!

I could expand at length on what happened, and you could glean something of what I did by reading the thread I started some time ago: 'bitterness in base sauces', if it is still extant.

In a nutshell however, in trials where all other variables were kept constant, I found that bitterness had NOTHING to do with:-

A) Not enough salt in the base making process.

B) Inconsistancy in quality of ingredients (repeatable results with different batches of veg)

C) Ginger used with skin; without skin, & without skin and without a 5mm layer of flesh immediatley under the skin.

I ultimately found that an excess of ginger gives a flavour that many would discribe as bitter, but is probably an artifact caused by the preponderance of ginger interacting with the other flavours present (certainly 'bitter' to me).  these flavours were never evident in the final dishes cooked with these bases, either corrected (proabably by the excess ginger elements being 'fried-off'), or perhaps disguised by the overall flavour of the finished dish.  However it was markely detrimental to the flavour of the base itself.

Perhaps becasue I am so self-critical of my efforts, I try to produce a base that stands the test of being served on its own a a spicy soup!  If it does that, it's good.

Reducing ginger in a 'boiled' base; or reducing its impact by frying it  first completely cured the problem.

I could go on for several more paragraphs about EXACTLY what I tried, but you are likely I think, to still remain with the impression that you know best!

[Secret Santa]

I can assure it was cooked properly: arrogant shit arn't you!

Pot calling the kettle black there adriadavidb. I seem to recall you telling me I couldn't cook...not so nice when it's fired back at you is it?   ;D

[George]

I try to produce a base that stands the test of being served on its own a a spicy soup!  If it does that, it's good.

Another good point and I genuinely don't know the answer to this one - I can't make my mind up. Is base a simple ingredient which can only be assessed in conjunction with the final curry or, if the base tastes good, like nice soup, will that always bode well for the final curry?

Has anyone tried tasting dried or fresh yeast? I doubt if it's pleasant at all, but freshly baked bread is normally very nice. Does this sort of argument apply to base sauce, or not?

[Secret Santa]

I try to produce a base that stands the test of being served on its own a a spicy soup!  If it does that, it's good.

Another good point and I genuinely don't know the answer to this one - I can't make my mind up. Is base a simple ingredient which can only be assessed in conjunction with the final curry or, if the base tastes good, like nice soup, will that always bode well for the final curry?

Has anyone tried tasting dried or fresh yeast? I doubt if it's pleasant at all, but freshly baked bread is normally very nice. Does this sort of argument apply to base sauce, or not?

Being able to serve a base as a stand alone dish is, I suppose, no bad thing but I absolutely disagree that a tasty base is a neccessity for a tasty curry.

In adrandavidb's previous post he even admits to making a 'bitter' base which then was used to make adequate curries because the bitterness was balanced by the final cooking in the curry.

I've said it before and I'll say it again (and again), a delicious base is NOT a prerequisite of a tasty curry and to judge a base by its flavour on its own is terribly misguided.

That's not to say that if you make a real pigs ear of the base that you will always be able to make a good curry...it's all  matter of balance between the base and the curry!

[adriandavidb]

I try to produce a base that stands the test of being served on its own a a spicy soup!  If it does that, it's good.

Another good point and I genuinely don't know the answer to this one - I can't make my mind up. Is base a simple ingredient which can only be assessed in conjunction with the final curry or, if the base tastes good, like nice soup, will that always bode well for the final curry?

Has anyone tried tasting dried or fresh yeast? I doubt if it's pleasant at all, but freshly baked bread is normally very nice. Does this sort of argument apply to base sauce, or not?

Being able to serve a base as a stand alone dish is, I suppose, no bad thing but I absolutely disagree that a tasty base is a neccessity for a tasty curry.

In adrandavidb's previous post he even admits to making a 'bitter' base which then was used to make adequate curries because the bitterness was balanced by the final cooking in the curry.

I've said it before and I'll say it again (and again), a delicious base is NOT a prerequisite of a tasty curry and to judge a base by its flavour on its own is terribly misguided.

That's not to say that if you make a real pigs ear of the base that you will always be able to make a good curry...it's all  matter of balance between the base and the curry!

I quite agree with you SS, a tasty base is not necessarily a prerequesite for a good curry, I say so above; it's just a benchmark I use to assess the quality of my bases, besides it does actually make a great soup!!

[adriandavidb]

I can assure it was cooked properly: arrogant shit arn't you!

Pot calling the kettle black there adriadavidb. I seem to recall you telling me I couldn't cook...not so nice when it's fired back at you is it?   ;D

Ouch, are you sure SS?  My recollection of those posts was different, but I'm quite willing to eat humble pie if I'm wrong! 

[haldi]

Where is this takeaway that you went to JB?
How many miles from Nottingham?

[jb]

Where is this takeaway that you went to JB?
How many miles from Nottingham?

Quite a way I'm afraid,junction 31 off the M25 into deepest Essex,not far from the big Lakeside shopping centre.

[haldi]

Quite a way I'm afraid,junction 31 off the M25 into deepest Essex,not far from the big Lakeside shopping centre.

That's a shame
I'd have gone with you
Have you had a bash, with the recipes at home yet?

[jb]

Not yet I have a lot going on at the moment.Hesitant to give it a go to be honest I don't want to be disappointed but I'll have a bash soon.I've just noticed that the method of precooking vegetables in the curry crunch book(page 16) is quite similar ingredients wise to the bombay potato recipe I was shown in the takeaway.