Topic: what are the benchmarks in creating bir taste?

[curryhell]

• However, by making the base himself (at home), he CAN'T replicate the same taste and aroma (all else remains unchanged)!  This suggests, to me, that it's ALL TO DO WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE BASE!

Expanding on that thought, could it be that best tasting TAs pour the remains of the previous pot of base into the new one before cooking it? Maybe you would get this underlying moorish sweetness from the onions from the first base being cooked again and for longer?

And no restaurant is going to openly admit to that  given the food regs nowadays compared to yesteryear .  What else is being kept from us as it would now be considered to be bad practice???  Could this be part of the elusive taste??
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[jb]

• However, by making the base himself (at home), he CAN'T replicate the same taste and aroma (all else remains unchanged)!  This suggests, to me, that it's ALL TO DO WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE BASE!

Expanding on that thought, could it be that best tasting TAs pour the remains of the previous pot of base into the new one before cooking it? Maybe you would get this underlying moorish sweetness from the onions from the first base being cooked again and for longer?

Just my two-penneth...When I had my take-away lesson in the Preem in Tilbury the chef tipped the very last drop of base sauce from his big pan to make a madras(the way it was cooked was so simple).He then put this aside and got another pan of base sauce,heated it up and started another dish.The madras in this place is particularly tasty so this place doesn't do this although some may.I asked Abdul the same question on my home lessons and he shook his head as well.

I'm still convinced there's something put it the base sauce that they don't or can't let us know.Indeed on my take-away lesson I noticed a big tub of something lurking in the chef's cupboard.Oh the manager said "Sometime the chef puts that in the base gravy-some stock".That was that,wouldn't say no more-I could tell he didn't want to elaborate.Hopefully one day we'll have some definite answers.[/list]

[Derek Dansak]

Hi curryhell, yes i did once think the same. However i have let base mature for several days and it does get i iny bit nearer the bir taste, as the onions begin to ferment. but not significantly better to be worth repeating.

It is a fact restaurants are cagey about revealing there base sauce recipe. i think they will provide the spice mix at a push, but not the base sauce recipe. This was my experience anyway.  I must ask to get a demo at my local of them making a base sauce. They never said this would be a strict no no. It may be a bit odd though turning up in the morning !!