Topic: What do we know about oil in BIR's

[JerryM]

i've tried 5ml of citric acid in base made today (800g onion/9 portions or ~3.5L) adding it at the start with the rest of the ingredients.

the 5ml amount being a pure guess. you can taste the effect more in the base than in the oil. i can't really describe the effect other than its sort of same as using lemon dressing in mains.

i'll try it out this week. i might need to up the amount to say 10 ml on next base and that will be it for this wacky idea if there's no improvement.

for sure it does not seem to have produced the affect "zing" in the oil that i was looking for.

[StoneCut]

Interesting Idea, JerryM ! Did you use citric acid dilluted in water or the pure powder/granulate ? Note that citric acid will only provide acidity, it has only a very faint taste of lemon/citrus if that's what you're after.

As I'm still perfecting making my own cola I can tell you how much citric acid there is in generic colas (if they don't use phosphoric acid) - there is approx. 1.4 ml of citric acid granulate in 1 L of cola to produce a noticeable "tang".

So, assuming you come up with round about 7 L base, I would suggest approx. 10 ml, exactly what you put in. If that didn't produce the result you wanted then more likely won't, either.

How about vinegar ?!

[JerryM]

StoneCut,

many thanks - appreciate your thoughts.

i've come to the same conclusion albeit reluctantly as i can't think what else now to try (the oil from the TA that gave me a sample still tastes better than mine - the difference being a zing of some form).

i used the white crystals. in most dishes i make i can tell when i've not added lemon dressing - that zing's missing. i think i just got the same effect by a different route as for this weeks cooking i could not bring myself to add lemon dressing - that taste already being in the base.

you're right - i don't need to try more - the 5 ml was just right - down to luck.

ps of the few questions the chef answered one was do you use vinegar - the answer was a definite No - not in anything. he said others do but produces inferior result.

[h4ppy-chris]

could it be Tamarind? Jerry

[DalPuri]

Hing?
Black salt?
Anardana powder?

[emin-j]

On the subject of oil in BIR's I noticed my local t/a use Pride Rapeseed oil in 20 ltr drums.

[stevejet66]

Noticed 25ltr drums of it at my local, that too was rapseed oil. i dont believe that they add anything to it in my opinion, how far can you go trying to use flavoured oils? Ihey just use the oil from the drum and thats it.

[JerryM]

many thanks all - really do appreciate ideas on this. it's one thing that is bugging me.

the chef does love using tamarind. i am pretty sure he only uses it in "sauces" that he makes. my gut feeling is that it would not be used in base. however i will try mixing a little in some of my oil and heating it up to see what happens.

it's not hing - i've tried hing before and is big no no for my taste buds.

black salt i use in lasan tikka. it certainly has a zing and is a contender. i will try it out.

i've used anardana (pomegranate) in parker21 and issiemc's kashmiri masala for making bhajis mintsauce. it's not it.

having pondered this more i realise that i may have been wrong in thinking the "zing" was in the oil. how i came upon the observation was to freeze ice cubes of the sample base i was given. when you looked at the base before freezing there was no suggestion of any oil. when it froze it was clear that the small amount had risen to the surface and a finger taste of the surface was "spiced" oil but with this "zing". the zing was not in the base before freezing - hence the assumption it was in the oil.

given this i've frozen the current oil and base just to make sure i'm comparing like with like (have given it a stir after taking the pic to mix the oil in)

[emin-j]

Good work JerryM,interesting thread 

[stevejet66]

Hi jerry, ive tried tamarind in base sauce and it's not nice, It's rather sour and does ruin the dish. From past experiance you cant beat a good plain veg oil without anything added to it.
steve.