KACHEN #28 (Autumn 2021) English Edition

KNOWLEDGE BITES
BIT TER
AFTERTASTE?
YES PLEASE!
Tart can be wonderful. Petition to have some
more of it on the plate!
Sandrine Pingeon posts her offer on Facebook. “Come
and discover Puntarelle, an astonishing lettuce,” the veg
grower from Münsbach writes. A green leaf with lush
aromatic notes.
The lanky, serrated leaves remind of dandelion and
have a bitter taste. At the heart of the plant shoots sprout
similar to those of green asparagus and that have an unobtrusive
bitter taste. They are a delicacy shortly tossed in
a pan or eaten raw with garlic, capers and lemon shards.
In Munich, Michael Huber serves Puntarelle with roast
saddle of venison and adds artichokes.
Oliver Zelt
TEXT
An aroma that is kind of frowned upon
While bitter was really a taste that top chefs as well as
hobby gourmets shook their heads at, now, the kitchen
chefs cautiously approach the tangy aromas. Slowly,
gastronomies and guests get used to the tanginess in
radicchio, endives, and mangold. And cooks are returning
a refined taste to the plates. For bitter belongs to the
platter of tastes. Bitter is healthy and helps to rid the
body of poisons, as well as lightens heavy, fatty dishes.
So that even a feast-induced indulgence can be more
easily digested.
Bitter is bred out
It’s really not that easy to get hold of bitter vegetables.
Most of the varieties have had the bitter taste bred out
of them over time by seed growing companies, because
both cooks and clients did apparently not enjoy the bitter
nuance. Old tales of beautiful, bitter grapefruits can now
only be heard at family gatherings.
But cooks are looking for the bitter taste and still find it
in the old varieties. With tricks learnt at grandmother’s
knee they try to find the balance. They pickle radicchio
or chicory in ice water or buttermilk in order to take
away the bitter taste. So that their guests learn to appreciate
bitter flavours.
Bitter delicacies
Luxembourgish cooks take the challenge seriously. René
Mathieu – who received a “green star” from the Michelin
Guide for sustainability – only offers vegetarian creations
in his top restaurant “La Distillerie” in Bourglinster. He
serves artichoke base with their refined bitter character
with a side of peas, mushrooms, onions and a sauce of
herb bennet – a herb with amazing bitterns.
In Moutfort, Cyril Molard gives artichoke a chance in a
different combination. He arranges them with crayfish in
comfit and with a drizzle of tarragon oil.
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KACHEN No.28 | AUTUMN 21