My Challenge to All

[kuan]

Try to think of or come up with a dish which incorporates bitterness. Yep, bitter. Bitter doesn't have to be the main flavor, it can have a hint of bitterness which enhances the whole dish. I can think of one ingredient and that is Chinese bitter melon and used in a soup, it's OK, not mouth watering for most.

What can you come up with?

[CrazyTATT]

I LOVE hulled strawberries, stuffed with goats cheese, and tomato concase, the drizzled w/ a balsamic reduction and fresh cracked black pepper.

Bitter of the bat, and almost electric by the end and highly addictive.

[kuan]

Where's the bitter in that? Balsamic reduction?

[Suzanne]

I'm one of those few weirdos who LOVES bitter stuff -- I find nothing else gets the salivary juices going as much. Paul, too (although he tends just a bit more towards sour). So we always have at least one bitter element in our nightly salad -- Belgian endive, escarole, curly endive/chicory, radicchio. Even the outer leaves of romaine haVE an edge of bitterness.

As for cooked dishes: anything braised in beer. And other bitter greens, cooked: kale, collards -- bring them on! (although I find that in long cooking, the inherent sweetness of collards takes over)

Another bitter ingredient that is used to great effect is chocolate: think about mole, or adding a bit of bitter chocolate or cocoa powder to a batch of chili. And cocoa nibs! I ate at WD-50 recently, and two of the dishes had cocoa nibs, one main and one dessert. The dessert was: "Caramelized banana, smoked chocolate ice cream, stout" -- the stout was a foam and the nibs were sprinkled on top, so it had a double whammy of bitterness, which offset the (usually icky) sweetness of the banana really well.

Coffee!!! Isn't there a classic Scandinavian dish of lamb or veal braised in coffee and cream? And tea, too -- Chinese tea-soaked meat dishes, and Earl Grey tea-flavored dessert items, which get the bitterness of the tea along with the floral/citrusy bergamot.

('Scuse me, my mouth is watering so, I have to go get another cup of [not overly bitter] coffee. )

[shroomgirl]

Rapini (rabe or rape) with orrechetta, anchovies, garlic, romano, chicken stock,chili flakes....comfort food with a strong bitter component.

[Peachcreek]

I like a bitter beer to finish off my Beer-Cheddar soup. The bitterness help the flavor from being too rich and cloying at the finish.

[shahar]

nothing better than a GOOD dish of broccoli rabe. One of those simple dishes that are so hard to make right.
Thinly sliced garlic sautéed just right. The rabe preblanched but quickly. A touch of hot pepper flakes.

YUMM.

I like to use romaine cooked. It acquires a bitter flavor that's amazing. On my menu now - grilled lamb stuffed romaine dolma with pinenuts.

[Botanique]

I'm likin' this thread Kuan! Great stuff so far.

Campari, lime, soy, garlic, marinated flank -- followed with a cayenne and cumin rub grilled to sear & sit (marinade is reduced & drizzled)

Then of course there is Gentian root -- a small amount of decoction or tincture will add bitter, and act as a gastric stimulant. Perhaps we can come up with some new bitter apetizers / aperitifs that stray from the Euro / Asian / American norm.

Cheers!

[kuan]

Ooh! You guys are good!

[Jim]

Grilled Raddichio?

[CrazyTATT]

Originally Posted by kuan

Where's the bitter in that? Balsamic reduction?

The Goats cheese and balsamic...the redux is a very pleasent bitter, and goats cheese has a very mild bitter/acidity to it. I normally think sour w/ bitter?.

[chrose]

I was thinking of a piece of grilled tuna with a knob of black pepper/garlic butter melting on top served on a bed of grilled and raw sliced endive.

Or a pork filet stuffed with Boursin, grilled and sliced on a composed salad of raddichio, endive, chicory etc. with a creamy balsamic vinaigrette.
Ahh grilling season!!!

[cakerookie]

CH, whens dinner be there at 8! Sounds good.

[KevinVilla]

There's a traditional Filipino dish called pinakbet. It's eggplant, green beans, lots of vegetables, fish sauce, and bitter melon. My mom also makes stir-fried bittermelon with oyster sauce. Her friend makes a really good pickled daikon radish with jalapeno, garlic, and bittermelon.

I never understood bittermelon. My parents love it, their parents love it, the parents of my friends love it, but all the kids hate it. Oh well.

[even stephen]

Lobster cauliflour bisque served capuccino style.
Top with whipped cream, unsweetened of course,
flavored with a few drops of good white truffle oil.
Dust cream with good quality bitter cocoa or micro
planed unsweetened high quality dark chocolate.
Flavors seem to go together. First saw it from
Kevin Rathburn.