DALLAS —According to culinary sleuth Shirley O. Corriher, restaurateurs can reduce sodium in menu items without compromising taste both by using less salt and through techniques that intensify flavor, such as caramelizing.
Sodium was one of several top-of-mind topics Corriher, a food scientist, addressed during the recent Menu Trends & Directions conference here. —According to culinary sleuth Shirley O. Corriher, restaurateurs can reduce sodium in menu items without compromising taste both by using less salt and through techniques that intensify flavor, such as caramelizing.
On the subject of sous vide, she explained how vacuum-packed cooking can turn deadly if botulism accidentally develops in the airtight atmosphere. She explained how to avoid such a food-poisoning disaster by chilling the cooked products correctly. —According to culinary sleuth Shirley O. Corriher, restaurateurs can reduce sodium in menu items without compromising taste both by using less salt and through techniques that intensify flavor, such as caramelizing.
In cutting out fat and calories, lower-fat fat options, such as sour cream, can be used in some applications, but some fat is necessary to keep dishes flavourful, Corriher said. —According to culinary sleuth Shirley O. Corriher, restaurateurs can reduce sodium in menu items without compromising taste both by using less salt and through techniques that intensify flavor, such as caramelizing.
She also addressed the question of how brining works, explaining that the salt seasons deep in the center of a protein that is otherwise impenetrable with normal marinades and rubs. She suggested that rubs with a high-sodium concentrate could reach further into the center of foods. —According to culinary sleuth Shirley O. Corriher, restaurateurs can reduce sodium in menu items without compromising taste both by using less salt and through techniques that intensify flavor, such as caramelizing.
In addition, Corriher shared a trick to help brown pie crust bottoms: Mixing a bit of corn syrup or sugar in the dough accelerates the browning, she said. —According to culinary sleuth Shirley O. Corriher, restaurateurs can reduce sodium in menu items without compromising taste both by using less salt and through techniques that intensify flavor, such as caramelizing.
Adding a bit of sugar also helps keep the textures of fruits and vegetables firm. She explained that an acid, such as vinegar, would do the same thing for cooked greens. —According to culinary sleuth Shirley O. Corriher, restaurateurs can reduce sodium in menu items without compromising taste both by using less salt and through techniques that intensify flavor, such as caramelizing.
At the same time, too much acid in a starch dish will stifle swelling and therefore it will not soften to a palatable texture, she said. Tomato should be added to a scalloped potato dish, for instance, only after the tuber is cooked and tender. —According to culinary sleuth Shirley O. Corriher, restaurateurs can reduce sodium in menu items without compromising taste both by using less salt and through techniques that intensify flavor, such as caramelizing.
Finally, she explained why certain basic ingredients, such as brown sugar, don’t always react the same way, even when used in the same environment and elevation. The answer is that some brown sugar is actually regular sugar coated with molasses. That type of sugar can be detected easily because the molasses rubs off in your hands, she said. —According to culinary sleuth Shirley O. Corriher, restaurateurs can reduce sodium in menu items without compromising taste both by using less salt and through techniques that intensify flavor, such as caramelizing.
Atlanta-based Corriher explained that many of these food science theories and a lot of others could be found in greater detail in her award-winning books “CookWise” and “BakeWise.”— [email protected] —According to culinary sleuth Shirley O. Corriher, restaurateurs can reduce sodium in menu items without compromising taste both by using less salt and through techniques that intensify flavor, such as caramelizing.
