Second Helping Toolbox
Rehabiliating Dishes Behaving Poorly
Corrective measures are needed when dishes go wild. The truly great improvisational cooks know what to do when something tastes just … off. Cooking Rehab, if you will.
With any improvisations, things will go wrong. Sometimes gloriously so. Sometimes a mistake winds up encouraging even more creativity. But there comes a point when you realize you have a mess on your hands. The good news is there are usually solutions.
Turns out you rarely actually need salt or sugar. Russ, Kevin and Coy LeBeau, chef of The Country Club restaurant and bar in New Orleans, La., derived a list of common improvisation cooking problems and likely healthful solutions to the same problem.
You’ll purposely see some ingredients appear numerous times — these are particularly useful as they solve multiple problems at once.
Problem: Tastes too salty
Solution: Add acid
- Freeze squeezed Lemon/Lime | This is practically a cure-all for most dishes, up there with salt, but it particularly works wonders toning down inherently salty foods, like cheese, olives, capers.
Solution: Liquid
- Broths
- Wines
- Juices
- Water
Problem: Too thin
Solution: Thickeners
- Vegetable puree (roasted garlic’s our usual go-to)
- Nut butters
- Cooking the dish down to reduce water and increase the flavor’s intensity
Problem: Flavors too muddled
Solution: Salt or acid
- A small amount of white vinegar — in this instance, you don’t want to use flavored vinegars. A small amount (start with half a teaspoon) of vinegar will help bring everything into focus.
- Sea salt
- Lemon Juice
- Pick a vinegar. Any vinegar. | Beyond white vinegar, most vinegars have other flavors you need to account for. For example, rice wine vinegar, sherry vinegar, champagne or fruit-flavored balsamics also lends sweetness. Your basic balsamic adds richness.
Problem: Too Sweet
Solution: Earthy, Nutty or Smokey
- Herbs | good earthy herbs correct this, yes? I’m thinking thyme, fennel, oregano
- Spices | Cumin, Corriander
- Chipotle Peppers
- Smoked Paprika
- Parmesan cheese
- Nut butters
Problem: Too acidic
Solution: Sweet
- Roasted garlic, roasted red pepper
- What causes more damage, honey or a pinch of sugar?
- Chopped dried or pureed/crushed fresh fruit
- Sugar free jelly/jam
- A small glob of clover honey, or a pinch of sugar (it won’t kill you, although it is a last resort. Ideally you don’t have much sugar lying around)
Problem: Too Tame
Solution: Piquant, Salty Flavors, or cook time
- Creole seasoning
- Adobo sauce
- Garlic/chili paste (found in Asian markets certainly, but more common in supermarkets)
- Sriracha, a thai hot sauce
- Hot sauce
[...] If something goes wrong | If something goes wrong, you can still save the dish. Taste and see what seems off. See our guide on improvisational cooking gone awry [...]
Now that's what I call fixing dinner! *g*