My knowledge of mushrooms is pretty limited. It extends from white to brown with the occasional portobello thrown in. So when I read about a chicken and shiitake pie I did some research. And learnt something pretty cool.
Since Plato and Aristotle's time it was believed that humans could only detect four tastes, sweet, sour, salty and bitter. Then in the early 1900's a Japanese scientist recognised a new taste and he was so unbelievably bored that he spent years boiling seaweed trying to recreate it. Eventually he identified the molecule and called it umami - deliciousness.
It has since been officially declared as the fifth basic taste. Some foods are particularly rich in umami, like seafood, tomatoes and mushrooms. But umami is also enhanced by certain processes e.g. drying (shiitake), aging (parmesan) and pairing (which is why parmesan and tomatoes go so well together). Of course, geniuses like Escoffier figured out umami long before it got a name. How I love that he dedicated pages of extensive and detailed notes to creating veal stock, knowing it was awesome, but not that he had inadvertently stumbled upon the deliciousness that is umami.
There's someone else that also creates umami without knowing it - mothers. On Saturday I defrosted some leg of lamb that my mom gave me. This is a very rare occurrence, my mother rarely cooks and she sure as hell never gives me any of it. In fact I was planning to only eat it after she died, so I could have something she made to remember her by. However, she informed me I'm shit out of luck on the dying thing so I figured I may as well eat it. And it was wonderful. Wonderfuller than wonderful. Like her tomato bredie. Or her bean soup. Or her savoury tart.
It's not just me. Grown hunks of men get goofy talking about their mothers' food. Even when it's not particularly good. Somehow the mere touch of a mother's hand makes the simplest meal special. Are there any magic ingredients? In my mom's case not even almost, unless you count Aromat. No, the truth is the only special ingredient is her. Mommy.
Or, as I now like to think of it, U Mami.
xx
J
CHICKEN LEEK AND SHIITAKE PIE
30g Dried shiitake mushrooms
750g Skinless and boneless chicken thighs in bitesize pieces
1 Onion chopped
2 Large leeks thinly sliced
2 Cloves garlic crushed
1/3c Flour seasoned
80g Butter
200ml Cream
200ml Milk
2T Thyme
2T Parsley
250g Puff pastry
1 Egg
Cover the shiitake with hot water and allow to stand for 15 minutes to soften. Remove any pieces that aren't soft and chop up the rest. Toss the chicken in the seasoned flour then fry in half the butter until lightly browned. Remove. Add the rest of the butter, the onion, leek and garlic and fry slowly until soft but not browned. Remove. Put the chicken back in the pan with the mushrooms, cream and milk and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the chopped herbs and the onion and leek mixture and fry for a couple more minutes. Season. Cool completely then spoon into a pie dish. I used just over half a roll of puff pastry, rolled it out a little then covered the chicken with it. Brush with the egg and make a couple of slices in the pie for the steam to escape. Bake at 400F for 15-20 minutes.
Since Plato and Aristotle's time it was believed that humans could only detect four tastes, sweet, sour, salty and bitter. Then in the early 1900's a Japanese scientist recognised a new taste and he was so unbelievably bored that he spent years boiling seaweed trying to recreate it. Eventually he identified the molecule and called it umami - deliciousness.
It has since been officially declared as the fifth basic taste. Some foods are particularly rich in umami, like seafood, tomatoes and mushrooms. But umami is also enhanced by certain processes e.g. drying (shiitake), aging (parmesan) and pairing (which is why parmesan and tomatoes go so well together). Of course, geniuses like Escoffier figured out umami long before it got a name. How I love that he dedicated pages of extensive and detailed notes to creating veal stock, knowing it was awesome, but not that he had inadvertently stumbled upon the deliciousness that is umami.
There's someone else that also creates umami without knowing it - mothers. On Saturday I defrosted some leg of lamb that my mom gave me. This is a very rare occurrence, my mother rarely cooks and she sure as hell never gives me any of it. In fact I was planning to only eat it after she died, so I could have something she made to remember her by. However, she informed me I'm shit out of luck on the dying thing so I figured I may as well eat it. And it was wonderful. Wonderfuller than wonderful. Like her tomato bredie. Or her bean soup. Or her savoury tart.
It's not just me. Grown hunks of men get goofy talking about their mothers' food. Even when it's not particularly good. Somehow the mere touch of a mother's hand makes the simplest meal special. Are there any magic ingredients? In my mom's case not even almost, unless you count Aromat. No, the truth is the only special ingredient is her. Mommy.
Or, as I now like to think of it, U Mami.
xx
J
CHICKEN LEEK AND SHIITAKE PIE
30g Dried shiitake mushrooms
750g Skinless and boneless chicken thighs in bitesize pieces
1 Onion chopped
2 Large leeks thinly sliced
2 Cloves garlic crushed
1/3c Flour seasoned
80g Butter
200ml Cream
200ml Milk
2T Thyme
2T Parsley
250g Puff pastry
1 Egg
Cover the shiitake with hot water and allow to stand for 15 minutes to soften. Remove any pieces that aren't soft and chop up the rest. Toss the chicken in the seasoned flour then fry in half the butter until lightly browned. Remove. Add the rest of the butter, the onion, leek and garlic and fry slowly until soft but not browned. Remove. Put the chicken back in the pan with the mushrooms, cream and milk and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the chopped herbs and the onion and leek mixture and fry for a couple more minutes. Season. Cool completely then spoon into a pie dish. I used just over half a roll of puff pastry, rolled it out a little then covered the chicken with it. Brush with the egg and make a couple of slices in the pie for the steam to escape. Bake at 400F for 15-20 minutes.
3 comments:
My mom died 13 years ago.
Afterwards, I discovered some chicken soup she had made in her freezer. I kept it for a long time until the day I really needed the "vertroosting" before I ate it!The same with the last Christmas cake she baked. Small slice by small slice. Appreciate your mothers while you have them!
I'm so sorry about your mom. My friend who lost her mom said you never get over it, you just get on with it... It must have been so bittersweet to eat her soup and cake. As it stands all I'll have to eat are the 70 blocks of butter my mom froze after buying them on special. Will have to ask her to start cooking!
If she were my Hindu friend, the butter would be used to make ghee -also 30 blocks at a time.
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