Rescuing a bitter dish
Bitterness comes from compounds like those in char, over-steeped tea and citrus pith. A pinch of salt, a little sugar or some fat can mute it. None of them take it out, so go small and keep tasting.
Leave scorched food behind
If the bottom of the pot scorched, pour the unburnt food into a clean pot and leave the scorched layer behind. Don't scrape it in. More burnt or charred bits only deepen the bitterness.
Test yourself
Questions from the interactive lesson, with the answer and the why.
A sauce tastes slightly bitter because the garlic browned too far. What helps?
A pinch of salt and a little sugar. Both turn down how bitter the sauce tastes.
True or false: Salt can make a bitter dish taste less bitter.
True. Salt suppresses the perception of bitterness, which is why a pinch helps coffee and greens.
Fill the blank: A little ___ and a pinch of salt both turn bitterness down.
A little sugar and a pinch of salt both turn bitterness down. Sweetness balances bitterness on the tongue.
What went wrong? You spot a scorched layer on the bottom of a stew pot and scrape it hard into the stew.
Scorched bits spread bitterness through the pot. Burnt compounds dissolve into the liquid and flavor everything.
Which move will most likely make a bitter sauce worse?
Browning it longer. Extra browning creates more bitter compounds.