In issue 58 I wrote an article about the book Syrat, where I mentioned the "fifth taste", umami. Since then I have discovered more about it and have tried out an exciting product range from Laura Santtini, in which one of the products is Taste No.5, umami in a tube. The series of products goes under the name of Easy Tasty Magic – Spell blending flavours.
Behind the series is a woman called Laura Santtini,, who ran her parents´ Belgravia restaurant Santtini for 8 years. Laura is also the author of the book Easy Tasty Italian and is a long standing consultant to Selfridges. Her Selfridges´ Credit Crunch Chocolate made headlines the world over. Laura´s Easy Tasty Magic range can´t be bought in Scandinavia yet, but she is planning to sell her whole range worldwide, so just wait. Meanwhile you can contact Selfridges in the UK, if you´re eager to get it.
I first discovered Taste No.5, umami in a tube, when I was in London and found it in a magazine. I said to myself "–perfect!" It was perfect in many ways, because it seemed both easy and practical and was packaged in a stylish tube too. Looks good in the fridge. I had to get my hands on this, as well as the other products in the series.
When I got back to Stockholm I called Herman Rasmuson, the writer of Syrat, and asked if he wanted to try some new products, and of course he wanted…he is a creative chef and loves to test new products and make new dishes! But first some more about the products...
The umami paste, Taste No 5, is made only from natural ingredients, __________________________________________________________________________  no glutamate for example, so this is the result of Laura combining the most umami–rich Italian ingredients such as tomato, Parmesan cheese and porcini mushrooms into a single paste that can be simply rubbed, squeezed or spread for explosive U–mamma results!
Up until recently the Western world considered umami to be a myth. As you all know we have held on to the four accepted basic tastes; sour, sweet, salty and bitter. Umami however, has been known to the Japanese since early last century, but it took about another hundred years for the Western scientists to accept it.
There is a fifth taste!
Umami is a pleasant savory taste imparted by glutamate and five ribonucleotides which occur naturally in many foods, such as meat, fish, vegetables and dairy products. You could say that umami is the taste of protein and umami itself is subtle and blends well with other tastes to expand and round out flavours. Most people don´t recognize umami when they encounter it, but it plays an important role making food taste delicious and make you go "mmmmmm". |
  The spice mixes Carnal Sin spice mix and International Jerk spice mix are two other nice products from the Easy Tasty Magic range.
The Carnal Sin spice mix is a blend of heady Persian rose blended with magenta beets, tangy sumac and hot pink peppercorns. When cooking with Herman, we used the Carnal Sin spice mix as a dry rub, but the spice mix can also be used in combination with for instance juice and/or zest of lemon, orange or pomegranate. You can make an easy wet rub by pounding 2 tbsp of rub with 3 cloves of garlic, a good glug of olive oil and a squeeze of lime in a pestle and mortar. That will make a good marinade too.
The International Jerk spice mix is a common latter day rub for chicken, turkey, rabbit, pork, lamb, beef, lobster and vegetables. This is a seriously hot globetrotting blend of habanero chilli, sweet island spices and plenty of thyme. You can use it as a dry rub or make a wet rub by pound 2 tbsp of rub with 3 cloves of garlic, a good glug of olive oil and a squeeze of lime in a pestle and mortar for a wet rub or marinade. |
It´s just perfect to have the Easy Tasty Magic range in your kitchen, with all these lovely jars, tubes and other packages that are filled with first class ingredients such as spices and herbs, chilli, salt, food bling and so on. And not to forget; the design is really something different and feels new and interesting. I must admit that I need and must have this in my kitchen! Just like the product info says: "With a little abracadabra, Easy Tasty Magic™ empowers cooks of all levels with spectacular kitchen wizardry." A little squeeze goes a long way.
Well, what do we do with this well designed and easy tasty magic content of these jars? When Herman and I were going to try these products, we wanted to make something with a Nordic twist and also to add a drink that would match the food.
For the first dish we used Salma Salmon, Carnal Sin spice mix from the Easy Tasty Magic range, candid chanterelle, Taste no 5 dip and trout roe. The dish was easy and fast to make and will impress anyone! The Salma Salmon is a new salmon in Sweden. It is taken from the leanest and finest parts of the salmon, fresh from Norway. __________________________________________________________________________  The pieces that you can buy are from the back lion and the belly lion. The taste is excellent and the colour perfect.
To the dish we served a new kind of Swedish vodka from Karlsson´s Vodka called Karlsson´s Gold 25, where the "25" means that it is just 25% alcohol, so it can´t be called vodka. Karlsson´s is made in the south of Sweden in Cape Bjäre and is made from the finest virgin new potatoes, which are carefully selected at their prime and defined to distil this unique spirit drink.
For the next course we used the International Jerk spice mix and corn fed chicken´s breast from Cape Bjäre, Bjärekyckling, which is the only bird product that may carry the Swedish Seal quality label. The Jerk rubbed corn fed chickens breast with pickled onions was very easy to make. Quick and tasty! To the Jerk rubbed corn fed chicken you can have a Minitini!
Enjoy good food, good drinks and good friends – preferably together! – On to the recipes:
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Carnal Sin Salma Salmon with candid chanterelle, Taste no 5 dip and trout roe
– 1 pcs of Salma Salmon, as much as you think you need.
– Carnal Sin Spice Mix
– Taste No 5 and water; mix it as strong/light you want
– Candid chanterelles, one tbs per person
– Trout roe, about 1 tbs per person
– Dill (fresh) for garnish.
Take out the salmon and cut a bit of the sides so it gets a nice and even shape. Use the spice mix Carnal Sin and rub the salmon with the spice all around, let it rest in the fridge for about 30–40 minutes.
Meanwhile make a dip sauce with Taste No 5, take about 2 spoons and add some water and mix it. Pour it into a small bowl. Also put some candid chanterelles on the plate.
Slice fine pieces and put in on a plate. Garnish with trout roe and dill.
Done!
Jerk rubbed corn fed chicken breast with pickled Onions
– 1 corn fed chicken breast per person
– International Jerk spice mix
– Cherry tomatoes
– Cauliflower
– Spring onion
Rub chicken breast with Jerk spice mix and roast it in pan with some butter, let the chicken breast roast all around and then put it into the oven for about 15–20 minutes at 190 degrees.
Meanwhile put some pickled onions, peeled and sliced cherry tomatoes, small pieces of cauliflower, chopped spring onion and mix it into a small salad and put in into the plate.
Slice the chicken breast in fine slices and put it on the plate.
Done!  |
Minitini
Pour room tempered Karlsson´s Gold over ice in a shaker and shake. Pour into a chilled martini glass and serve with either an olive or a pickled onion.
Carnal Sin & International Jerk 125g £5.99
Taste No 5 60g tube £2.99
Karlsson´s Gold 25. Price: 299 SEK
Karlssons Gold. Price: 349 SEK
www.laurasanttini.com
www.spiritsofgold.se |