I’m back from France. The trip was full and fascinating, and intense—I drove 3,000 km in 10 days and met a lot of chefs, farmers, and artisans doing exceptional work. But most of the info and images I gleaned are for the book, so I have to be a little stingy here for now. As things shake out I’ll work in what I can. Suffice it to say that if you liked the last post about Bordier and compound butter, you may be interested to know that since writing that I have found and tasted the best butter in the world, and spoken at some length with the man who makes it. But that’s all I can say for now.
Today I want to talk about layering flavors, and this dish serves as a handsome illustration. It’s super easy, and uses a classic combination (peas and mint), but the way I built it added some real depth and resonance that helped this plate of peas punch well above its weight class. To me, this sort of cooking—simple, but executed thoughtfully—is the way home cooking should be as often as possible.
Spending a minute or two thinking ahead—planning a step or two beyond just tossing everything in a pan to sauté—can make the difference between serviceable and sublime. And this approach, once you get the hang of it, can be applied to just about anything. You become attuned to the ways flavors can be layered and reinforce each other, almost like a construction project.
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