Thread by @LesDaChef

Ok. As promised, a thread on flavouring and seasoning of food. I'm not gonna mention any brands so please don't ask me what brands to buy. 🙏🏾 #LesFoodFacts

First the basics. They're important, I'll explain why as the thread goes.
There's a difference between seasoning and flavouring. It's important coz thats what determines what you should use and one what dishes. #LesFoodFacts

Flavouring = Changes the taste of something. Examples: infused oil, chilli, lemon, cheese. A flavouring will be what your taste receptors pick up. Salty, sour, bitter, salty and Umami. A marinade or curry blend is flavouring #LesFoodFacts

Seasoning = enhances the taste of something. Salt and pepper, certain herbs, MSG, certain spices. It shouldn't completely change your dish. #LesFoodFacts

Argh, I meant 'sweet' in that other tweet 🙄🙄.

Anyway, so when you're cooking you need to work out if you're flavouring or seasoning what you're making. Cheap cuts of meat tend to need flavouring and slow cooking. Expensive cuts tend to only need some seasoning #LesFoodFacts

When you slow cook something you're mostly cooking out it's natural flavour and you'll need to replace this with a flavouring. Cheap cuts also need some "help" to become more flavourful. It's why you marinate cheaper cuts of meat #LesFoodFacts

The other trick with cheap cuts is to give them flavour at the beginning of the cooking process. So rather quickly seal the meat in a very hot pan first and then marinate it after (yes it sounds crazy but trust me) for 30 mins. #LesFoodFacts

Please don't marinate lamb, sirloin, rump, fillet etc. Somblief. You're just wasting money 😓

Fresh herbs and salt and pepper and maybe a little smoked paprika is all you need for quality beef and lamb #LesFoodFacts

The trick with more expensive cuts is to have a very flavourful sauce to accompany them. All your flavouring should be focused on the sauce and the starch, not the meat. #LesFoodFacts

Ok, so what spices and herbs should you use?
Herbs start losing their potency from the moment they're dried. So don't try buying dried herbs in bulk. Rather buy them fresh and if they start going "off" dry them yourself #LesFoodFacts

To dry herbs I put them in my biltong maker but you can just put them in the sun for a day or 2.

Spices also lose their potency the longer they're stored but they're a bit more forgiving then herbs. #LesFoodFacts

Difference between herbs and spices? Spices tend to be made from the dried berries, bark, seeds, flowers, fruit or roots of a plant.
Herbs tend to be the leaves of a plant.

Its why vanilla is classed as a spice. #LesFoodFacts

To make your own marinade you need:
An acid, a flavouring, a seasoning and an oil. Those are the basic rules.
Acids= buttermilk, lemon, vinegar, alcohol
Flavouring = garlic, onion, lemon rind, chilli, tomato, spices etc
Seasoning = salt, pepper, herbs
Oil #LesFoodFacts

Each thing plays a different role. The acid breaks the proteins up, the oil adds softness and taste, flavouring adds what's missing to the meat, seasoning enhances it all.

Quality meat has natural flavouring and fats and is soft already. See why you don't need to marinate it?

Ok, onto stews.
You don't need soup powders and curry powders to make a stew flavourful. The trick is all in the beginning. Browning the meat first. This is called the Maillard Reaction. You're activating amino acids and flavouring when you brown the meat first #LesFoodFacts

Don't clean the pan/pot you've browned the meat in. There is flavour in the left over juices. Add your veg and herbs to it and brown them too. Also add your unsalted (very important) spices to this as well. On a high heat. Heat activates the natural oils in spices. #LesFoodFacts

Oh speaking of which, the flavours and aromas in spices are carried by oils. Fry your spices in a dry pan before making use of them. #LesFoodFacts

You only add salt to slow cooking dishes towards the end of cooking. Salt concentrates and gets stronger the longer you cook something. So only season stews, soups etc at the end. Also if you salt meat too early it will be tough or take longer to cook #LesFoodFacts

Ok, what should you use for what? 😓 This could go on and on but I'll touch on the most popular herbs and spices in the next few tweets. You can (and should) make your own spice blends at home. #LesFoodFacts

Parsley: light and white dishes. Eggs, fish, chicken, pasta, soups, veggies, pork.

Dill (use it sparingly, it can overwhelm a dish): fish, pickles, stews, potatoes, heavy breads, buttery sauces #LesFoodFacts

Oregano (sometimes also spelled origanum): roasts, pork, tomato dishes, Italian dishes, roast veg, soups.

Thyme: proteins, soups, eggs, potatoes, buttery dishes. Always works with rosemary #LesFoodFacts

Sage (tip: put some sage in your salt grinder with sea salt 😉): cheese, bread, heavy roasts, lamb, sausages, pork

Tarragon: poached foods, veggies, dressings, mushrooms, creamy sauces (works well with parsley) #LesFoodFacts

Chives (always added late in the cooking process): Italian dishes, acidic sauces, salads, potatoes, creamy dishes, chicken, liver.

Mint (not just booze): lamb, salads, dressings with yoghurt or buttermilk, certain fish, lamb and veal soups #LesFoodFacts

Coriander (Americans and Spanish speakers call it Cilantro): spicy foods, fresh tomato based dishes, starches like rice and potato, Mexican cuisine, lime dishes.

Rosemary, probably the most flexible herb: works with almost all proteins and roast veg. Works with bread well too

Basil: probably the most fragile herb you get. Even if it looks bruised it can still be full of flavour. Don't just go with appearance when it comes to basil.
Works with olive oil rich foods, Italian tomato based dishes, chicken, veg soups, salads #LesFoodFacts

I haven't even touched on spices and seasonings. Hayi, that will be a thread of another day. 😓😓 #LesFoodFacts