I like to read. Anyway, I came across an interesting technique on fruit purees on Phatduck in the Pastry Department. Go there and read the article. Great, huh? Somebody thinking about food, figuring out a better way to generate flavors and textures. No, I have not tried the process yet, but it makes sense.
In fact, I actually have a couple of thoughts beyond the initial approach.
– What if you held the fruit in a strainer and collected the extruded juice while the fruit thawed in the refrigerator? Could you then cook the juice down to a concentrate and then puree it with the fruit to concentrate the flavor even more?
– How would the process work with just blanched vegetables like asparagus? Could you make an incredibly vibrant asparagus puree by freezing the asparagus and then pureeing it in its near-frozen state?
– What about cooked or raw carrots?
– Heck, what about peaches? Those super ripe, heady wonders. Cut them in half, freeze, and then scoop out the flesh and puree.
– Plums too, for an incredible plum puree, add some salted plum for a taste balance.
I know flash-frozen peas make a tasty soup. I am quite excited with this bit of culinary insight.
Thanks again, Dana, for the culinary spark.
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