A world of aromas and flavours

How does a dish become memorable? Choosing exceptional raw materials - fresh fish or cuts of meat which are suitable for the recipe - and concentrating the flavours, wisely balancing fat and spices.

As well known in the perfume sector, scents fix with the animal or vegetable fat they come into contact with. This know-how is normally applied in the kitchen, albeit in a rather largely unintentional manner; think of gently fried onions and vegetables, marinades, the use of lard and twigs of aromatic herbs like rosemary for roast dishes: there is always an element of fat combined with a fragrant scented element.

Some foods, like meat and fish, already have a certain percentage of fat, so the flavouring may depend solely on the use of spices and a small addition of fats, which are viewed as a Beelzebub devil in modern diets.

What ingredients must never be missing in a basket of aromatic herbs? When it comes to simple grilling, keep some excellent extra virgin olive oil handy, some garlic, parsley or fresh coriander and salt. This last ingredient has many wonderful features depending on the place of origin: to create a mix of Mediterranean aromas you can mix some Sicilian salt with oregano, thyme, rosemary and lemon zest. For a more delicate and exotic mix, particularly suitable for vegetables, you can copy the Japanese "gomasio" recipe: whole salts are crushed in a mortar with sesame seeds and seasoned with dried seaweed (nori, kombu or spirulin); you can also try crushing salt in a mortar with celery seed for fish and white meat.

When it comes to flavouring roasts or soups, you can create a garnish bouquet consisting of bay leaves, thyme, chervil and marjoram. Bay leaves are also essential when cooking vegetables and flavouring chestnut stuffing. Fish can be steamed, boiled or cooked very simply, and served with a mayonnaise base sauce adding tarragon, horseradish or wasabi paste.

Wild aromas of Sylvester, pine and resin are obtained from juniper berries; these are essential ingredients when preparing marinades for game, stews, roasts and more elaborated meat dishes. As an alternative to juniper, classic recipes also use cloves and cinnamon, fundamental spices when cooking or using marinades with red wine. Another modern flavour, citrus and spicy and very refreshing, perfect for shellfish, chicken and pork is fresh or ground ginger. To conclude, yellow mustard is not just used for spicy sauces: crushed mustard grains have a vivacious aroma which is reminiscent of nuts and ideal for salads.