Cooking With Acid

 Perk up that dish without salt....

There are a number of ingredients that can enhance the flavor of your dish in subtle and not so subtle ways.  Acids such as Citrus (lemon, orange, lime), Vinegars (red wine, white wine, balsamic, sherry, rice, etc), and even wine.

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Though the results may be similar, salt and acidity work slightly differently. Salt is a flavor potentiator -- in other words, it works chemically to make other flavors taste more of themselves. Acidity works as seasoning by giving a dish backbone or structure, which allows other flavors to stand out and shine.

It doesn't take much. Just as with salt, you don't want to taste the seasoning itself; you just want the effect it has on other flavors. Sometimes only a couple of drops of lemon juice will be all that it takes.

Most cooks understand this, at least on a subliminal level. After all, what would a salad taste like dressed only with oil? It's the vinegar that makes vinaigrette. And think of the way just a squirt of lemon elevates the flavor of a simple piece of broiled or grilled fish.

How many times have you deglazed a roasting pan with red wine? It's not just the fruit flavor you're after, but the acidity. Cooking down tomatoes in a pot of sauce or soup has much the same effect.

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