⏰ Service 10 — A Composed Tasting Plate
← Block 9–10: Seasoning & Flavor Building Overview
The challenge: The project session isn't about following a single recipe. It's about applying everything from Blocks 9–10 in one deliberate meal. You'll cook a three-component plate and consciously think about salt timing, acid balance, fat choice, and umami depth for each component.
Suggested composed plate:
- Protein: Serious Eats — Miso-Glazed Black Cod — umami from the miso marinade, fat from the fish, a hit of rice vinegar for acid in the glaze
- Grain: Serious Eats — Saffron Risotto alla Milanese — salt-seasoned at every stage, finished with butter (fat) and parmesan (umami), a squeeze of lemon at the end (acid)
- Salad: Serious Eats — Fennel and Citrus Salad — acid-forward, a deliberate foil to the rich risotto and fish
Before you plate everything, taste each component and ask: Is it salty enough? Does it need acid? Is the fat coming through? Is there depth? Adjust one thing at a time.
Skill targets: Each component consciously seasoned, not just salted. A finished dish where all four elements — salt, acid, fat, umami — are present and in balance.
🎥 Compare Notes: The Trick to Making Nobu's Miso-Marinated Black Cod at Home — America's Test Kitchen — Watch how ATK handles the miso marinade and broiling. Compare your glaze caramelization and fish texture to theirs.