Smoked salmon, don't mess with tradition

Since starting this blog, I have given much mention to gels, modern technique, protein glueing chemicals and basically heaps of modernism.

This not to say that our style is about to change, I think we are reaching an understanding where we can look at the old surviving classics and reinvent through texture or temperature, it is just that you musn't mess about with the absolutes in cookery, certain combination or techniques that have been with us so long that they deserve to be replicated in their entirety, as they were created back then. After all they still remain with us so many years later so who are we to mess with tradition,

Well all of us really, arent we all guilty of using electricity to cook with, are we not grateful for items taken for granted dare I say cling film (not known before 1953), but many chefs are challenging 'tradition' most have taken a bit of a bash for their original thought, see this from Grant Achatz where at the ICC has to defend the way in which he decides to cook for and serve his guests, the complaints from the Traditionalists come across childish, I respect them enough to happily accept without question that for them 3 traditional courses are enough, but why do some people lack the respect for others when they wish to do things their way.

click here to see which side Foodplayers vote is on. Touche Linda!

Even the new Dan Brown book labours the point that all new major discoveries are nearly always met with staunch opposition.

As for us, trying to define a term of culinary traditional progressive, we try to ensure that we are still cooking classically (I have commis I am responsible for) but we question each basic and explore as many techniques and textures as we can before deciding what incarnation of any given item goes on to each given dish, often you will order a sole dish with a champagne sauce, and you will get a white wine based, acidulated heavy cream sauce, if you're lucky you will have a little butter monted in at the last minute and a little chopped herb, (by the way why do so many soft herbs taste of different levels of anise, seems we only have parsley, chive and (anise in many guises), anyway not digressing, honest. so do we do this.? I say YES, but also lets do a champagne fluid gel, and perhaps finish the plate with a croquant of champagne and lemon, this is not poncing, it is not breaking with tradition, it is taking the same dish on a different journey enhancing the experience all the way.

Now make this dish into a 2 bite affair, As Linda did, and Grant ONLY does, when you are paying £100+ for a meal, you expect to consume a certain number of (fork/spoonfuls) to ensure you do not leave hungry, and you expect to be entertained, so I say lets keep flavour profiles high impact, and increase the number of courses to ensure our guests are entertained and well fed by the time they are presented with the bill and the espresso.

anyway, when I started typing I was trying to think of a way to introduce the next dish, lost it a bit didnt I?

wanted to show you:

smoked salmon, traditional flavours

Salmon, red onion, brown bread, horseradish, caper, black pepper