From buttercream, I leapt to shortbread. We ate dinner at Gilt last evening, where chips, crisps, croquants, and more adorn many, if not every, dish. We have used similar components in many of our dishes in the past, and it was intriguing to be on the receiving end of many of these elemental garnishes. It also sparked several new thoughts—savory shortbread—and reminded us of the importance of taste. Aesthetically, these components are a great complement to a dish, though taste, texture, and delicacy must be balanced in order to allow the component to add substance rather than just sparkle.
This afternoon, we worked on a passionfruit shortbread. I used brown butter instead of softened butter and mixed passionfruit juice with sugar before blending in the flour. To finish the shortbread, I dusted them with tomato powder and togarashi, a Japanese chili flake. We used the savory shortbread to add a buttery texture and bright acidity to a green asparagus salad with cherimoya-tequila vinegar puree.
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