Umami Spread
Posted in: Appetizers Tagged: Mini Recipe Contest
Umami is considered the fifth taste, in addition to the traditional four, sweet, sour, salty and bitter. It is often described as savory, or sometimes simply… delicious. Umami was discovered by Dr. Kikunae Ikeda of Tokyo Imperial University exactly 100 years ago, but it wasn’t until the 1980’s that various studies proved that Umami actually constituted a legitimate fifth basic taste.
Today, many of the world’s leading chefs are finding creative ways to bring out the complex and subtle taste of a dish by using the Umami influence. The ingredients in my Umami Spread capture the essence of Dr. Ideda’s savory and simply delicious flavors. Bon Appetit!
Ingredients
- 6 ounces Fresh Mushrooms (Shiitake, Oyster and Baby Bella), stemmed and chopped
- 5 Whole Cloves Garlic, peeled
- 4 ounces Yellow Onions, chopped
- ¼ Cup Olive Oil
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- 1 ½ Teaspoon Anchovy Paste
- 1 Tablespoon Tomato Paste
- 2 Tablespoons Ketchup
- 1 Tablespoon Molasses
- 2 ½ Tablespoons Soy Sauce
- 3 ounces Roasted Red Peppers, chopped
- 2 Tablespoons Parmesan Cheese, grated
- ¼ Teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- 1 Teaspoon Nutritional Yeast
- 1/8 Teaspoon Chipotle Pepper Sauce
- ½ Teaspoon Xanthan Gum
- 1 Loaf Cocktail Rye Bread
- 1/3 pound Provolone Cheese, thinly sliced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine mushrooms, garlic, onions, olive oil and salt in a small roasting pan or Corning Ware casserole dish. Roast, stirring occasionally, for approximately one hour or until vegetables are completely softened. Remove from oven, let cool and set aside. Combine the roasted vegetables with the anchovy paste, tomato paste, ketchup, molasses, soy sauce red peppers, Parmesan cheese, smoked paprika, Nutritional Yeast, pepper sauce and Xanthan Gum in a blender and process until completely smooth. Using a 1 ½ inch Round Cutter, cut rounds of the rye bread. Then cut 1 inch rounds of the Provolone Cheese. Place the cheese round on the rye rounds and then pipe approximately ½ teaspoon of the Umami Spread on top.
No comments yet.