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Many believe all vegetables are bitter, at least the most popular ones seem to be. In this brief, we explore some ways to tame this bitterness with some ingredients and cooking techniques.
By Cookist
Vegetables with intense tastes usually can be seasoned as a salad, a pasta dish, or a soup without adding any spices. However, the intensity can’t be tolerated by everyone. Some just put it off as they find the flavour to be too much. Fortunately, the bitterness can be controlled with the right ingredients and cooking techniques.
What are bitter vegetables?
They are leafy greens or vegetables with an intensely bitter flavour profile. Examples include kale, mustard greens, collards, turnip greens, and endive. The bitterness stems from chemical compounds called glucosinolates, commonly found in the Brassica family.
According to the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, these compounds possess anti-cancer properties. This is what makes them so attractive and sought after by cooks, dietitians, and nutritionists alike.
How to Make Bitter Vegetables Less Bitter
1.Add Heat
The intensity of bitter greens needs an equal but opposing force, and chilli pepper is a great option. Chile peppers are strong enough to counteract the bitterness of the greens. User DMarie's Spicy Sausage and Broccoli Rabe Parmesan recipe is a perfect example of how adding some heat can create a more cohesive dish. The spicy sausage and the red pepper flakes not only reduce the bitterness but also the volatile "earthy" flavour.
2.Braise Them
Many bitter greens can be very fibrous, and often braising them for a lengthy amount of time is essential to making them more tender. But that’s not the only purpose of braising. It also helps with toning down the bitterness.
3.Blanch Them
Blanching your vegetables is important if you’re trying to get the bitterness down. Since glucosinolates are water-soluble compounds, a lot of them get leached out into the water, which leads to a less bitter vegetable.
4.Add Vinegar
Acidity can draw out a pleasant flavour from bitter greens. If they're being used for a salad, it's good to add a vinaigrette with plenty of acid to brighten it up. If you are sauteing, you can add some vinegar or citrus to the greens to finish them off.
