The Recipe Development Process

Enjoy this informative look at the recipe development process from our Spring 2020 Maker in Residence, Veda Sankaran.

Have you ever watched a cooking competition where the contestants are given access to an unlimited pantry of items and they each create something unique? You are incredulous at their ability to selectively narrow down their choices and put together ingredients into a delicious dish and are completely certain that you would never be able to do the same. Well, though I can relate, I am equally certain that anyone can learn how to create innovative and tasty recipes once they’ve learned a few basic principles and techniques.

In those competition shows, despite the variety of ingredients available, the contestants are given a challenge or a direction. That is the first step in recipe development- the idea. What is the inspiration? It can be something as simple as a type of cuisine, say Asian. Or it can be an ingredient, like a beautiful piece of lamb that happened to be on sale when you were grocery shopping. You need a place to start brainstorming.

Balance: Basis of Recipe Development

It’s important to understand the concept of balance in relation to recipe development. Balance is a keyword in recipe development. You want whatever dish you are creating to have a balance of flavors. Even if you are making a traditionally sour dish, say for example a South Indian curry called Pulikuzhabu that is heavy on the tamarind, you still want to have enough sesame oil in there to have a fat rich mouthfeel, enough salt to mute the sharp sourness and enough sugar to combine all the various elements. Sugar, especially, is a cook’s secret ingredient. Using just a sprinkle will help anything you cook become more cohesive in taste and help reach that balance we are striving for.

Where to begin?

Cuisine Focused Recipe Development

 So, how do we begin?  Once you’ve got your initial inspiration, how do we develop a recipe around it? One way is to do something cuisine based, like Asian. Once we’ve chosen a cuisine, the next logical step is brainstorming different types of that cuisine- Thai, Korean, Chinese, etc. Once you’ve decided you would like to make something Korean inspired, the next step is to brainstorm different Korean dishes that you like. Perhaps, Korean BBQ fried chicken, bulgogi, marinated and grilled beef, or kimchee, fermented cabbage in chili paste.

Once we’ve got our initial idea for the dish we want to make, you have to see what ingredients you have on hand or can get easily. Let’s say you have some beef in the fridge and want to make the bulgogi.

You have two options then, to go the standard route and make a classic bulgogi or you can get creative and use ingredients and flavors not normally used in making this dish. If you choose to go the classic route in ingredients and flavor profile, you can still find ways to make it unique. One way is to change the protein. Instead of using thinly sliced beef, perhaps you use ground beef to make a meatball that is coated in a Korean bulgogi style sauce.  Another way may be thinking of how it is usually served and changing that. For example, bulgogi is usually served with rice, but you can make bulgogi flatbread or bulgogi tacos.

Flavor-focused Recipe Development

If you choose to go another direction and use different ingredients yet stay true to the inspiration, you must think about what elements you want changed. For example, if I like the idea of marinated meat served with rice, but want to add some different flavors, I would begin thinking of what other cuisines use to marinate their meat. For an Indian inspired bulgogi, I might use turmeric, coriander, and coconut milk along with the garlic, ginger, black pepper, and soy sauce normally used. For an Indonesian inspired bulgogi, you could use galangal, lemongrass, and red chilies.

Though there may be a multitude of directions you could go, it’s important that you choose one and follow through. Otherwise, you might end up with a mish-mash of flavors that don’t work together. This is not to say you can’t blur the lines. Add a little Kashmiri chili powder to your Thai inspired bulgogi for a pop of color, just as long as it doesn’t clash with the other ingredients. Knowing what flavors do and don’t work together is a matter of time and experience, so allow yourself the freedom to experiment and begin noticing what combinations you prefer.

Product focused  Recipe Development

Let’s circle back to the initial idea for the recipe. If instead of cuisine based, we decide to begin with a product, like the beautiful piece of lamb you happened to see at the grocery store, then what steps could we follow? Our first might be based on what we were just discussing- the method of cooking best suited to a particular ingredient. So, let’s say the cut of meat we found was lamb shanks. Lamb shanks do best when braised, so we should think of what liquid we could use for braising them, like  broth, wine, or perhaps even some coconut milk. Knowing the method of cooking and then possible ingredients that work with that method, helps give a direction to the recipe development. If we decide to braise in wine, we might want to use garlic, black pepper, and rosemary or if we decide to braise in a combination of broth and coconut milk, we might decide to use ingredients like green chilies, ginger, and lemongrass.

As you can probably tell by now, each step of the recipe development process involves a multitude of questions whose answers will guide you to the next step. The more knowledge you have about ingredients, about cooking techniques, and spices, the more directions you can take and the more creative you can become.

When I first saw Samin Nosrat’s Netflix special based on her book Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat it immediately resonated with me as it gave words to how I’ve been cooking instinctively for many years. She speaks of finding balance in the four most basic culinary elements and how that can transform one's food. This is a wonderful place to start when thinking about an idea for a recipe. Does it use enough salt to punch up the other flavors? At what point are we adding the salt- seasoning before cooking or at the end before taking off the heat? Are we using enough fat? What are the types of fat best suited for a particular dish, bacon fat, ghee, or olive oil? How will you bring the element of acid to your dish, through a squeeze of lime, slow cooking in tamarind, or a splash of vinegar? What is the best method of heat to be used, grilled over direct heat, slow braised in the oven, or a quick stir fry in a wok?

Figuring all of these things out comes from practice and experience. The more you cook and the more you read about cooking, you’ll begin understanding that lamb shoulder requires a long cooking time on low heat or that pan frying Brussel’s sprouts in either bacon or olive oil, then slow roasting in an oven caramelizes them into melt in your mouth goodness. If you were to cook that same lamb shoulder over high heat on top of the stove, you’d end up with tough meat that would be difficult to chew and boiling those Brussel’s sprouts would result in a mushy mess. So, when you look at your initial inspiration and the ingredients necessary, take some time to consider how you will season and cook those ingredients.

What should you do once you begin creating the recipe?

Now that you have an inspiration, ingredients, and a general idea of what you want to make, it’s important you have all the correct tools for accurately recording the process. These tools can be as simple as a timer, a food thermometer, measuring spoons/cups, a pen, and paper. The reason for these particular items is that it is critical for you to accurately measure and record every step of the process.

You may think you will remember, but trust me, when you are in the cooking zone, tasting and tossing in spices, you won’t remember exactly how much you used or at what step in the recipe you used it. So, though it slows the process, make certain to measure, time, and record each step. Another hint is to take your quick notes and type them up as soon as possible, since you most likely won’t be able to decipher them the next day. This also will give you an accurate recipe to make the same dish again yourself or to share with others.

So, to recap, begin with an idea or inspiration that will give you some direction, then ask yourself questions about the ingredient(s) and best methods for seasoning and cooking, allowing your answers to determine the next stage in the development process. Once you are ready to begin cooking, assemble all the necessary tools to measure and record every step. Take your initial notes and be sure to add in any missing information and type up the recipe as soon as possible. Now, let’s get creative in the kitchen and get cooking!

Veda Sankaran

Jalsa by Veda, LLC

As a first-generation immigrant who came to Altoona, PA with my family as a child, the foods of Central and Western PA greatly influence and shape my approach to food. I believe food is a vehicle through which we share our story with others and that a more inclusive representation of American food welcomes the experiences of those of us who straddle two cultures and embrace both. If you are interested in learning more, visit www.jalsabyveda.com or find me on Instagram and Facebook.