Odd food thought of the day: tapioca

[magid]

I wonder how I could use a savory tapioca pudding (and what flavors to use).

Comments

[ruthling.livejournal.com]

packing material?

[megmuck.livejournal.com]

It sounds similar to various fishy substances from Asian cuisines... think tobiko sushi, among other things. I bet it could combine nicely with taramasolata.

Smoked meats sound like another possibility. Or cheese. I'm thinking of things that could be made creamy and has a strong flavor to contrast with the slightly chewy nothingness of tapioca.

(I like tapioca. A lot)

m.

[magid.livejournal.com]

Too messy!

(I'm guessing you are not a tapioca fan....)

[magid.livejournal.com]

I've not had tobiko sushi, or taramasolata, though somehow the latter makes more sense in my brain.

Smoked meats in tiny dice, though then I'd have to play with using soy or some other nondairy milk. Cheese was one of my first thoughts, too.

(Not that it wouldn't be sweet, but I wonder whether a non-dairy version could be made using fruit juice instead of milk, if there were enough egg to help binding? And if fruit juice, then perhaps wine might also work...)

[megmuck.livejournal.com]

Think gravy! Broth gravy doesn't require dairy.

The tapioca could serve as a sort of pasta substitute when baked. I'm thinking of lasagne (would bechamel work here?).

Carrot or beet juices would provide an interesting contrast if you're heading towards a savory boba tea. Heck, V-8 juice could be nice.

[ruthling.livejournal.com]

correct as usual!

(it's the slime factor, I can't deal with okra either)

[megmuck.livejournal.com]

Fish eyes and glue!

[magid.livejournal.com]

Huh. Tapioca doesn't hit the "slime" part of the mental mouth at all for me. More like "custard plus intriguing texture bits".

(Perhaps I would like okra? I'm not sure, and when I got some from the farm share this year, I had no clue and no time to figure it out, so there's a pint of okra pickles somewhere on my shelf...)

[magid.livejournal.com]

OK, brain-expanding time, though not sure what I'll end up playing with in the actual kitchen, or whether this will all be just gedankenexperiment.

Some kind of deconstructed chicken soup, with the tapioca'd broth served artfully with roasted chicken, carrot, and onion?
Baked as a couscous-ish Moroccan dish?
A savory parfait with layers of carrot juice tapioca alternating with beet juice tapioca?
Mulled wine tapioca dessert with boozy fruit?

(My mom never made gravy, so it is a sort of mysterious thing to me. If she made beef (rarely), the drippings would turn into Yorkshire pudding, which I adore. If she made chicken, pieces of challah in the drippings were nice Friday night, too. (Totally unhealthy, sure, but yum.))

[megmuck.livejournal.com]

Gravy in short:

Melt fat.
Add equal amount of flour. Stir and cook a little.

Pour in hot liquid slowly while *constantly* whisking.

3T of fat + 3T of flour should thicken ca. 3 c of hot liquid to gravylike consistency.

[megmuck.livejournal.com]

I *love* the idea of alternating bands of orange and beet-colored tapioca balls! Add some lemon and celery-juice ones to be light green - pretty pretty!

[magid.livejournal.com]

Ooh!

Sounds like an excuse for a dinner party, really, were I to get organized.

[magid.livejournal.com]

First experiment: unsweetened 'quick' tapioca with salt and caramelized red onions. It's pretty good, but needs another flavor to round it out (and/or perhaps running under a broiler with a bit of cheddar on top).