Fusion cooking (like the Seared Sea Scallops on BLT Salad pictured above) is often a very much maligned and entirely misunderstood concept. The word, “Fusion,” is most commonly applied to the act of combining two substances or items together, very often by the application of heat. This can relate to anything from nuclear fusion – the process where two or more nuclei are fused to form one, larger nucleus – to the fusion of two metals to form an alloy, to the fusion of two ideas to form an entirely different principle. It is this third example of fusion to which fusion cooking relates and essentially the marriage of one or more cooking traditions, techniques or disciplines to form an altogether different approach or finished dish. It most definitely does not mean putting all the ingredients selected for a dish in to one pot and turning the heat up as high as possible
What is the Point of Fusion Cooking?
Fusion cooking can be employed for a great many different reasons. It is a technique which may be used by chefs in order to expand their culinary repertoire and afford them a dish which is truly unique and distinct from those offered by their peers and competitors. Alternatively, fusion cooking may be practised by a chef or cook from more than one cultural background, looking to inject their own unique identity in to their cuisine. Fusion cooking can even be employed as a means of subtly introducing new food concepts to the masses. One incredibly simple example of this is the Chinese takeaways in the UK attempting to target the, “Fish and chip,” traditionalists.
Although Asian fast food and the large, multi-national fast food chains have a significant presence in the UK, it says a lot about the UK food psyche that good, old-fashioned fish and chips remains the UK’s number one fast food choice to this day. Recognising this, Chinese takeaways in particular have long since offered chips as an optional accompaniment to Chinese stir fried dishes instead of the more traditional rice. This is fusion cooking in its simplest form: a marriage of East meets West, to offer consumers the comfort of their chips while at the same time, the opportunity to diversify and try something new.
Spaghetti and Meatballs – and even Spaghetti Bolognese itself – are actually already examples of fusion cooking. In Bologna, Italy, where the dish originates, the sauce – Ragu – is meant only to complement the taste of the spaghetti and not to feature so prominently as it does in other countries. This recipe takes the concept a little further by currying the sauce and infusing a little something extra in to the dish.
Ingredients (Serves Two)
1/2lb minced/ground beef
2 14oz cans chopped Italian tomatoes in tomato juice
1 egg
1 slice of bread (grated in to fresh breadcrumbs)
2 cloves of garlic (peeled and grated)
1 red chilli (seeds removed and finely chopped)
1/2 tsp freshly grated ginger root
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp ground coriander seed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil
6oz dried spaghetti
Method
Put the beef, egg, breadcrumbs, garlic and ginger in to a large bowl or basin and season with salt and pepper. Mix extremely well by hand, ensuring that the ingredients are actually squeezed together, rather than simply mixed.
Put about a tbsp of olive oil in to a large frying-pan and bring it up to a moderate heat. Divide the meatball mixture in to eight equal portions and roll in to balls, each about the size of a golf ball. Fry in the olive oil to seal the meatballs only. Remove to a plate.
Add the turmeric, coriander seed and chilli to the oil and stir fry for about twenty seconds. Add the tomatoes and bay leaf and bring to a simmer. Re-add the meatballs and simmer gently for half an hour, stirring gently only occasionally.
When the sauce has around ten minutes’ cooking time remaining, the spaghetti should be added to a large pan of lightly salted, boiling water and simmered for ten minutes until al dente. Please note: adding olive oil to the water to prevent pasta sticking together is a popular but total myth. It doesn’t work because it defies the laws of physics: oil and water don’t mix. All that will happen is that the oil (less dense than water) will float on top of the water. It will not waste your pasta but it is a total waste of good olive oil.
The spaghetti should be drained through a colander and plated, before the delicious curried meatballs are carefully spooned on top, after the bay leaf has been removed and discarded.
Read More https://delishably.com/food-industry/what-is-fusion-cooking