Skip to main content

When everything fails: Master Chef and the Piña Colada

If we are watching Master Chef, we expect, that everything they do is technically correct - and well researched.

I still struggle with Chefs, doing cocktails (and people who believe, that chefs are able to do this well). The bar is like pastry - part of culinary arts, but indeed very different. If you are not specialized, you will fail.

And no - for me will not be “a little bit of fun” - at all!


So let’s look at it point by point:

  • First of all using fresh pineapple is great! However the puree is far too thick and makes the Piña Colada to a smoothie. And the additional fibers (while probably healthier) will make the drink to a full meal! It would be better to juice it - or to puree it and then strain it.
  • Second: really? Masterchefs don’t know how to use a blender? If you anyway add rum and coconut - why waiting - it would be so much easier.
  • Third: the rum. It is Master Chef - they could really used something more sophisticated than Bacardi Carta Blanca! And what is about measuring??? The lack of measuring here is one of the capital mistakes here!
  • Lime zest - a bit of lime zest is not classic - but hey, it could be a cool addition. But he used far too much! 
  • Eventually: coconut milk! Another capital mistake. Piña Colada is usually made with Cream of Coconut (which is different than coconut cream). It is basically a thick, fatty coconut syrup. Normal coconut syrup would be also ok. Or doing your own coconut syrup with coconut milk and sugar. But using only coconut milk? That is really wrong!
  • Additional: dairy makes a colada really nice. If you are vegan, it is not compulsory, but it really helps. Not too much. Traditionally it has been a dash of cream - but nowadays I tend to like sweetened condensed milk more - and you could even replace it with sweetened condensed coconut milk!
  • Another thing: sugar syrup in a Piña Colada? And - who still cooks his syrup!
  • Emotional Damage GIF - Emotional Damage Gif - Discover ...
  • And Master Chef: we are not anymore in the 1980’s. A proper cocktail needs a proper cherry: Amarena cherries (my favorite) or at least Luxardo Maraschino cherries (proper one) - not this sad excuse of a chemical processed cherry!
  • It is also laughable, that they first of all blend the drink (with ice) and then shake it (again with ice). What type of technique is that? And a commercial venue (it is “Master Chef”) would never premix their drinks with alcohol - because if you don’t use all it - you throw the alcohol!


It is really shocking that prime time television is screwing a simple colada so much up! It is terrible. And disgraceful! 

Emotional Damage!







Comments

Popular posts from this blog

How to use citric acid - and why you might not want to use it anyway!

To be honest, I shied away of this topic, because I think, people can misinterpret this - big time. I don't want to be part of the problem - I want to be part of the solution!  But when Chris, over at A Bar Above  discussed this subject- I literally could not resist to join into "the discussion". Here is the video: I - however take a bit slower approach than Chris. What is citric acid? Chemical Compound Citric acid is a weak organic acid with the formula C6H8O7. It is a natural preservative/conservative and is also used to add an acidic or sour taste to foods and drinks. Wikipedia Formula: C6H8O7 Molar Mass: 192.124 g/mol Melting Point: 153C Density: 1.66 g/cm3 Boiling point: 175C Soluble in: Water Why is it controversial? In my "mixology world" it is controversial, as citric acid is the stuff, which makes the nightmarish sour mix [ preferably in powder form ] sour. Yeah - citric acid is the main ingredient in one of the most

Agar-Agar Clarification

Not often, I am posting here things, which are clearly not my ideas... However Dave Arnold is clearly a mad scientist [no, he really is!] - and he posted amazing stuff on his website www.cookingissues.com - no - don't click now - just follow the link later. One of the most impressive posts about mixology, besides of demystifying the mechanics of shaking, were clarification techniques. Look, after him, you could use a centrifuge [which would set you back a couple thousand bucks] and a chemical compound, which solidifies sediments. I am not a fan of that. Then there is gelatine clarification; this works quite well [I tried it several times my self] - you gelatinize a liquid [with little gelatine only], freeze it, thaw it [in the fridge] over a colander and a muslin cloth. Thats it. Unfortunately this has several problems: Gelatine is made out of animal bones - hence it is neither vegetarian nor vegan, which you won't usually expect of a beverage. You have to freez

King Robert II Vodka

Who would knew, that I am reviewing a budget vodka here - on the opinionatedalchemist.com. But this isn't a normal review. I skip the marketing perception and use this product to cut directly to the case: Vodka is a "rather" neutral, colorless, "rather" flavorless and odorless distilled beverage from any agricultural source - and depending on the country, it has a minimum of 37.5% and 40% abv. As I said time and time again before: at times it is absolutely nonsense to talk about premium and luxury, when the original product doesn't really "hold this promise". Luxury water can have luxurious marketing, luxurious packaging, can be even rare and slightly more expensive "to produce". However really it is just water. Maybe it has some nuances to normal water - however those nuances (in a blind-test) are pretty small. Vodka is extremely similar - and the chain of evidence (despite a lot of people trying to proof otherwise) makes it re