burnt soup tasted good - how to get similar effect?

Question

Slightly burned bottom of pot with standard minestrone recipe. Was able to dislodge burnt crust &amp;amp; it tasted good, so mixed in with soup. Umami. Caramelized. So how do I produce a similar taste without burning my pots on purpose? Ideas &amp;amp; suggestions welcome.

LeBec F. · Answer

great!

Nancy · Answer

Yes, thanks, Minday...have heard of but not yet tasted the Persian rice with (deliberately) burnt crust. Having liked the slightly burnt soup, I am now more interested in making/trying that rice dish.
See your point about the onions and mirepoix giving better flavor than the tomato product.

LeBec F. · Answer

now, hb, that is the BESTEST idea. don't mess around with tomato product you can't see. do the blackened onions or mirepoix or anything to 'share the char' or high roast the vegs for same effect. n, while you are likely to know this, you might also like that persian national dish where a layer of thin potato is cooked crispy in the very bottom of the pot of rice, and battles ensue!....

Nancy · Answer

I will add tomato paste to my list of options for future burns. Thanks...

Ttrockwood · Answer

Oh! I am **very** good at burning soup! The culprit is the tomato paste, i use a lot of it (like the whole little can) and it likes to burn on the hotspot on my stove. If you intentionally saute it to a very dark color initially and then at the last second before ruining the pot deglaze it and scrape up all the bits

Nancy · Answer

Liz - great- another idea!

Liz D. · Answer

Brown tomato paste until caramelized? Also I believe there's a Trinidad or Jamaican process where you caramelize sugar then brown the meat in it?

Nancy · Answer

Thank you all - honeybea, ktr, Smaug - for these ideas ingredient & equipment ideas, which I'll try next time....I can see how either the sugar (in the carrots and onions) or the savory flavors in the fish sauce/mushrooms might either or both work. Thanks again :)

Smaug · Answer

You could probably do this with carrots as well, maybe celery or other such things- I think a nonstick skillet would probably be a better choice than the bottom of your soup pot.  Some Indian recipes call for cooking onions to the crisp point; it can be done without burning, but takes constant attention.

honeybea · Answer

Cook just the onions until they're very dark at the beginning of the soup? That might work.

ktr · Answer

You could try adding a splash of fish sauce or dried mushrooms to your soup.

burnt soup tasted good - how to get similar effect?

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