Creating Flavour: Epiphany #2: Colour

It's not my intention to be pretentious here, but food is art. A gastronomic experiment is creative expression. Yet unlike most art forms it has the advantage of olfactory and gustative dimensions. But that's not to take away from the quintessential artistic element: the visual.

What I found recently, and the reason for this epiphany, is that colour and flavour are intrinsically connected. I always knew it, but the fact that colour has a bearing on taste smacked me round the chops when I made this. It is a dish composed of a kaleidoscope of colours and flavours. Most notably, avocado and lime.

Two bright, bold green objects, avocado and lime. And they taste green too. Colour has more than just a visual impact. Different colours resonate with us emotionally and gustatitively too. The standout ingredient of this year's Masterchef was mango, a fruit known for it sweet juiciness, but also it's vivid and changing colours.

A large chunk of flavour is in smell, they say. I say, it's in colour too. My food will from now on keep this in mind - colour and flavour are one and the same.

Ginger, chilli and soy marinated Asian Tuna steak, avocado guacamole, red pepper rice

Dribble...

Ingredients

Tuna

Ginger

Kikkoman shoyu (soy sauce)

Sesame oil

Birds eye chilli

Sugar

Lime

Red pepper, diced

Onion, diced

Rice

Avocado

Salt

Olive oil

Lime

Method

Needs a few hours marinating time, preferably more. Mix the grated ginger, shoyu, oil, lime juice and chilli (1 per steak). Pour over the tuna. Leave in fridge.

Dice the pepper and onion and fry in oil. Add rice and salt. Stir. Add boiling water to a half a cm above the rice and simmer at lowest heat (reduction method).

Scoop out the flesh of the avocado, add the oil, salt and a squeeze of lime juice. Mix it hard.

Sear the tune steak in a lightly oiled griddle for about 1 minute each side.

Serve with steamed pak choi, or some other refreshing green. Creating flavour on ya!