Savoury desserts
If the latest series of MasterChef: The Professionals is anything to go by, then we can expect to see a lot more chefs pushing savoury desserts or puds with savoury elements at their restaurants. From cheesecakes laced with Stilton to salmon macaroons, no flavour seems to be off limits anymore when it comes to the end of the meal.
Desserts that incorporate mushroom seem to be particularly popular at the moment – at Native in London Bridge the current dessert on the menu blends white chocolate with a mushroom cream, toffee apples and Kentish wood ants (a trend first explored by René Redzepi at his Noma pop-up at Claridge’s due to certain types of ants having a flavour akin to lemongrass).
As sugar becomes increasingly seen as the enemy, savoury puds will only grow in appeal. Perhaps the most successful of which will combine sweet and savoury elements, like salted caramel.
Jamie Oliver has long championed the idea of enhancing Cornish ice cream with a sprinkling of salt and a dash of good quality extra virgin olive oil – try it, it works a treat. Savoury ice creams in general are having a moment, from basil and sorrel to fig leaf. Early in on the trend was Heston Blumenthal, whose bacon and egg ice cream became a signature dish at The Fat Duck.
