The One-Hour Braise: Acid and Sweetness as Tenderiser
I
Origin
Ottolenghi Simple's vegetable braises use acid (preserved lemon, pomegranate molasses, tamarind) and sweetness (honey, dates, dried fruit) as the primary flavour drivers of a braise that cooks in under one hour — faster than meat braises because vegetables require only the softening of pectin and cell walls rather than collagen breakdown.
II
Description
Vegetables (fennel, cauliflower, aubergine, root vegetables) braised in a sweet-sour liquid (acidic component + sweet component + aromatics + olive oil) over medium heat for 30–60 minutes until tender, glazed, and deeply flavoured.
III
The Thread
—Moroccan tagine vegetables (same sweet-sour braising principle — different aromatics), Italian agrodolce (sweet-sour glazed vegetables — same technique), Chinese red-braised vegetables (soy-sugar-spic
IV
Flavour Context
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