Foodie Friday Fun time! Today our topic is a sauce many of you have had with crab cakes, french fries, cold beef filet, or many other dishes called remoulade. Other than spelling, and the fact that it’s good, that’s about where the agreement ends.
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I was chatting with a dear friend and fellow cook on the topic (we had dined at a place with excellent remoulade years ago and were trying to figure it out) and realized that we didn’t even know where to start. Unlike many dishes, remoulade is a bit of a chameleon, changing itself based on its enviroment.
Cajun remoulade is different from French, which varies from Belgian. Is it mayonnaise-based or more of an aioli (I know – splitting hairs bit still…)? Is there ketchup in it or not? Anchovies? Do we use French cornichons or a dill pickle? Capers – in or out (is that a master’s thesis topic or what)? In fact, maybe it’s more of a condiment than a sauce? Tell a cook to make a remoulade and you’ll get one of several things, each of which is “right” based on the cook’s background. It’s unlike one of the “mother sauces” which are very specific. Which is the business point.
Most business issues are like remoulade – there is more than one right answer. As my friend said, “there are so many different ways and you don’t know which one is right for the job, maybe you should just give them a list of options and let them pick the one that suits their needs the best.” Good advice for consultants like me and other business folks like you. What can hamper our business success is thinking that there is just ONE way to accomplish the goal. We need to focus on “a” right answer, not “the.”
We haven’t quite deduced how this restaurant made their remoulade – they’re out of business now so we can’t go back and ask – but we’ll keep trying. What we do know is that their answer to the remoulade question was unique and worked for them with their food. That’s just like the answers to most of your business questions are. You with me?
Consult Keith 