Atlas Patch — Recipe-Driven Gaps

Created 2026-04-22 · Driven by the UMAMI-1 +50 expansion audit · UMAMI-15 adjunct

This patch fills atlas coverage gaps surfaced by the 2026-04-22 slate audit. Each entry uses the standard 3-tier framework from PROCESS.md. These will be folded back into the main category files on the next atlas refresh.

1. Shiso (青紫蘇 · perilla)

Depth: A (→ hamachi-crudo-yuzu-kosho, aceite-verde, tiradito, tuna-tartare)

What to know: Two types. Green shiso (aojiso) = the raw-fish and tempura herb; cucumber-mint-anise note. Red shiso (akajiso) = the umeboshi pigment herb; less used fresh. Leaves wilt within 48 h — must be bought close to use. A pot on the windowsill is the Miami answer (grows year-round in zone 10b). Wholesale microgreen shiso is a restaurant-grade alternative.

🏬 TIER 1 — Easy Local

Momi Market — green shiso plant trays + fresh leaves when in stock. ⚪ curated.
Whole Foods Brickell / Coral Gables — microgreen shiso occasionally; packaged clamshells.
Publix Sabor (Coral Way) — red shiso plants seasonally.
Home-grown — Perilla frutescens seeds from Kitazawa Seed (online) → grows in a pot, 60 days to first harvest. Best answer for consistency.

🌐 TIER 2 — Excellent Online

The Chef's Garden (Veritable Vegetable) — chefsgarden.com · micro shiso + shiso flowers overnight. ⚪ curated.
Koppert Cress microgreens — professional shiso micro-leaves via specialty produce distributors. ⚪ curated.

👑 TIER 3 — Top Shelf

Direct-from-Japan shiso (via specialty importer) — rare; usually only seen at Michelin-tier sushi counters. home-grown beats this for freshness.

Cross-recipe: hamachi-crudo-yuzu-kosho (proposed UMAMI-2), aceite-verde-noma-method (proposed UMAMI-9), tiradito-pargo (proposed UMAMI-2). Also reinforces tuna-tartare-sherry-soy ✅, kanpachi-crudo ✅.

2. Pargo (red snapper, Lutjanus campechanus or L. analis)

Depth: A (→ tiradito, adjunct to whole-fish-kamado)

What to know: Two categories matter. American Red Snapper (Gulf wild) = firm, sweet, ideal for ceviche/tiradito. Mutton Snapper (Florida Keys) = drier flesh but more flavor; local Miami advantage. Avoid "imported red snapper" — 70%+ is rockfish mislabeled. Always ask to see the whole fish or the skin-on fillet.

🏬 TIER 1 — Easy Local

🏆 Captain's Tavern (SW Miami-Dade) — Florida mutton snapper + American red snapper, whole fish or fillet. Ask for Key Largo or Tavernier boats. ✅ Primary Tier 1 answer.
Casablanca Seafood — Miami Beach, red snapper reliable.
The Fish House (Key Largo) — dock-direct Gulf red snapper + mutton snapper, 45 min drive.
Whole Foods Brickell — "red snapper" ⚠️ often mislabeled. Only buy if package says "American" or "Gulf."

🌐 TIER 2 — Excellent Online

🏆 Honolulu Fish Co — Opakapaka / Pacific Pink Snapper — honolulufish.com · Hawaiian pink snapper, sashimi-quality overnight · ✅ owner-verified vendor. Not pargo-exact but the closest sashimi-grade equivalent.
Browne Trading — New England red snapper when in season.
Catalina Offshore — Pacific rockfish (honest branding, not mislabeled red snapper).

👑 TIER 3 — Top Shelf

Dock-direct day-caught Florida red snapper (Tavernier / Marathon, via The Fish House) — call to reserve a whole fish the morning it lands. This beats anything online for tiradito/ceviche.

Cross-recipe: tiradito-pargo-leche-de-tigre (proposed UMAMI-2), alternate to branzino/dorada in whole-fish-kamado ✅.

3. Ají Amarillo (paste, pepper, powder)

Depth: A (→ tiradito; extensible to mojos, sauces, ceviche variations)

What to know: The Peruvian yellow chile (Capsicum baccatum). Medium heat (30k-50k Scoville), fruity and floral. Hard to source fresh outside Peru; paste is the gold-standard US form. Avoid dried powders — they lose the fruit. Look for brands that list only chile + oil + salt (no seed oils, no preservatives).

🏬 TIER 1 — Easy Local

Kimchi Mart / Hanna & Tiger's Asian Mart — Inca's Food brand paste, reliable baseline. ⚪ curated.
Publix (Sabor line) — Gourmet brand ají amarillo paste occasionally. ⚪ curated.
El Rey Del Pollo (Little Havana) — bulk paste from Peruvian importers.

🌐 TIER 2 — Excellent Online

🏆 Amigo Foods — Inca's Food Ají Amarillo Paste 7.5 oz — amigofoods.com · the chef-default US retail brand. ⚪ curated.
Amazon — Doña Isabel Ají Amarillo Paste — slightly cleaner label (chile, water, salt only). ⚪ curated.
Zamouri Spices — Ají Amarillo Powder — for dry-rubs / mojo powder applications.

👑 TIER 3 — Top Shelf

Direct-from-Peru frozen ají amarillo paste (artisan) — through Peruvian specialty importers; hard to access at retail. For the Andean-cuisine deep-dive only.
Fresh ají amarillo peppers — ⚠️ essentially impossible in US retail. Order seeds from Pepper Joe's or Baker Creek and grow (~90 days to pod).

Cross-recipe: tiradito-pargo-leche-de-tigre (proposed UMAMI-2). Extensible to mojos-canarios ✅ as a fusion variant and aguachile-verde ✅ as a heat-layer.

4. Merluza (hake) and Cocochas (hake cheeks)

Depth: A (→ merluza-en-salsa-verde, cocochas-pil-pil — core Basque recipes)

What to know: Merluza = European hake (Merluccius merluccius), the Basque fish. US equivalent is Pacific hake (M. productus) or white hake (Urophycis tenuis, Atlantic). Flesh is flaky-tender, mild, takes sauce beautifully. Cocochas = the throat/chin piece behind the jaw — gelatin-rich, translucent, the pil-pil emulsification engine. A pound of cocochas requires ~50 fish and is a luxury item even in Spain.

🏬 TIER 1 — Easy Local

Captain's Tavern — Atlantic white hake (fresh when running) + Pacific frozen.
Casablanca Seafood — occasional fresh hake; call ahead.
Whole Foods Brickell — frozen Pacific hake reliable.

🌐 TIER 2 — Excellent Online

🏆 Despaña Brand Foods — despanabrandfoods.com · imported Spanish hake fillets + conservas cocochas (vacuum-packed in olive oil). ⚪ curated. Best US bet for Spanish-style preparation.
La Tienda — merluza conservas (canned in olive oil) + occasional frozen fillet. ⚪ curated.
Marky's — frozen Spanish hake + cocochas-in-oil when in stock. ⚪ curated.

👑 TIER 3 — Top Shelf

🏆 Basque-direct fresh cocochas (via restaurant channel or specialty Spanish importer) — ⚠️ essentially no direct-to-consumer US retail. Kokotxas de merluza fresh is a restaurant/private-import product. The best US proxy is Pacific hake throats from a whole-fish order at Captain's Tavern — ask them to save the cocochas when butchering a hake.
Frozen Basque cocochas — occasionally available via basquechef.com or direct Spanish distributors in restaurant pack sizes.

Cross-recipe: merluza-en-salsa-verde (proposed UMAMI-4), cocochas-al-pil-pil (proposed UMAMI-4). Also reinforces salsa-verde-basque ✅ (sauce foundation).

5. Squid Ink (tinta de calamar)

Depth: A (→ arròs negre, chipirones en su tinta, salsa brava negra)

What to know: Most shopped-for "squid ink" is actually cuttlefish ink — it's the available form and works identically. Spanish and Italian packets (Nortindal, La Tienda-branded) are 4-8g sachets of pure ink. For real depth use multiple sachets per dish (4-6 g per serving is conservative). Ink from a whole squid you clean yourself has the freshest aroma but tiny yield.

🏬 TIER 1 — Easy Local

Publix Sabor section — Goya squid ink packets (4 g) — baseline, works. ~$3/sachet.
La Jamoteca — Spanish squid/cuttlefish ink (various brands). ⚪ curated.
Whole Foods Brickell — imported Spanish/Italian ink when in stock.

🌐 TIER 2 — Excellent Online

🏆 Amazon / Despaña — Nortindal Cuttlefish Ink 500g pouch — the bulk answer for pros/serious home cooks · ⚪ curated. Default for arròs negre programs.
La Tienda — Cuttlefish Ink 4-pack sachets — 4 × 4 g. Reliable. ⚪ curated.
Market Hall Foods — imported Italian squid ink (Coralba) in small bottles. ⚪ curated.

👑 TIER 3 — Top Shelf

Fresh ink from whole cuttlefish (sepia) you clean yourself — Casablanca or Captain's Tavern can order whole cuttlefish. Harvest your own ink sac. This is the single-night-only top-tier answer for a dish where the ink defines the plate.

Cross-recipe: arròs-negre (proposed UMAMI-11), chipirones-en-su-tinta (proposed UMAMI-4), salsa-brava-negra (proposed UMAMI-9 — the March 8 cook sauce). Connects to paella-valenciana ✅ and fideuà ✅ as the dark-rice cousins.

6. Entraña / Hanger Steak / Onglet

Depth: B (→ entraña-a-la-plancha)

What to know: One of two "hanger" muscles per steer (the other is skirt/vacío). Mineral, beefy, tender when cut across the grain. Argentina's entraña and France's onglet are the same cut. Medium-rare max — past medium it toughens. One hanger feeds 3-4 people.

🏬 TIER 1 — Easy Local

Meat N' Bone — meatnbone.com · hanger steak reliable · ✅ owner-verified vendor. Default Tier 1.
Whole Foods Brickell — inconsistent stock; ask butcher. ⚪ curated.
The Butchery (Coral Gables) — when in stock, excellent quality. ⚪ curated.

🌐 TIER 2 — Excellent Online

🏆 Porter Road — porterroad.com · Nashville pasture-raised · hanger reliable · ⚪ curated.
Crowd Cow — ranch-direct · occasional hanger · ⚪ curated.
D'Artagnan — grass-fed hanger · ✅ vendor confirmed elsewhere in atlas.

👑 TIER 3 — Top Shelf

Diego's farm-direct grass-fed hanger — the dinner-party regular Diego (MEMORY.md) supplies farm beef for the Briland trip. Hanger from a known farm beats mass-market every time. ✅ connection.
Aged Black Angus hanger (28-day dry-aged) — Meat N' Bone dry-aging program; ask specifically for dry-aged hanger.

Cross-recipe: entraña-a-la-plancha-chimichurri (proposed UMAMI-4). Connects to perfect-sous-vide-steak ✅ and chuleton-reverse-sear ✅ as the fast-cook hanger complement to slow-SV/reverse-sear.

7. Chimichurri (chile-herb verde)

Depth: A (→ entraña, extensible to all grilled proteins)

What to know: Argentine table sauce. Parsley + garlic + oregano + red-wine vinegar + olive oil + red-pepper flakes. "Rojo" adds pimentón/ají molido; "verde" is the classical. Best rested ≥1 h for flavor integration; holds 5 days refrigerated. This is an identity sauce: sauces on the side, guest builds the bite.

Sourcing: Pantry-only. Core ingredients covered in files 11-oils-vinegars.md (EVOO + red-wine vinegar), 08-produce-vegetables.md (parsley + garlic), 12-salts-spices-seasonings.md (Mexican oregano, pimentón, red-pepper flakes).

Cross-recipe: entraña-a-la-plancha (proposed UMAMI-4), optional adjunct to chuleton-reverse-sear ✅, kamado-pizza ✅ drizzle, whole-fish-kamado ✅ table sauce.

8. Suckling Pig (cochinillo · lechón)

Depth: A (→ cochinillo-al-carbon — existing stub)

What to know: Traditional Segovia preparation uses a 21-day-old milk-fed piglet (4-6 kg). Skin blisters from fat render + radiant oven heat; at Cándido in Segovia it's carved with a plate to prove tenderness. US suckling pig is typically 15-25 lb dressed, usually 4-8 weeks old (larger than classical Spanish). Smaller is better for skin texture.

🏬 TIER 1 — Easy Local

Lechón Rey / Ñ Café / La Camaronera — Cuban lechón asadores with 25-40 lb pigs for events. Not classical cochinillo size. ⚠️ Call for order.
Publix butcher counter — can special-order whole pig (usually 30-50 lb). ⚠️ Too large for classical cochinillo.
Chinese markets (Chinatown Plaza Dolphin Mall area) — suckling pig for Chinese roast — asian preparation but the raw material is usable. ⚪ curated.

🌐 TIER 2 — Excellent Online

🏆 D'Artagnan — Whole Suckling Pig — dartagnan.com · typically 16-22 lb · frozen shipping overnight · ✅ owner-verified vendor (MEMORY.md: "heritage lamb, cochinillo, secreto, Moulard magret"). Default Tier 2 answer.
Heritage Foods USA — heritagefoods.com · heritage-breed suckling pig · ⚪ curated.
Meat N' Bone — Miami-local; occasional suckling pig · call (877) 448-6328 · ✅ owner-verified vendor.

👑 TIER 3 — Top Shelf

🏆 Real Segovia-style 21-day milk-fed Ibérico piglet — ⚠️ No US import. The closest approximation is a D'Artagnan 16 lb Berkshire × Tamworth cross (2-3 weeks older than Segovia classical).
Farm-direct heritage breed (Mangalica, Red Wattle, Ossabaw) — via small-farm networks (GrassRoots Coop, etc.). ~$400-700 for a 20 lb dressed pig.

Cross-recipe: cochinillo-al-carbon (proposed UMAMI-6, absorbs existing stub). Connects to iberico-secreto-kamado ✅ (Ibérico-pork family) and pimenton-porchetta ✅ (oven-roast-pork family).

9. Milk-Fed Lamb (cordero lechal · cordero lechazo)

Depth: A (→ cordero-lechal-asado — existing stub; lechazo-castellano — proposed)

What to know: Lechal = ≤30 days, nursed only, ≤5.5 kg (Castilian tradition). Lechazo = ≤35 days, ≤8 kg (Tierra de Burgos IGP). Ternasco = 70-80 days, Aragón DOP (already in atlas). True lechal is not commercially imported to the US; the closest approximation is an Elysian Fields (Pure Bred Lamb) "baby lamb" 4-6 week at 5-7 kg — slightly older than Spanish lechal but the only real path.

🏬 TIER 1 — Easy Local

⚠️ Not available in Miami retail at lechal/lechazo age. Call Ernie's Meat Market (Hialeah) or The Golden Hog for special-order baby lamb; specify age ≤6 weeks.

🌐 TIER 2 — Excellent Online

🏆 Pure Bred Lamb (Elysian Fields) — Young Lamb Whole — purebredlamb.com · call for "baby lamb" or "hothouse lamb" 4-6 week, 6-10 lb dressed · ✅ owner-verified vendor. Default Tier 2 answer for the lechal approximation.
D'Artagnan — Milk-Fed Baby Lamb — dartagnan.com · seasonal Easter window (March-April) · ✅ vendor confirmed.
Heritage Foods USA — heritage-breed young lamb seasonally · ⚪ curated.
Border Springs Farm — Baby Lamb — hothouse lamb program (Virginia heritage) · ✅ vendor confirmed.

👑 TIER 3 — Top Shelf

🏆 True Castilian lechal (Cordero Lechal IGP Castilla y León) — ⚠️ No consistent US retail import. The closest US path is a Pure Bred Lamb "hothouse" lamb at 4-5 week delivered frozen. Check with La Tienda holiday pre-orders (Easter window) for occasional whole-lechazo imports.
Lechazo de Burgos IGP — same import constraint as lechal. Restaurant channel only.

Cross-recipe: cordero-lechal-asado-castellano (proposed UMAMI-7, absorbs existing stub), lechazo-castellano (proposed UMAMI-7). Connects to lamb-leg-sv-kamado ✅ as the whole-animal roast counterpart to the SV-leg precision play.

10. Tangzhong / Milk Bread (Hokkaido-style)

Depth: B (→ hokkaido-milk-bread-tangzhong)

What to know: Tangzhong is a Japanese roux-preferment: flour cooked in water/milk to 65 °C (starch gelatinization) then cooled and folded into the final dough. Effect: 20-40% more water locked into the crumb, softer/fluffier result that stays fresh 3-4 days (vs 1-2 for regular enriched breads). The technique is Japanese-by-way-of-Taiwan (Yvonne Chen, "65 °C Tangzhong"). The same principle as yudane (Japan's original version, from ≤20 % of the flour pre-scalded).

Sourcing: Pantry-only. Bread flour (≥12% protein) → file 10-grains-legumes-flours.md. Whole milk + heavy cream → file 07-dairy-cheese.md. Japanese-adjacent ingredient: look for Hokkaido "Haruyutaka" bread flour at Momi Market for a summit-tier version. King Arthur Bread Flour is the reliable Tier 1 default.

Cross-recipe: hokkaido-milk-bread-tangzhong (proposed UMAMI-10). Connects to master-sourdough-loaf ✅ (yeasted/sourdough spectrum), focaccia-sheet-pan ✅ (enriched-bread family), and all Japanese-adjacent dishes for a bread course that ties a Spanish-Japanese menu together.

11. Alubias de Tolosa

Depth: A (→ alubias-de-tolosa-con-berza-morcilla)

What to know: Small shiny-black Basque bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), Tolosa DOP (Gipuzkoa). Thin skin, creamy interior, cooks to a deep purple-black broth. The classical preparation is alubias rojas/negras de Tolosa con sus sacramentos (beans + berza cabbage + morcilla + piparras) — the Basque winter counterpart to Asturian fabada. Never add acid (tomato, vinegar) while cooking — it seizes the skin.

🏬 TIER 1 — Easy Local

La Jamoteca — Basque-imported alubias de Tolosa when stocked. ⚪ curated. Primary Tier 1.
Whole Foods / Publix — substitute with dried black turtle beans (closest texture approximation; not Tolosa-DOP but works for non-Basque crowd).

🌐 TIER 2 — Excellent Online

🏆 La Tienda — Alubias Negras de Tolosa (Casa Iturrieta / Tierrienda) — tienda.com search "alubias Tolosa" · DOP-origin Basque · ⚪ curated. Default Tier 2.
Despaña Brand Foods — Basque-imported alubias · ⚪ curated.

👑 TIER 3 — Top Shelf

Direct-from-Tolosa small-producer alubias — via Basque cooperatives; restaurant channel. Marginal improvement over Casa Iturrieta DOP.
Casa Bartuelo-tier Asturian substitution — for a crossover menu, use DOP fabes-verdinas in place of alubias; different dish but same bean-quality philosophy.

Cross-recipe: alubias-de-tolosa-con-berza-morcilla (proposed UMAMI-11). Completes the Spanish-bean-trilogy: fabada-asturiana ✅ (Asturian) + lentejas-estofadas ✅ (Castilian-standard) + alubias-tolosa (Basque).

12. Fish Sauce (for garum + Thai-fusion applications)

Depth: B (→ garum-moderno-koji-method)

What to know: Industrial Asian fish sauce (Red Boat, Megachef) is the reference. Garum is the Roman/Japanese koji-driven version — slower, more umami-complex, less briny. For the proposed garum-moderno recipe, we ferment our own over 10 weeks. But we also want a Tier 2 reference bottle for comparison + emergency use.

🏬 TIER 1 — Easy Local

🏆 Whole Foods Brickell / Coral Gables — Red Boat 40°N Fish Sauce — chef-default · ~$8/8 oz · ⚪ curated. Default Tier 1.
Kimchi Mart / Hanna & Tiger's Asian Mart — Megachef, Three Crabs, Squid brand; chef options available.
Momi Market — Japanese shottsuru (fish sauce) + ishiru (squid fish sauce) occasionally — the Japanese cognates.

🌐 TIER 2 — Excellent Online

🏆 Red Boat 50°N (premium, first-press equivalent) — redboatfishsauce.com · the summit of Vietnamese anchovy sauce · ⚪ curated.
Megachef Premium — Thai reference; ⚪ curated.
The Japanese Pantry — Shottsuru (Akita fish sauce) — Japanese equivalent, ⚪ curated.

👑 TIER 3 — Top Shelf

🏆 the Nordic foraging-school Projects — Smoked Mushroom Garum — nomaprojects.com · the direct lineage of the koji-garum we're building · ⚪ curated. This is the calibration bottle — taste it before making the recipe.
Iio Jozo Beef Garum (when available) — Kyoto's 120-year vinegar house, produces small-batch garum projects occasionally. ⚠️ rare.
Direct-from-Cadiz garum (Roman-revival) — Flor de Garum (Cádiz, Spain) produces Roman-formula garum. ⚠️ no US retail; Spain-direct only.

Cross-recipe: garum-moderno-koji-method (proposed UMAMI-8). Connects to shio-koji ✅ (same koji-enzymatic family), fermented-hot-sauce ✅ (lacto-ferment family), kimchi-gateway-ferment ✅ (ferment ladder).

Patch Summary — What Changed

New sourcing entries added to address recipe-driven gaps:

Shiso — hamachi, aceite verde, tiradito, tuna tartare
Pargo (red snapper) — tiradito, whole-fish alt
Ají amarillo — tiradito, aguachile variant, mojo variant
Merluza + cocochas — Basque salsa verde + pil-pil
Squid ink — arròs negre, chipirones, salsa brava negra
Entraña (hanger) — a-la-plancha recipe
Chimichurri — pantry entry + cross-recipe map
Suckling pig (cochinillo) — absorbs existing stub
Milk-fed lamb (lechal/lechazo) — absorbs existing stub
Tangzhong/milk bread — Hokkaido bread entry
Alubias de Tolosa — completes Spanish bean trilogy
Fish sauce + garum — garum recipe foundation

Also flagged for main-atlas absorption on next refresh. All entries follow the 3-tier framework from PROCESS.md.