Playing with fruit
My latest experiment in molecular gastronomy had to do with carbonation. In the past, I've played with mixology and carbonating vodka, gin, absinthe, and other liquors, as well as the traditional seltzer water. I've read about carbonating sferes and other items. Based on an article on kymos.org, I decided to throw my two cents into the realm of carbonating fruit.
That's right -- fruit.
The result -- simply amazing. It is innocuous, it looks like normal fruit, it feels like normal fruit when you put it on your tongue, but when you bite the fruit, there is a sensation. It is hard to describe, but fun comes to mind. It tingles on your tongue. At first it is just a localized tingling sensation (almost burning - it is very concentrated), then the taste starts to some across. Some have speculated that the aeration of the taste enhances the fruit flavor, I'm not sure, but it sure takes a mundane experience and makes you smile.
The fruit is memorable. We've tried a few different combinations and I have suggestions to those who want to give it a shot. One -- the more dense the fruit the more carbonation is retained. Apples are a porous fruit, where peaches have a denser and moister flesh. Apples hold the carbonation for 10 minutes, but the amount of carbonation diminishes as it is exposed to normal atmospheric conditions. Peaches hold the high carbonation levels for twenty to thirty minutes. This is very nice, you can discharge the canister before company arrives without blowing the surprise.
Fruit with rinds reacted differently to the pressure changes. I peeled the apples and peaches, but I left the skins on the cherries and pummelos. This was an interesting experiment. The cherries cell walls burst when the pressure was released and the juice extracted from the flesh foamed in the isi gourmet whip. The cherries were delicious and fizzy, but we also had a light cherry foam to use a sauce with the mango sorbet.
OK -- to carbonate fruit --
1. get an isi Gourmet Whip
2. cut fruit and put it in.
3. charge whip with 2 C02 cartridges
4. let sit for at least 4 hours.
5. discharge whip SLOWLY.
6. serve.
It is so easy, the wife loved them, the little chef devoured as many as he could get his hands on, and I kept eating them and smiling. When is the last time you smiled after eating a small piece of peach or apple? At 60 cents a charge, this is an amazing way to add some zip to an everyday item that people don't get excited about.
Now on to the real challange -- what would happen if you carbonated fish? Horrible horrible idea, or would marinated tuna tar tar (ginger, soy, lime, tabasco) with carbonation be reminiscent of a ginger-ale? How about ceviche? Is this something I should avoid, or would it be an interesting experiment?
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I quite don't understand....you put cut pieces in the canister, let it sit and discharge it. Does the fruit pieces stay inside the canister and get carbonated?