Recently in Molecular Gastronomy Category
Due to some domain issues, my website went down the day before the big reveal. SO verry sorry.
Each month the Daring Cooks take on a challenging new recipe to test out abilities and comfort zones. I was granted the honor of hosting the July challenge. I opted to go for one of my own culinary passions - Molecular Cuisine. Many people are afraid to even broach the subject in the kitchen, or have decided they don't like the cooking style - having never attempted or tried the resulting food.
I chose something that would introduce the Daring Cooks to the style of cooking without requiring expensive tools or exotic ingredients (no chemicals required). An oven or microwave would prepare most of the ingredients. All you needed that was 'different' - a coffee/herb grinder, or a morter and pestle.
For July, I delved into a fascinating cookbook and pulled out Skate - Traditional Flavors Powdered. This is a dish from Grant Achatz, found in the Alinea cookbook
- page 230.I feel this is a good introduction to Molecular Cuisine. Just a little work and you can make this, the techniques are not very hard and only require a few tools.
Onto the recipe:
Powders - prepare ahead of time
caper / onion
lemon powder
cilantro/parsley powder
'brown butter' powder
Powders once dried, all powders should be pulsed in a coffee grinder/spice mill/morter and pestle then passed through a chinois or fine mesh strainer.
Citrus powder
300g lemons
1000g simple syrup
5g citric acid/vitamin c tablet
Zest 300g of lemons (10.6 oz), remove the pith from the zest and poach in the simple syrup three times. dry with paper towels and move to a dehydrating tray. 130 for 12 hours. pulse the zest in a coffee grinder, pass through chinois, and mix with citric acid/vitamin C powder. If you do not have a dehydrator, place in microwave for 8 to 10 minutes at medium powder. Once dried, follow the other instructions.
Cilantro/parsley powder
150g cilantro
150g parsley
Blanch the parsley in boiling saltwater for 1 second, submerge the leaves in ice water for 3 minutes. Dry on paper towels and place on dehydrator tray. 130 for 12 hours. grind and pass through chinois. If you do not have a dehydrator, place in microwave for 30 seconds, turn over leaves and microwave for another thirty seconds. They should be dry by now, pulse in coffee grinder, pass through chinois and reserve.
Onion powder
100g cup minced red onions
dehydrate - 130 for 12 hours microwave at medium power for 20 minutes. pulse in grinder, pass through chinois
Caper powder
200g capers (get the ones packed in brine/vinegar)
Run the capers under cold water for two minutes to remove some of the brine. dry on paper towels and dehydrate for 12 hours at 130 degrees. microwave instructions are unclear. Dry them as much a possible with paper towels, the microwave on medium for 1 minute. Check the moisture content and stir them. repeat for 30 second intervals until they are dry. If you use this method, pleas post the time needed to dry the capers. Once dry, pulse and sift the powder. Mix it with the onion powder.
Brown Butter powder
100g Dried banana chips (unsweetened if possible - many are coated in honey - the freeze dried ones would be brilliant)
300g spray dried cream powder
If you cannot find the cream powder, you can substitute Bob's red mill non fat dry milk powder, or even carnation instant milk powder. The substitutions will alter the flavor a little, but you will still get the general idea. preheat the oven to 350 degrees, sift the cream powder into a fine layer on a silpat or on parchment. bake for 4 minutes, then remove for heat. If it bakes for too long, it will burn.
Be very cautious with all powders in the oven. They all go from browned to burnt in a few seconds. grind the banana chips in a coffee grinder and mix with the toasted cream powder. Pass this through a chinois and reserve.
* For green beans, slice each beans into very thin rounds (2 mm)
* Beurre Monte - 454g butter (4 sticks, 1 pound) cubed and cold, 60g water. In a small saucepan, bring the water to a boil, remove from heat and whisk in the butter 1 cube at a time. This should from an emulsion. Keep this heated, but under 195 degrees. The emulsion will not break - this is your poaching liquid.
Skate
Prepare the skate - 50G v shaped cuts are recommended Bring 100g water, 100g beurre monte, and green bean rounds to a boil over high heat. Cook until the water has evaporated (about 3 minutes), when the pan is almost dry, remove it from heat and season with 3g salt.
Bring 300g water and 300g beurre monte to simmer over medium heat, add skate wings and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove the pan from heat and flip the wing over and let rest in pan for two more minutes. Transfer to warming tray lined with parchment and season with 5 grams of fine sea salt.
Plating
Take the tip of a small spoon and make a small mound of the citrus powder, the onion-caper powder, and the cilantro parsley-powder. Swirl these around in a hurricane type pattern. I found that it is easier, and you get finer lines if you lightly shake the plate to flatten out the mounds, then swirl the spoon through it to get the pattern.
Peel the remaining banana into very think slices (3mm) fan three slices on the plate, place green beans on top and place skate wing portion on top. On the tall edge, sprinkle the brown butter powder.
Each month the Daring Cooks take on a challenging new recipe to test out abilities and comfort zones. I was granted the honor of hosting the July challenge. I opted to go for one of my own culinary passions - Molecular Cuisine. Many people are afraid to even broach the subject in the kitchen, or have decided they don't like the cooking style - having never attempted or tried the resulting food.
I chose something that would introduce the Daring Cooks to the style of cooking without requiring expensive tools or exotic ingredients (no chemicals required). An oven or microwave would prepare most of the ingredients. All you needed that was 'different' - a coffee/herb grinder, or a morter and pestle.
For July, I delved into a fascinating cookbook and pulled out Skate - Traditional Flavors Powdered. This is a dish from Grant Achatz, found in the Alinea cookbook
- page 230.I feel this is a good introduction to Molecular Cuisine. Just a little work and you can make this, the techniques are not very hard and only require a few tools.
Onto the recipe:Skate, Traditional Flavors Powdered - with changes
- 4 skate wings
- * Beurre monte
- * 300g fresh green beans
- sea salt/kosher salt
- 1 banana
- 454g butter - 4 sticks
- 300g lemons
- 5g citric acid/vitamin c tablet
- 150g cilantro
- 150g parsley
- 100g dried banana chips
- 300g spray dried cream powder (or powdered milk)
- 100g cup minced red onion
- 200g capers (brined, not in oil)
Powders - prepare ahead of time
caper / onion
lemon powder
cilantro/parsley powder
'brown butter' powder
Powders once dried, all powders should be pulsed in a coffee grinder/spice mill/morter and pestle then passed through a chinois or fine mesh strainer.
Citrus powder
300g lemons
1000g simple syrup
5g citric acid/vitamin c tablet
Zest 300g of lemons (10.6 oz), remove the pith from the zest and poach in the simple syrup three times. dry with paper towels and move to a dehydrating tray. 130 for 12 hours. pulse the zest in a coffee grinder, pass through chinois, and mix with citric acid/vitamin C powder. If you do not have a dehydrator, place in microwave for 8 to 10 minutes at medium powder. Once dried, follow the other instructions.
Cilantro/parsley powder
150g cilantro
150g parsley
Blanch the parsley in boiling saltwater for 1 second, submerge the leaves in ice water for 3 minutes. Dry on paper towels and place on dehydrator tray. 130 for 12 hours. grind and pass through chinois. If you do not have a dehydrator, place in microwave for 30 seconds, turn over leaves and microwave for another thirty seconds. They should be dry by now, pulse in coffee grinder, pass through chinois and reserve.
Onion powder
100g cup minced red onions
dehydrate - 130 for 12 hours microwave at medium power for 20 minutes. pulse in grinder, pass through chinois
Caper powder
200g capers (get the ones packed in brine/vinegar)
Run the capers under cold water for two minutes to remove some of the brine. dry on paper towels and dehydrate for 12 hours at 130 degrees. microwave instructions are unclear. Dry them as much a possible with paper towels, the microwave on medium for 1 minute. Check the moisture content and stir them. repeat for 30 second intervals until they are dry. If you use this method, pleas post the time needed to dry the capers. Once dry, pulse and sift the powder. Mix it with the onion powder.
Brown Butter powder
100g Dried banana chips (unsweetened if possible - many are coated in honey - the freeze dried ones would be brilliant)
300g spray dried cream powder
If you cannot find the cream powder, you can substitute Bob's red mill non fat dry milk powder, or even carnation instant milk powder. The substitutions will alter the flavor a little, but you will still get the general idea. preheat the oven to 350 degrees, sift the cream powder into a fine layer on a silpat or on parchment. bake for 4 minutes, then remove for heat. If it bakes for too long, it will burn.
Be very cautious with all powders in the oven. They all go from browned to burnt in a few seconds. grind the banana chips in a coffee grinder and mix with the toasted cream powder. Pass this through a chinois and reserve.
* For green beans, slice each beans into very thin rounds (2 mm)
* Beurre Monte - 454g butter (4 sticks, 1 pound) cubed and cold, 60g water. In a small saucepan, bring the water to a boil, remove from heat and whisk in the butter 1 cube at a time. This should from an emulsion. Keep this heated, but under 195 degrees. The emulsion will not break - this is your poaching liquid.
Skate
Prepare the skate - 50G v shaped cuts are recommended Bring 100g water, 100g beurre monte, and green bean rounds to a boil over high heat. Cook until the water has evaporated (about 3 minutes), when the pan is almost dry, remove it from heat and season with 3g salt.
Bring 300g water and 300g beurre monte to simmer over medium heat, add skate wings and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove the pan from heat and flip the wing over and let rest in pan for two more minutes. Transfer to warming tray lined with parchment and season with 5 grams of fine sea salt.
Plating
Take the tip of a small spoon and make a small mound of the citrus powder, the onion-caper powder, and the cilantro parsley-powder. Swirl these around in a hurricane type pattern. I found that it is easier, and you get finer lines if you lightly shake the plate to flatten out the mounds, then swirl the spoon through it to get the pattern.
Peel the remaining banana into very think slices (3mm) fan three slices on the plate, place green beans on top and place skate wing portion on top. On the tall edge, sprinkle the brown butter powder.
Continue reading Late for my own party - Daring Cooks July.
Running blindly with a pouch of Activa RM (provided by Veronica), I took a stab into the world of Transglutaminase (meat glue)! It has no flavor, but allows you to do things that would be close to impossible to do otherwise. After the enzymes have bonded the two proteins together, you have a sturdy single piece of protein to work with. One practical use is to bind two tenderloins together - this way, you don't have to deal with small tail portions. Everything can e uniform. Then you could use the 'glue' to bind a slice of bacon around each cut tenderloin. The bacon will not fall apart or unravel when cooking. But who said anything about practical - I want to experiment!
First up - Sketchy's attempt at chicken balls (gotta find a better name):
These were great -- they were crispy on the outside, and very juicy on the inside. I served them with asparagus tips, potatoes, and a reduction of potato and fresh roasted vegetable and chicken stock. We both really liked this, it will probably been seen again in our household.
Next up is the mythical dragonscale fish. OK -- it should be mythical - it was so good.
I took some cod, layered two on top of each-other, and bound them with the Activa. Next, I took thinly sliced spicy chorizo and wrapped the fish in the sausage (each slice brushed with Activa to promote the creation of a skin of chorizo). This was tightly wrapped and allowed to set up for overnight in the refrigerator. the next day, I pan seared the top and bottom, then tossed it in the convection oven until the fish was cooked.
The fish was unbelievably moist. The Activa bonded the sausage to the fish and created a kind of skin. This held in the moisture when it cooked in the dry heat. The fish had a great texture, and the addition of the chorizo flavor added so much flavor to the normally bland cod. I call it dragonscale because the layered effect of the chorizo makes it look like scales. They exposed parts of the chorizo were crunchy, while the covered parts were perfect.
I served this with an olive and tomato tapenade, honey glazed spicy carrots and red peppers, and a celery and cumin salad. The spanish flavors exploded from this dish, and the fish was simply amazing. This will definitely be making another appearance. Perhaps at a certain bbq taking place this month. Adding some smoked flavor to this would be amazing. I think I will have the guys at Belmont Butchery slice the chorizo for me, that will give me uniform thin slices and save me a TON of time cutting it with a knife.
What's next? Perhaps hammering some chicken pasta-thin and making ravioli with an unbroken egg yolks.
Someone posed this question to me today:
My wife and I watched Decoding Ferran Adria:Hosted by Anthony Bourdain a few days ago. This was an insightful look into the mind, kitchen, and lab of the world's leading molecular gastronomist, and still reigning holder of the title of the worlds best restaurant. It was a fascinating video behind the process of the dishes they prepare at elBulli, but it also explains the world of MG in a way that can be absorbed by they television watching public.
When trying to explain my fascination behind MG, I often need to explain the concepts behind it. Most people think it's about foams, sferes, gells, and chemicals. Well, that is partially right, but the part they fail to see is the science part. The priceless work of Harold McGee, Herve This, and other scientists and chefs. McGee and This have spent years finding out why things work the way they do. Why does food brown when seared, why does acid break certain sauces, why do eggs whip, what is a hydrocolloids and how do they work?
For the average home chef, you never think about why whipped egg whites form stiff peaks, or why flour sauces thicken when they cool. You just follow the recipes and hope for the best. This is one area I find so interesting. Once you understand the mechanics behind the chemical bonds, proteins, and emulsifications, you can take that knowledge to the experimental side. This is the other side of Molecular Gastronomy. I prefer to think of this as the application of the knowledge gained from the research.
There are many facets to this side of cooking. Some are considered standard techniques, some are considered exotic and radical. A few days ago I made a tomato consommé. The traditional consommé involves egg whites, rafting, and other steps. The MG solution involves a few grams of sheet gelatin, a coffee filter, and time. It was cheaper ingredient wise, and you get a purer flavor in the end. Gelatin filtration was discovered in 2004, and is still relatively unknown to the home cook. You can use this technique for anything, and you get a clear liquid from whatever you use. Fruit, stock, vegetables, bread, cookies - the gelatin will hold all the particulate matter, so all you end up with is clear liquid.
Most people only see the foams and caviar side of molecular gastronomy. Every now and then you have someone who is making ice-cream with liquid nitrogen. I want to explore those aspects of MG, but I also want to try the things people aren't familiar with. I want to do this for a few reasons. I want to know more about the ingredients and how they work, but I also want to be able to surprise company with things they are familiar with, but served in a totally foreign way. Is the taste any better - in the case of caviar and ravioli - no, it tastes the same. Is the experience different - yes. Most people find these experiences enjoyable, where the traditional experience is just eating.
In this quest for knowledge, I have come across ways to make dishes I have made before even better. Parmesan crisps - melt the cheese on a silpat, then form when it is still warm. when it dries, you have a lacy crisp. Well, I have a recent post about a new way to make these. The addition of egg white makes a much more refined crisp. It is lighter and more delicate. The egg white acts as a binding agent for the cheese and allows it to be manipulated in a way that straight cheese will not allow.
Currently, I have two pouches of Activa (transglutamase) taunting me at home. One is the powder form, the other should be used as a slurry. This chemical has large purposes in the industrial food industry, and has been used for a few years in a few restaurants. It is meat glue. It is used in every chicken nugget, formed meat patty, and in many vegetarian dishes. The enzyme binds meat proteins together and forms a permanent bond. The real challenge is to find an interesting application, with regard for cook times. You could bond a chicken breast to a NY strip steak, but the cooking temperatures will not jive together. You'd end up with cooked chicken and overcooked beef.
This is the fun challenge with the application molecular gastronomy. Finding ways to execute dishes that taste good, while using these new techniques. Some may ask - why not cook it like you've always cooked it. Some people may not like change, but I love change. There's a place for everything, but there's no harm in trying something new. What happens if I add some dehydrated orange powder to my meat rub? Will the added sugars in the orange powder assist the Maillard reaction on the pork, or will it add an off flavor? If it creates a nice flavorful brown crust, I might have discovered a new ingredient to include in all my meat rubs.
I keep track of all my kitchen adventures on this blog, and in a little black leather book next to the kitchen computer. Each time I try an elBulli recipe, I write notes on what worked, what didn't work, and what I added/took away from the recipe. I've tried more then a handful of marshmallow recipes. Some with egg whites, some without, some with sheet gelatin, some with powdered gelatin. Different ratios of sugar, egg white, gelatin, water, juice, extracts, etc. When I take these recipes and the knowledge I have acquired from reading about the molecular bonds that are formed, and the chemical reactions that take place as the ingredients combine and cook, I have come up with a foolproof recipe that I can call my own and be proud of.
When I give my people my marshmallows, I typically get this one reaction: Oh WOW.....mmmmm... I don't think I can eat store bought marshmallows ever again.
See if you can get a hold of Decoding Ferran Adria. It is a great way to get a little knowledge behind the true concept of Molecular Gastronomy.
Molecular Gastronomy? Why? Why!? WHY!?!?! It just seems so ridiculous and over the top for no reason except shock value to me.I think this attitude comes from a misunderstanding about the whole concept of Molecular Gastronomy. Most of the general public's only exposure to molecular gastronomy comes from Top Chef and Iron Chef America. You have people like Marcel using foams on every dish, and chefs making monstrosities of dishes on Iron Chef. Hell, Anthony Bourdain thought this way - it's all for show, useless for the cooking world. Well, that was until he spent some time with Ferran Adria.
My wife and I watched Decoding Ferran Adria:Hosted by Anthony Bourdain a few days ago. This was an insightful look into the mind, kitchen, and lab of the world's leading molecular gastronomist, and still reigning holder of the title of the worlds best restaurant. It was a fascinating video behind the process of the dishes they prepare at elBulli, but it also explains the world of MG in a way that can be absorbed by they television watching public.
When trying to explain my fascination behind MG, I often need to explain the concepts behind it. Most people think it's about foams, sferes, gells, and chemicals. Well, that is partially right, but the part they fail to see is the science part. The priceless work of Harold McGee, Herve This, and other scientists and chefs. McGee and This have spent years finding out why things work the way they do. Why does food brown when seared, why does acid break certain sauces, why do eggs whip, what is a hydrocolloids and how do they work?
For the average home chef, you never think about why whipped egg whites form stiff peaks, or why flour sauces thicken when they cool. You just follow the recipes and hope for the best. This is one area I find so interesting. Once you understand the mechanics behind the chemical bonds, proteins, and emulsifications, you can take that knowledge to the experimental side. This is the other side of Molecular Gastronomy. I prefer to think of this as the application of the knowledge gained from the research.
There are many facets to this side of cooking. Some are considered standard techniques, some are considered exotic and radical. A few days ago I made a tomato consommé. The traditional consommé involves egg whites, rafting, and other steps. The MG solution involves a few grams of sheet gelatin, a coffee filter, and time. It was cheaper ingredient wise, and you get a purer flavor in the end. Gelatin filtration was discovered in 2004, and is still relatively unknown to the home cook. You can use this technique for anything, and you get a clear liquid from whatever you use. Fruit, stock, vegetables, bread, cookies - the gelatin will hold all the particulate matter, so all you end up with is clear liquid.
Most people only see the foams and caviar side of molecular gastronomy. Every now and then you have someone who is making ice-cream with liquid nitrogen. I want to explore those aspects of MG, but I also want to try the things people aren't familiar with. I want to do this for a few reasons. I want to know more about the ingredients and how they work, but I also want to be able to surprise company with things they are familiar with, but served in a totally foreign way. Is the taste any better - in the case of caviar and ravioli - no, it tastes the same. Is the experience different - yes. Most people find these experiences enjoyable, where the traditional experience is just eating.
In this quest for knowledge, I have come across ways to make dishes I have made before even better. Parmesan crisps - melt the cheese on a silpat, then form when it is still warm. when it dries, you have a lacy crisp. Well, I have a recent post about a new way to make these. The addition of egg white makes a much more refined crisp. It is lighter and more delicate. The egg white acts as a binding agent for the cheese and allows it to be manipulated in a way that straight cheese will not allow.
Currently, I have two pouches of Activa (transglutamase) taunting me at home. One is the powder form, the other should be used as a slurry. This chemical has large purposes in the industrial food industry, and has been used for a few years in a few restaurants. It is meat glue. It is used in every chicken nugget, formed meat patty, and in many vegetarian dishes. The enzyme binds meat proteins together and forms a permanent bond. The real challenge is to find an interesting application, with regard for cook times. You could bond a chicken breast to a NY strip steak, but the cooking temperatures will not jive together. You'd end up with cooked chicken and overcooked beef.
This is the fun challenge with the application molecular gastronomy. Finding ways to execute dishes that taste good, while using these new techniques. Some may ask - why not cook it like you've always cooked it. Some people may not like change, but I love change. There's a place for everything, but there's no harm in trying something new. What happens if I add some dehydrated orange powder to my meat rub? Will the added sugars in the orange powder assist the Maillard reaction on the pork, or will it add an off flavor? If it creates a nice flavorful brown crust, I might have discovered a new ingredient to include in all my meat rubs.
I keep track of all my kitchen adventures on this blog, and in a little black leather book next to the kitchen computer. Each time I try an elBulli recipe, I write notes on what worked, what didn't work, and what I added/took away from the recipe. I've tried more then a handful of marshmallow recipes. Some with egg whites, some without, some with sheet gelatin, some with powdered gelatin. Different ratios of sugar, egg white, gelatin, water, juice, extracts, etc. When I take these recipes and the knowledge I have acquired from reading about the molecular bonds that are formed, and the chemical reactions that take place as the ingredients combine and cook, I have come up with a foolproof recipe that I can call my own and be proud of.
When I give my people my marshmallows, I typically get this one reaction: Oh WOW.....mmmmm... I don't think I can eat store bought marshmallows ever again.
See if you can get a hold of Decoding Ferran Adria. It is a great way to get a little knowledge behind the true concept of Molecular Gastronomy.
This last Saturday we had company over for dinner. Aidan and Finn ran around and exhausted each other while I ran a marathon in the kitchen. Piet, his wife (and their son), brought over some excellent gravlax and sauce. I made some sourdough pumpernickel bread. This was my first time making pumpernickel, it was surprising that so few stores have pumpernickel flour. I tried Ukrops, Krogers, The Fresh Market, and Elwood Thompson's. As a last attempt, I tried the organic section of the Ukrops by my house. They had a small bag of dark rye flour, this is not pumpernickel flour, but it was really close, and closer then anything I had found. The addition of coffee and the molasses from the brown sugar made a very dark crust, and a deep, rich colored crumb. 
Next was a little kitchen science. This was my first attempt at the elBulli staple: Liquid Pea Ravioli. This is a simple mixture of peas, mint, and two chemicals, topped with a tiny mint leaf and a bit of sea salt. This was interesting, the texture of the peas is much thicker then the fruit juice mixtures I've been doing. It took a little experimenting to get a clean release from the spoon, but once that was solved, we had a handful of pea ravioli to munch on.During this entire time, we were sipping miscellaneous drinks. We had carbonated Bombay Sapphire Gin, foamy absinthe mojitos, and passionfruit whisky sours with passionfruit foam. The mojitos were made in the soda siphon, and the passionfruit foam was made in the gourmet whip. We broke up the red wine and white wine for dinner.
I had been rolling and cutting pasta all afternoon. The KitchenAid attachment makes this so easy. If you like to make pasta, I highly recommend the attachments. No hand cranking, variable speeds and size settings. I've rolled pasta by hand, without the aid of a crank machine, and they all produce the same quality, but the amount of work involved in making the pasta is minimal with the automated tools. Once the pasta was rolled and cut, it rested for a few hours in the refrigerator. Next up was more food prep. Pancetta and bacon from Belmont Butchery. The smell of cured and smoky pork. Mmmmmmmmm.This was sauteed in white wine, then tossed with the hot pasta with eggs, parmegianno reggiano, pecorino romano, and garlic. More commonly known as Pasta alla Carbonara. This was accompanied with some sundreid tomato, basil, and parmigiano sourdough bread. We had a fresh heirloom tomato and olive oil topping for the bread. The pasta cooked in two minutes and thirty seconds, one of the nice things about fresh pasta.
I had a intermediate course planned, but we were all full from dinner. I'll discuss this down at the bottom of the post.For dessert, we had a chocolate tart with caramel and peanuts. This was my second recipe from the Baking with Dorie cookbook. This came out very well. I made ti a few hours before company arrived, and have been enjoying it for dessert each night this week.
The skipped course. I was planning on sfering some cantaloupe and serving it with prosciutto. Sunday night, amid the thunderstorms, I was in the kitchen. Like Dr. Frankenstein, I was making something come to life as the lightning struck around me. Drip Drip Drip Drip. One by one, droplets of melon were going into a waterbath and being transformed into melon caviar. I've made fruit caviar a few times, and I have the technique down.
To continue with my Molecular Gastronomy posts, this one will address the texture of a commonly used item: cheese. Parmigiano-Reggiano to be precise. I found a great, and simple, recipe from the 1998 - 2002 El Bulli Cookbook. It involves cheese, a grater, egg whites, silpat mats, and a rolling pin. Most people are familiar with the traditional parmesan crisp. Baked cheese, sometimes it has a lacy appearance. This recipe is just as easy to make, but you get a more refined, delicate, crisp.When buying cheese for this - look for the imported Parmesan. In the US, we have very lax rules for cheese naming. In europe, Parmigiano-Reggiano is regulated under the name Parmesan. American copies of the cheese have to be sold as pamesello italiano, or some other name. Pamesello italiano is what Kraft sells as Parmesan. American Parmesan has a larger sodium content, is mechanically pressed, and lacks the complex flavors that are achieved by the long time in the brine solution.
Parmigiano CrispsParmigiano-Reggiano cheese
egg whites
preheat oven to 340 degrees (convection)
tools needed - 2 silpat mats, microplane grater, rolling pin, and parchment paper.
Shave the cheese with a microplane, add the egg whites and mix with a spatula until the mixture resembles pasty dough. Transfer this to a silpat and spread evenly across the middle. Place the second silpat over the paste and evenly spread around with a rolling pin. You want a very thin, even layer of cheese across the entire silpat.
Place this into a preheated oven and bake for five minutes
Remove from oven and carefully remove the top silpat. I used an offset spatula to loosen and unstick any cheese that didn't want to release. Place a sheet of parchment over the cheese and flip over. Remove the remaining silpat and reduce the oven to 320 degrees (convection). Place back in the oven and cook for another 4 minutes. If you do not have convection, you may have to cook this for longer. You want the entire crisp to brown. If there are white spots, they will sag after you cut them.
When it is evenly browned, remove the crisp from the oven and cut immediately. You want them to be long and skinny. If you wait for the cheese to cool down, it will shatter when you try to cut it. Once cut, allow the crisps to cool to room temperature on a flat surface. I ended up using a chef's knife for slicing; the pizza wheel didn't do the trick. Serve in a dish or cup that will show off their height. They stay crisp for a long time. We ran out before they got soggy.
The little guy helped me make them; he ate so many of the crisps. I had to move them so he didn't finish them off.
Next time I make these, I might add some smoked Spanish paprika into the mix. Depending on when you add it, and how thoroughly you incorporate it, you could end up with streaks of dark red in the crisps.
This will be my first installment of Molecular Gastronomy Techniques for the home chef. I'm going to focus on the recipes and my experience with it. I'll try to keep the science talk to a minimum, but give enough for those interested. My first technique will be sferification. I think this technique goes to El Bulli Restaurant/labs, if I'm wrong, someone feel free to correct me, and I'll update this little point.
What is sferification? Sferification is the process of making liquid caviar and pasta-less raviolo. With the use of chemicals, one can take a food liquid (anything from fruit, vegetables, meat juice, or chicken stock), submerge it in another liquid, and a gel will form around the liquid through ion transfer. OK -- if you want the science behind this, send me a mail and I'll send you some resources.I started with caviar because it is one of the easier things to attempt. In the last week and a half I've attempted this five times. My first attempt was using the wrong chemical bath, so that was a mess, my second attempt was a success, three and four were a mess and a pot of gooooooo. My fifth attempt worked great. I've determined it is all about measurements, pH, and timing.
- Measurement is the first critical thing. I need a scientific scale, something that can measure a tenth of a gram.
- pH is the next critical thing. I think I need to buy testing strips. If the pH is too high, it will not work, if it is to low, it will not work. I already have chemicals to alter the pH, but I need a way to test the solution before I proceed.
- Third is timing, this is the easiest. If you let your sferes sit for too long, you get a solid gel. If they don't sit long enough, they break.
There are two processes for sferification. I will focus on the standard process, and explain the reverse process in another post.
First, you need the right chemicals: Sodium Alginate, Sodium Citrate, and Calcium Chloride.
Apple Caviar
8 ounces Apple Juice
1/2 tsp Sodium Alginate
1/8 tsp Sodium Citrate
2 cups of water
1/2 tsp Calcium Chloride
One or two water baths.
Mix a third of the apple juice with the sodium alginate. You need to use an immersion blender for this to work (a stand blender would also work). Heat this mixture to 205 degrees - this helps remove the air bubbles formed from blending. Add the rest of the apple juice and sodium citrate, mix to combine. Chill. This part can be made in advance and held for service.
Mix the water and calcium chloride in a large bowl.
When you are ready to 'cook' the sferes, transfer the apple mixture to your dropping apparatus. Syringes can be purchased at CVS, specialty equipment can be purchased from your chemical vendor, and you can use a squirt bottle. I have a 96 pipette dropper, and a squirt bottle. For speed, the dropper is amazing, but I prefer the slightly larger sferes that the squirt bottle makes.
(This is where the timing comes into play)
When you drop the mixture into the water bath, the reaction is instantaneous. The longer the sfere is in the water, the thicker the shell. As the chemical reaction takes place, the apple is gelling; if it sits too long, you have a solid sfere, instead of a liquid filled sfere. Thirty seconds to 45 seconds is the time the sferes need to cook. If they are in there much longer, they will solidify on you. Remove the sferes with a slotted spoon, strainer, or skimmer and dip in the water bath. I use two baths: one for the first dip, and the other ice water bath to cool the sferes (I used them in a cold dish).
You now have apple caviar.
If you want to make raviolo, fill a round teaspoon with the apple mixture and place the spoon under the water. Rotate the spoon over and flip the apple out of the spoon. It will naturally take on a sphere shape in the fluid as the bonds are formed. Let these rest for sixty to ninety seconds. Then remove and dip in water baths to remove the chemicals from the outside.
DISCLAIMER: These are not completed dishes, they are just examples of technique.
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