Pine Custard with Lemon and Pine Nuts

By corlear

Ingredients

• For the pine base:
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup single cream (35% fat)
• 1 3/4 oz pieces of young pine cones
• For the pine egg custard:
• 5 1/4 oz pine base (see previous step)
• 1/2 cup single cream (35% fat)
• 1/2 cup milk
• 3 egg yolks
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1.2 sheets gelatin (previously rehydrated in cold water)
• For the pine nut praline:
• 2 oz pine nuts
• 1 1/8 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp sunflower oil
• For the dark syrup:
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 3/4 tbsp water
• For the frozen lemon slice:
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup dark syrup (see previous step)
• 2 sheets gelatin (previously rehydrated in cold water)
• the grated rind of one lemon
• For the honey caramel:
• 4 1/4 oz fondant
• 3/4 cup glucose
• To finish:
• Maldon salt

Details

Servings 4

Preparation

Step 1

For the pine base:
1. Bring the milk and cream to the boil and infuse with the piece of pine cone for 5 min.

For the pine egg custard:
1. Start with the pine base and add the rest of the milk and cream. Bring to the boil.
2. Beat the egg yolks and sugar together until they are white. Add to the milky pine base.
3. Heat in the bain marie at 325ºF for approx. 7 min.
4. Blend while hot in the food processor and dissolve the gelatin in the mixture.
5. Serve while still hot. Cover with cling film, so a skin does not form on the egg custard.

For the pine nut praline:
1. Caramelize the pine nuts and sugar without any liquid until they are dark.
2. Leave to cool and then blend in the food processor with 2 oz of pine nut and the sunflower oil.

For the dark syrup:
1. Make a golden caramel out of the dry sugar.
2. Caramelize until it is golden brown.
3. Deglaze with the water and allow the sugar to dissolve.

For the frozen lemon slice:
1. Heat part of the dark syrup and dissolve the gelatin in it.
2. Remove from the heat and mix with the remaining ingredients.
3. Freeze several metallic rings dipped into the lemon mixture on a narrow tray lined with a Silpat liner and leave to set.
4. Once it is set, fill with 1 1/2 tablespoons of lemon mixture.
5. Freeze. When it is frozen, cut in half.

For the honey caramel:
1. Heat the fondant, glucose and honey to 345ºF, remove from the heat and allow the honey caramel to cool.
2. Place a honey caramel slice between two Silpat liners in the oven at 345ºF for 4 min.
3. Once it is dissolved, remove from the oven and roll out into a thin caramel slice.
4. Then, transfer it to a piece of greaseproof paper and return to the oven for a few seconds to soften it and then cut it into a slice that is slight smaller than the iced lemon slice. (see previous step).

Final Steps & Preparation:
1. Once the pine custard has set in the dish, remove from the fridge for 5 min and bring up to room temperature.
2. Use a cylindrical mould to arrange the pine nut praline on one side of the dish.
3. Just before serving, arrange the iced lemon, honey caramel and finally the Maldon salt on top of the pine nut praline.