- 4
Ingredients
- For the apricots in syrup:
- 7 oz apricots
- 11/2 cup water
- 1 oz sugar
- For the apricot juice:
- 83/4 oz apricots, diced and frozen
- 3/4 cup sugar
- For the apricot gelatin:
- 11/4 cup apricot juice (see previous step)
- 2 sheets gelatin (previously rehydrated in cold water)
- For the amaretto gelatin:
- 1/2 cup amaretto
- 3/4 sheet gelatin (previously rehydrated in cold water)
- For the junket foam:
- 1 cup sheep's milk junket
- 1 1-pint ISI foaming canister
- 1 N|2O cartridge
- For the basic syrup:
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- For the liquid all-spice croquant:
- 3 tbsp basic syrup (see previous step)
- 13/4 oz dry bread
- 3/4 tbsp glucose
- 1 tsp all-spice powder
- For the fresh pine syrup:
- 4 tbsp basic syrup (see previous step)
- 13/4 oz young pine bark
- For the apricot chutney:
- 13/4 oz apricot pulp, peeled and diced
- 2 tsp sugar
- pink pepper
- Jamaica pepper
- Perrin's sauce
- Tabasco sauce
- Cayenne pepper
- Sechuan pepper
- 2 tsp butter
- To finish:
- 8 small fresh mint leaves
- 4 apricot almonds
- 8 PVC moulds (3/4" high x 11/2" diameter)
Preparation
Step 1
For the apricots in syrup:
1. Vacuum pack the three ingredients in a cooking bag and cook in the bain marie (175ºF) for approx. 20 minutes.
2. Check the apricots as they cook. Quickly plunge into iced water.
3. The syrup will be used as a soup.
For the apricot juice:
1. Mix the sugar and apricot together and cook very slowly, making sure that the liquid does not boil and so that the fruit releases all its juice. Drain and keep the juice.
For the apricot gelatin:
1. Measure the juice obtained and heat part of it to 120ºF. Dissolve the gelatin in the liquid.
2. Add the remaining juice and leave to set in the fridge.
For the amaretto gelatin:
1. Heat 1½ tbsp of amaretto to 120ºF and dissolve the gelatin in it.
2. Remove from the heat, add the rest of the liqueur and leave to set.
For the junket foam:
1. Beat the junket until it is semi-liquid and fill the canister.
2. Close, foam and leave to rest in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
For the basic syrup:
1. Mix both ingredients together and bring to the boil.
For the liquid all-spice croquant:
1. Make the dry bread into crumbs in the food processor. Bring the syrup to the boil and dissolve the glucose in it.
2. Blend the mixture and the all-spice in a food processor to make a paste. Sieve.
3. Put the all-spice paste in an icing bag and bake fine strips of the mixture in the oven at 325ºF for 7 minutes.
For the fresh pine syrup:
1. Bring the syrup to the boil and reduce slightly. Infuse with the pine bark for 5 minutes. Strain.
2. Place a piece of fresh pine bark (without heating) in the syrup to keep the fresh flavor. Keep on one side until you are ready to use it.
For the apricot chutney:
1. Melt the butter and sauté all the spices.
2. Add the apricot and the sugar and cook gently.
3. Remove from the heat and cool.
Final Steps & Preparation:
1. Fill half the PVC mould with an apricot in its juices and the other half with the apricot gelatin.
2. Press down lightly so it fills the whole mould.
3. Place two apricots with the gelatin on a plate and place a little amaretto gelatin on one side of the mould and a little apricot chutney on the other.
4. Top with half an apricot almond and a small mint leaf. Leave the plates in the fridge so the gelatin is very cold.
5. Just before serving, remove the moulds, put the junket foam and a few drops of pine syrup beside the apricot and sprinkle with the diced all-spice croquant.
6. Serve the really cold apricot syrup as a soup.