- 4
Ingredients
- For the sponge:
- 83/4 oz whole eggs
- 1 1/8 cup sugar
- 1 1/8 cup plain flour
- For the basic syrup:
- 1/8 cup sugar
- 11/2 tbsp water
- For the Campari sponge:
- 4 tbsp Campari
- 1/4 cup basic syrup (see previous step)
- 4 sponge slices (see previous step)
- For the vanilla ice cream:
- 13/4 cup milk
- 1/4 cup single cream (35% fat)
- 1 tbsp skimmed powdered milk
- 1/2 oz dextrose
- 3 tbsp glucose
- 1.6 g ice-cream stabilizers
- 1/8 cup sugar
- 3 vanilla pods
- 1 sheet gelatin (previously rehydrated in cold water)
- For the 40% syrup:
- 2 oz sugar
- For the vinegar foam:
- 4 tbsp Cabernet Sauvignon vinegar
- 1/4 cup 40% syrup (see previous step)
- 1 sheet gelatin (previously rehydrated in cold water)
- 1 1-pint ISI foaming canister
- 1 N|2O cartridge
- For the pepper caramel scarves:
- 4 oz fondant
- 3 tbsp glucose
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup Isomalt
- For the crystallized orange:
- 1 orange
- 2 cups orange juice
- 3 tbsp glucose
- For the orange reduction:
- 1/3 cup orange juice
- 13/4 tbsp glucose
- For the basil juice:
- 4 oz basil
- 1/3 cup water
- For the basil sugar:
- 1/8 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup basil juice (see previous step)
- egg white
Preparation
Step 1
For the sponge:
1. Beat the sugar and whole eggs together in the mixer. Once they are light and fluffy, gently fold in the sieved flour.
2. Use an icing bag to spread a thin layer on a tray and bake in the oven at 425ºF for 3 minutes.
3. Cut into 4 x 1½" slices.
For the basic syrup:
1. Mix both ingredients together and bring to the boil.
For the Campari sponge:
1. Mix both ingredients together while cold and soak the sponge in the mixture.
For the vanilla ice cream:
1. Put the milk, pods without the seeds (keep the seeds for the end) and the cream in a pan.
2. Bring to the boil and leave to infuse for 5 min.
3. Then add the powdered milk, sugar, stabilizer, dextrose and glucose.
4. Stirring continuously, heat to 185ºF. Remove from the heat and sieve.
5. Dissolve the gelatin in the mixture while it is still hot and leave to stand in the fridge for 8 hours.
6. Add the vanilla seeds that you have kept on one side and process in the ice cream.
1 tbsp water
For the 40% syrup:
1. Mix both ingredients together and bring to the boil.
For the vinegar foam:
1. Heat the gelatin in the syrup until it is completely dissolved.
2. Add the balsamic vinegar, strain and fill the canister.
3. Foam and leave to rest in the fridge for 2 hours.
For the pepper caramel scarves:
1. Make a neutral caramel by heating the fondant, glucose and Isomalt to 325ºF.
2. When it is cold, place a piece of caramel on a Silpat liner and bake in the oven at 345ºF for 7 min until it is completely dissolved.
3. Cover with another Silpat liner and use a rolling pin to roll it out into a thin sheet.
4. Return to the oven to heat the caramel and then use your hands to stretch the caramel out into thin scarves.
For the crystallized orange:
1. Blanche the orange 3 times.
2. Prick all over with a fork so that the orange syrup can penetrate. Simmer it in the orange juice, sugar and glucose.
3. After approximately 11/2 hours and when the orange is semi-crystallized, remove from the heat and leave to cool.
Note: The orange should not be completely crystallized, as the aim to keep as much of the natural flavor of the fruit as possible, but with a certain consistency of crystallized fruit.
For the orange reduction:
1. Reduce the orange juice and the glucose in the pan until it has the consistency of thick caramel.
2. Leave to cool.
For the basil juice:
1. Separate and select the basil leaves
2. Blanche them in boiling water for a few seconds and plunge them in iced water.
3. Blend the basil leaves with the water used for blanching them until you have obtained all the juices.
4. Strain and keep on one side.
For the basil sugar:
1. Mix the basil juice with the sugar and with just enough egg white for the sugar to be moist.
2. Spread over a Silpat liner and bake at 325ºF for 4 minutes.
Final Steps & Preparation:
1. Put a rectangle of Campari sponge on the plate.
2. Place two crystallized orange segments coated with orange reduction on both sides of the rectangle.
3. Just before serving, place a small quenelle of vanilla ice cream in the middle of the cake and a little vinegar foam on either side.
4. Sprinkle the basil sugar over the dish and place the black pepper caramel over the cake.