Fried Egg with Ham and Demerara Caramel

By corlear

Ingredients

• For the Iberian ham stock:
• 3 Iberian ham bones
• 13 cups water
• For the liquid fat and rinds:
• 14 oz ham fat
• For the creamy fat sauce:
• 1/2 cup single cream (35% fat)
• 1/3 cup liquid ham fat (see previous step)
• 1/3 cup reduced ham stock (see previous step)
• 11/2 tbsp semi-whipped cream (35% fat)
• cornflour
• salt
• For the butter sponge:
• 11/2 cup butter
• 2 cups water
• For the neutral caramel:
• 4 oz fondant
• 3 tbsp glucose
• 1/4 cup Isomalt
• For the Demerara caramel:
• 2 oz neutral caramel (see previous step)
• 2/3 oz Demerara sugar
• To finish:
• 4 eggs
• Maldon salt
• 0.4 º olive oil

Details

Servings 4

Preparation

Step 1

For the Iberian ham stock:
1. Trim the rancid parts, the rind and the trotters. Make use of the joint to cut into 2 pieces.
2. Blanche the bones and drain. Cover with 3 liters of water. Cook over a medium heat for 3 hours. Skim off any scum and fat.
3. Drain, cool in the fridge and scrape off any fat that forms on the surface.
4. Reduce the stock to 1¾ cup of consommé.

For the liquid fat and rinds:
1. Melt in the microwaves at half power for 15 minutes.
2. Strain and cut the rinds into uneven pieces (around 1¼"). Keep the liquid fat on one side.

For the creamy fat sauce:
1. Mix the hat fat, ham stock and cream. Bring to the boil and thickened with cornflour. Keep warm.
2. Add the semi-whipped cream just before using the sauce.
3. Season with salt.

For the butter sponge:
1. Mix all the ingredients together in a round metal dish (8" wide and 10" high). Heat to 140 or 160ºF and keep warm.

For the neutral caramel:
1. Heat the fondant and glucose in a pan. Stir until the ingredients have dissolved and add the Isomalt.
2. Cook over a medium heat until the thermometer reads 325ºF (the other 30ºF will come from the heat of the mixture).
3. Remove from the heat and spread over a piece of greaseproof paper. The mixture should be between ½ and ¾" thick.
4. When it reaches the right temperature, cut it into 2 x 2" slices and put on one side.

For the Demerara caramel:
1. Prepare a baking tray with 2 Silplat liners and place a caramel slice in between them and place in the oven at 345ºF.
2. Leave in the oven for 5 min until the caramel has dissolved and then use a rolling pin to roll the caramel out very thinly.
3. Put the mixture on a piece of greaseproof paper on the same tray and form it into the desired shape.
4. If the caramel begins to cool, heat it in the oven for a minute and then cut it again.
5. Sprinkle the caramel slices with the Demerara sugar and heat in the oven so it sticks to the slice.

Final Steps & Preparation:
1. Fry the eggs and use a round mould to separate the egg yolk and the egg white.
2. Heat a small dish and place the fried egg yolk in the center.
3. Place 3 rinds and a ring of creamy ham sauce around the egg.
4. Emulsify the liquid for the sponge in a Thermomix and whisk the surface to introduce as much air as possible and make a foam that we call sponge.
5. Cover the whole plate except for the egg yolk with the butter sponge.
6. Sprinkle Maldon salt over the yolk. Serve the dish with the Demerara caramel served separately.