Padrón Pepper Seeds with Liquorice and Genetic Basil

By corlear

Ingredients

• For the Padrón pepper seeds:
• 20 Padrón peppers, large
• 0.4 º olive oil
• For the Padrón pepper stock:
• pulp of 20 peppers
• (see previous step)
• 1/2 cup water
• salt
• For the jellied seeds:
• 20 Padrón pepper seeds (see previous step)
• 1/2 cup pepper stock (see previous step)
• pinch powdered agar-agar
• 1 sheet gelatin (previously rehydrated in cold water)
• 2 quail's egg egg-boxes
• For the butter sponge:
• 3/4 cup butter
• 11/4 cup water
• For the mandarin reduction:
• 1/3 cup mandarin juice
• 13/4 tbsp glucose
• For the genetic basil leaves:
• 8 fresh basil leaves (2")
• 8 drops mandarin reduction (see previous step)
• liquorice paste drops
• mandarin rind
• To finish:
• 20 liquorice paste drops
• Maldon salt

Details

Servings 4

Preparation

Step 1

For the Padrón pepper seeds:
1. Fry the peppers in piping hot olive oil for 20 seconds.
2. Use a slotted spoon to remove them and drain on kitchen paper.
3. Use a pair of scissors to cut the base of the stem and remove the seed pods and keep on one side.
4. Keep the pulp to make the stock.

For the Padrón pepper stock:
1. Mix the peppers and the water together. Bring to the boil over a low heat and boil for 5 minutes. Scrape off all fat, strain and season with salt.

For the jellied seeds:
1. Wash the egg boxes, dry them and place the pepper seeds facing upwards.
2. Mix the seasoned pepper stock and the powdered agar-agar together.
3. Stirring continuously, bring to the boil over a medium heat. Remove from the heat and whisk.
4. Add the gelatin and dissolve.
5. Fill the egg boxes with the Padrón pepper seeds with as much pepper stock as possible.
6. Leave to set in the fridge for at least 3 hours.
7. Take them out of the mould and place them on a tray.

For the butter sponge:
1. Mix all the ingredients together in a round metal dish (8" wide and 10" high). Heat to 60 or 160ºF and keep warm.
grated rind of one mandarin

For the mandarin reduction:
1. Reduce the mandarin juice with the glucose.
2. Reduce until the mixture has the consistency of liquid caramel.
3. Add the grated mandarin rind and leave to cool.

For the genetic basil leaves:
1. Place a drop of mandarin reduction, a drop of liquorice reduction, a little mandarin and lime rind on the lower part of each leaf.
2. Keep in the fridge until you are ready to serve them.

Final Steps & Preparation:
1. Emulsify the water and butter in a Thermomix and whisk the surface to introduce as much air as possible and make a foam that we call sponge.
2. Place the 2 basil leaves with the reductions facing downwards and on opposite sides of the plate.
3. Heat the jellied Padrón pepper seeds in the salamandra and place a drop of liquorice paste and a Maldon salt crystal on each of them.
4. Place 5 seeds on each plate with the butter sponge in between them.