- 4
Ingredients
- For the yogurt croquant:
- 51/4 oz fondant
- 1/3 cup glucose
- 1/3 cup Isomalt
- 21/4 oz powdered yogurt
- For the PVC stencil:
- 1 PVC sheet (15 x 23")
- 1 31/2 " circular pastry cutter
- For the yogurt croquant semi sphere:
- 101/2 oz yogurt croquant
- PVC stencil
- For the basic syrup:
- 11/2 tbsp water
- 11/2 tbsp sugar
- For the frozen vinegar slice:
- 11/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup basic syrup (see previous step)
- 1/4 cup 25-year old Sherry vinegar
- pinch powdered agar-agar
- 1 sheet gelatin (previously rehydrated in cold water)
- 31/2 " circular pastry cutter
- For the yogurt foam:
- 3/4 cup natural yogurt
- 1/4 cup single cream (35? fat)
- 0.7 sheets gelatin (previously rehydrated in cold water)
- 1 1-pint ISI foaming canister
- 1 N|2O cartridge
- For the flaked grapefruit:
- 1 tspiant Thai grapefruit (approx. 12 oz)
- For the spice and herb salad:
- 4 small fresh mint leaves
- 4 small fresh tarragon leaves
- 4 small fresh basil leaves
- 1 tsp citric acid
- 1 tsp powdered cardomom
- 5 tbsp virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp sansho
- To finish:
- Maldon salt
Preparation
Step 1
For the yogurt croquant:
1. Heat the fondant and glucose in a pan. Stir until the ingredients have completely dissolved and add the Isomalt.
2. Continue heating the mixture over a medium heat until the thermometer reads 325ºF. The 5 extra degrees will come from the mixture's own heat.
3. Remove from the heat and leave to cool to 275ºF, stirring occasionally to maintain an even heat.
4. Add the powdered yogurt and stir until it is blended in.
5. Spread the mixture ½ or ¾" thick over a piece of greaseproof paper.
6. When it is sufficiently cool, cut it into 2 x 2" slices and put to one side to be until you are ready to use it.
For the PVC stencil:
1. Cut 3½" circles out of the sheet of the PVC, leaving ¾" between each circle.
For the yogurt croquant semi sphere:
1. Grind in a food processor until you get a fine powder.
2. Place the PVC stencil on top of a baking tray with a Silpat liner.
3. Place the yogurt croquant in a fine sieve and sieve over the stencil until you have an even layer of croquant.
4. Remove the stencil carefully and bake at 325ºF for approx. 1 minute until the croquant melts together.
5. Heat the yogurt circles on a tray lined with baking paper briefly so that the caramel becomes flexible. Cut the semipheres in half.
For the basic syrup:
1. Mix both ingredients together and bring to the boil.
For the frozen vinegar slice:
1. Mix the water with the syrup.
2. Put a ¼ of the mixture and the powdered agar-agar in a pan.
3. Stirring continuously, bring to the boil over a medium heat. Remove from the heat, add the gelatin and dissolve it in the mixture.
4. Add the rest of the water and the syrup.
5. Leave the mixture to cool (160ºF), add the vinegar and stir.
6. Pour into a tall and narrow dish.
7. Leave to set in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
8. When it is completely solid, process it in the Thermomix, making sure that no air enters as that would soften it.
9. Return the mixture to the fridge for 30 minutes.
10. Pour the vinegar mixture into a flat tray lined with a Silpat liner.
11. Randomly move the left and right sides up and down until you have an even thin layer of gelatin, that should be 1/10" thick.
12. Freeze and, when it is completely solid, transfer it to baking paper on the same tray.
13. Peel off the Silpat liner and use the pastry cutter to cut the slice into circles, as close as possible to get the largest number of circles out of the slice.
14. Cut the circles in half into semicircles and store separated by layers of potato in a hermetically sealed dish in the freezer.
For the yogurt foam:
1. Heat the cream lightly (120ºF) and dissolve the gelatin in it.
2. Mix with the natural yogurt. Stir thoroughly.
3. Strain and fill the canister using a funnel.
4. Foam and leave to rest in the fridge for 2 hours.
For the flaked grapefruit:
1. Cut off the upper and lower ends of the grapefruit until you reach the segments.
2. Peel the fruit so that you reach the flesh and there is no trace of the skin or pith, without altering the initial shape of the fruit.
3. Use a really sharp knife to separate the segments from their membranes.
4. Seal the segments on both sides in a non-stick frying pan, making sure that it does not brown.
5. Leave to drain in a colander and while still hot, flake with you hands, making sure that you keep the grains in tact. You will have approx.1/4 oz per person.
Final Steps & Preparation:
1. Use a 3¼" diameter semi-circular pastry cutter (with the straight line downwards) to make a flaky grapefruit base (1/4 oz) on the left-hand side of the plate.
2. Place a vinegar semi sphere on top of the grapefruit, followed by the yogurt half circle and the orange one. Put a pinch of sansho on the top edge of the orange compact.
3. Apply the yogurt foam (3 x 1") on the opposite side of the plate. Use a coffee spoon to make a hollow along the foam.
4. Place a pinch of cardamom on the left-hand upper edge of the yogurt foam.
5. Place a small mint leaf in the upper part, a basil leaf in center and a tarragon leaf at the bottom.
6. Put a pinch of citric acid in the lower part of the yogurt foam and in the center.
7. Fill the hollow in the yogurt foam with the olive oil and sprinkle the Maldon salt on the straight part of the orange semi-circle.