Culinary foam is the latest in molecular cooking. It would seem that we all have long known whipped cream, proteins, various mousses and more. So what did the gastronomic genius Ferran Adria y Acosta, the famous Spanish chef, one of the stars of the European Restaurant Rating and owner of the most popular El Bulli restaurant, invent? Foamed mushrooms, foamed beets, meat, espresso - all this is certainly present in the menu of his establishment. The foam is made exclusively from the juice or essence of the main ingredient and air. You can repeat this haute cuisine at home.
It is necessary
-
- fruit or vegetable juice;
- stabilizer (gelatin
- lecithin
- agar-agar);
- blender;
- siphon with nitrous oxide.
Instructions
Step 1
Before you start making culinary foam, you need to understand - what is it for? It is not a taste, but rather a smack, nuance, light aroma. Meat spirit without meat structure, coffee note without coffee bitterness, more an idea of mushrooms and beets than the products themselves. Culinary foam allows you to add the quintessence of a product to a dish, avoiding changes in the physical components.
Step 2
Choose a flavor for your foam. The easiest way to start experimenting with fruit juices is without pulp. Pomegranate, grapefruit, any vegetable juice, or coconut milk works well. The best place to start is foam, like adding to any meat dish, be it chicken or duck breast, succulent steak, or steamed salmon. The purer the taste of the main course, the more chances you have to fully enjoy the nuances that the cooking foam has added to it.
Step 3
Now you need to decide on a foam stabilizer that prevents the disappearance and slows down the coalescence of gas bubbles. It can be gelatin, whose stabilizing properties are well known for a long time. Or lecithin, whose beneficial properties - lowering cholesterol levels, improving the functioning of the cardiovascular system, beneficial effects on memory, complement its undeniable effectiveness. Agar agar is a good choice for staunch vegetarians.
Step 4
Lucky for those who kept the old siphons for soda and cans for it, because under the fashionable name ISI Whip, without which it is impossible to create culinary foam, it is the modern modification of our old friend who is hiding. After you have chosen and prepared everything you need, you can proceed to the direct production of foam.
Step 5
If you took gelatin or agar-agar as a stabilizer, then soak the amount of product you need in warm water. Let it "bloom" and dilute with juice. You will find the exact proportions on the product packaging. They can be different for different types of gelatin. Mix juice and stabilizer thoroughly and pour into mold. Put the mixture in the refrigerator and let it set.
Step 6
When you have the jelly, take it out of the refrigerator, take a blender and "break" the jelly into small pieces.
Step 7
If you used lecithin as a stabilizer, then you just need to dilute it in liquid and beat in a blender.
Step 8
Put the contents of a blender cup into a siphon, shake and press the lever or button. You will have a light, fluffy, scented cooking foam. She will need to decorate your dish and immediately serve it to the table.
