Modernist Cooking Made Easy (12 page)

For this recipe we use a mix of iota and kappa carrageenan. Iota carrageenan creates elastic gels and kappa carrageenan creates brittle gels. Using both results in a more balanced texture than using a single carrageenan.

We infuse the cream with cinnamon as well as some other spices for their background notes. It can be served cold with ice cream or it can be heated slightly and served with warm apple pie.

Tools Needed

Iota carrageenan

Kappa carrageenan

Immersion blender

Molds or setting containers

Chinois

A scale with small gram measurements

Ingredients

1 teaspoon whole coriander

1 teaspoon allspice

½ teaspoon whole cloves

½ teaspoon fennel

500 grams milk, about 2 cups

5 cinnamon sticks

1.5 grams iota carrageenan, 0.3%

1.0 grams kappa carrageenan, 0.2%

Place a small pan over medium heat. Add the coriander, allspice, cloves, and fennel and toast until fragrant, just a few minutes.

Pour the milk into a pot and add the cinnamon and toasted spices. Heat over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching, and bring to a boil. Once it boils remove it from the heat and let steep for 20 to 30 minutes.

Strain the milk, preferably through a chinois for the finest texture. Add the iota and kappa carrageenan and blend well with an immersion blender. Bring to a boil and blend for 30 to 60 seconds. Remove from the heat and pour into molds.

Let cool at room temperature, or in an ice bath, then place in the refrigerator to finish setting.

Once fully set the gel can be turned out and cut into any shapes desired. The gel should last for several days covered in the refrigerator.

G
ELATIN
M
OJITO
S
HOTS

Jell-O shots are a favorite party snack and these help showcase how gelatin creates an elastic gel. This recipe uses a pretty standard mojito recipe but you can use any recipe you prefer, or even a pre-made mix.

Be sure you bloom and disperse the gelatin in water instead of the alcohol or you could burn all the alcohol off when you heat it.

You can let it set in any container, including tupperware, or use fancy molds or ice cube trays to make interesting shapes.

Tools Needed

Gelatin

Whisk

Chinois or strainer

Mold or container for setting

Ingredients

120 grams sugar

20 mint leaves, coarsely chopped

320 grams water

8 gelatin sheets or 2 powdered gelatin packets, 1.5%

350 grams rum

150 grams lime juice, preferably fresh

First make the mint simple syrup. Place sugar, mint, and 150 grams of water in a pot. Heat to a boil, stirring, and cook until the sugar is dissolved. Set aside and let cool. Pour through a strainer.

Add the reserved water and the gelatin to a pot. Let the gelatin bloom in the water for 5 to 10 minutes.

Once the gelatin has bloomed, add the mint simple syrup and heat over medium to medium-high heat while stirring until the gelatin dissolves completely. Remove the pot from the heat.

Add the rum and lime juice, and whisk to combine. Pour the mixture into your mold or container and let cool. Once it has cooled slightly place it in the refrigerator for several hours.

After it is fully set you can unmold it and cut it into any shapes you like. Store them in the refrigerator until serving.

S
HAPING
G
ELS

One of the most interesting uses of gels is the different shapes you can create with them. From standard cubes to spheres and noodles, the shapes help add visual appeal to dishes.

Serving Dishes

For soft gels, it is best to have them set directly in the dish you want to serve them in. Soft gels have a tendency to break apart if you try to cut or unmold them. You can also set harder gels in the serving dishes and it can have a great visual appeal, especially if you are using glass serving dishes.

Free Form

The easiest way to shape gels is by setting it in a block and then cutting it into the shapes you prefer. I will often use a tupperware container that the gel will fill to the final height I am looking for, typically 6 mm to 25 mm / ¼” to 1”. I can then cut it into cubes with a knife, or for harder gels I can even use cookie cutters for a wide range of shapes.

Sheets

For many elastic gels, you can set them in a thin layer, less than 3 mm / ⅛” thick on a flat, plastic surface. This creates a flexible sheet you can drape over or wrap around foods.

Molds

Another easy way to set creatively shaped gels it to use molds. These can be in the form of silicon or plastic molds. There are ice cube trays you can use that come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. In addition, there are hemispherical and spherical molds of different sizes that can be used for interesting shapes.

Noodles

Another interesting presentation is making gel noodles. These have many uses but are typically used as a garnish. To make the gel noodles the warm gel base is pushed into plastic tubing, usually using a plastic syringe, and then placed in ice water to cool. Be sure you use elastic gels when making noodles otherwise they will fall apart when being handled.

Pearls

Round beads of gel always add some great visual appeal to plates. There are a few ways to make them but I’ve found the easiest is to make them in cold oil.

Place a glass of oil in the freeze for about an hour so it thickens slightly. You can use any type of oil but canola, vegetable, or olive oil works well.

Make the gel base and then drip it into the oil. While the gel is falling to the bottom of the oil it is in a spherical shape and because the oil is cold the gel will set before it makes it to the bottom.

O
RANGE-
G
INGER
S
HEET

These gel sheets are very versatile. They can be cut into wide strips and used as a wrapper for sushi. You can cut them into squares and use them as a pseudo wonton wrapper. You can also just drape them over vegetables or stir fried meat.

Tools Needed

Agar

Gelatin

Standing or immersion blender

Flat, plastic surface

A scale with small gram measurements

Ingredients

250 grams orange juice, preferably fresh

50 mm / 2” piece of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

3.0 gram agar, 1.2%

2 gelatin sheets or ½ powdered gelatin packet, 1.4%

If using sheet gelatin, place it in a bowl of cold water to bloom. If using powdered gelatin combine it with 50 grams of water and 100 grams of orange juice. Let the gelatin bloom for 5 to 10 minutes.

While the gelatin is blooming place the remaining orange juice, ginger, and red pepper flakes in a pot. Bring to a simmer, remove from the heat and let steep for 10 minutes. Strain the orange juice and return to the pot.

Sprinkle in the agar and mix well with an immersion blender. Bring to a simmer while stirring occasionally. Let simmer for 3 to 5 minutes then remove from the heat.

If using powdered gelatin, whisk in the water-orange juice mixture and let dissolve. If using sheet gelatin, squeeze out the water and add the sheets, whisking them into the agar mixture until they dissolve.

Spoon some of the gel base onto the flat, plastic surface, tipping the surface until the gel evenly coats it. Let the sheet set, it should only take a few minutes, and then the gel sheet will be ready to use.

M
ANGO
N
OODLES

These mango noodles are a great visual touch to dishes. I like to serve them draped over ice cream or a sundae but they can also be heated and served with jerk pork or as a garnish on an Asian citrus salad.

We add the locust bean gum to this recipe so the resulting gel will be more elastic than a typical agar gel would be. This will help the noodles hold together and keep their form.

Tools Needed

Agar

Locust bean gum

Standing or immersion blender

Plastic syringe and tubing

A scale with small gram measurements

Ingredients

300 grams mango juice

1.0 grams agar, 0.33%

1.0 grams locust bean gum, 0.33%

Prepare an ice bath to set the gel in.

Place the mango juice in a pot. Sprinkle in the agar and locust bean gum and mix well with an immersion blender. Bring to a simmer while stirring occasionally. Let simmer for 3 to 5 minutes.

Fill a syringe with the gel base, attach it to a section of tubing, and then push the gel into the tubing. Remove the filled tubing and place it into the ice bath. Once the gel has set, 2 to 5 minutes, fill the syringe with air, reattach it to the set tubing, and push the gel out.

Repeat for as many noodles as you want. You can also make several noodles at once if you have multiple sections of tubing.

Once the noodles are made they are ready to be served or can be refrigerated, covered, for several hours.

B
ALSAMIC
V
INEGAR
P
EARLS

Gel pearls are a great way to add texture and visual appeal to a dish. You can use almost any liquid to make them but here we use balsamic vinegar for an acidic, yet sweet, flavor. These go great as a garnish on a salad, a topping for steak, or even on fresh mozzarella and tomatoes.