Modernist Cooking Made Easy (25 page)

If you are using sheet gelatin you will use 0.27-0.55 sheets per 100 grams of liquid for soft gels and 0.55 to 1.6 sheets per 100 grams of liquid for firmer gels. For very firm gels more than 3.3 sheets per 100 grams of liquid is sometimes used.

Gelatin Gel Process

Making gelatin gels is a fairly simple process. You first hydrate the gelatin in cold water for 5 to 10 minutes. If using powdered gelatin you hydrate it directly into the liquid that will be going into the recipe for 5 to 10 minutes. If using gelatin sheets you hydrate them in cold water for the same amount of time and then squeeze the water out of them once they are hydrated and it will not be added to the recipe.

Once the gelatin is hydrated you will disperse it into the liquid it will be gelling. To do this you need to heat the liquid above 50ºC / 122ºF and whisk or blend the gelatin into it.

After it is dispersed you pour the liquid into a mold and let it cool to set. Placing it in a refrigerator or setting the mold in an ice bath can speed up the process.

Once the gel has set in the mold you can turn it out, cut it into shapes, or serve it directly from the mold.

M
ARGARITA
G
ELS

This is a more tasty take on the ubiquitous Jell-O shot especially if you top them with some candied lime peel and a little sprig of mint. You can follow this recipe but substitute any of your favorite drinks or feel free to just use a mix instead of making your own. Drinks with higher alcohol percents will sometimes need a little more gelatin to keep them the same firmness.

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.

Tools Needed

Gelatin

Whisk

Mold or container for setting

Ingredients

230 grams cold water

9 gelatin sheets or 2 ¼ packets, 1.5%

350 grams tequila

230 grams fresh lime juice

120 grams Cointreau or Triple Sec

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

Once the gelatin is bloomed, heat the water over medium to medium-high heat while stirring until the gelatin dissolves completely. Remove the pan from the heat.

Add the tequila, lime juice, and Cointreau 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.

P
EANUT
B
UTTER
P
ANNA
C
OTTA

Peanut butter is one of my favorite flavors and I think it goes great in this creamy panna cotta. Because of how few ingredients are in this dish, the quality of them is very important. Using good, natural peanut butter and quality maple syrup will make a huge difference in the flavor of the panna cotta.

There are countless ways to mold the panna cotta. Traditional molds, or 6 ounce molds work great. You can also plate it in wine glasses or do smaller versions in shot glasses.

Tools Needed

Gelatin

Whisk

Molds or containers for setting

Ingredients

700 grams cold whole milk

4 gelatin sheets or 1 packet, 0.75%

230 grams creamy peanut butter

120 grams maple syrup

Place the milk and gelatin in a pot. Let the gelatin bloom in the milk for 5 to 10 minutes.

Once the gelatin is bloomed, heat the milk over medium to medium-high heat while stirring until the gelatin dissolves completely. Whisk in the peanut butter and maple syrup until evenly mixed. Taste the mixture and add salt or more maple syrup as needed to balance the flavors. Remove the pan from the heat.

Pour the panna cotta into your molds and let cool on the counter. Once they have cooled, place them in the refrigerator for several hours to fully set. They will last in the refrigerator for several days and will firm up the longer they are in there.

G
ELATIN
F
OAMS

Gelatin can be used to create a variety of foams from light and airy to heavy and dense, all of which will have fine, even bubbles. All gelatin foams must be served cold or they will quickly break down as the gelatin melts.

Gelatin Foaming Process

If you have a whipping siphon, gelatin foams are very easy to make. First hydrate the gelatin and disperse it into the liquid you want to foam. Then pour the mixture into the whipping siphon and refrigerate it for several hours before dispensing.

Gelatin Foaming Ratios

The density of the foam will depend on the amount of gelatin used. Once again, all ratios are for powdered gelatin with a bloom strength of 225.

For light foams you can use powdered gelatin in a 0.4% to 1.0% ratio. For denser foams using powdered gelatin in a 1.0% to 1.7% ratio is typical. Sometimes you will see even higher ratios.

If you are using sheet gelatin you would normally use 0.2 to 0.55 sheets per 100 grams of liquid for light foams or 0.55 to 0.9 sheets per 100 grams of liquid for dense foams.

A
PPLE
C
IDER
F
OAM

This foam is full of apple cider flavor and a great way to add depth and texture to different cold dishes. It’s great as a topping to ice creams, on chocolate cake or even in a shot glass as an amuse bouche. My favorite dish to serve it with is a hot apple crisp topped with ice cream and the cider foam. Just remember that hot foods will melt the foam quickly.

The quality of the cider will affect the flavor of the resulting foam so if you can find good, local cider it’s worth getting.

Tools Needed

Gelatin

Whisk

Whipping siphon

Ingredients

400 grams cold apple cider

2 gelatin sheets or ½ packet, 0.9%

Pour 75 to 100 grams of cider into a pot with the gelatin. Let the gelatin bloom for 5 to 10 minutes.

Once the gelatin has bloomed, heat the pot over medium to medium-high heat while stirring until the gelatin has dissolved and is evenly dispersed. Stir in the remaining cider.

Pour the cider into a whipping siphon and charge with nitrous oxide according to the manufacturer’s directions. Refrigerate the whipping siphon for several hours until the gelatin sets, typically 2 to 3 hours.

Dispense the foam when you are ready to serve your dishes.

G
ELATIN
S
PONGES

Many people love gelatin sponges, in the form of marshmallows, even if they don’t realize that’s what they are eating.

There are many different ways to create gelatin sponges and many of them go beyond the scope of this book but we will cover how to make marshmallows.

Marshmallow Process

Making marshmallows is surprisingly easy as long as you have a standing mixer with a whisk attachment. There are two components to a marshmallow, the gelatin and water mixture, and the candy syrup.

You start by combining gelatin and either water or a flavored liquid in the bowl of the standing mixer and let the gelatin bloom for 5 to 10 minutes.

While the gelatin is blooming you make the candy syrup by combining sugar, water, and corn syrup in a pot and heating it to 110ºC to 116ºC / 230ºF to 240ºF.

Combine the syrup with the gelatin mixture and whisk on high speed for 8 to 15 minutes until the mixture triples in height. At that point you pour it out into a mold and let it cool and set at room temperature for several hours, or even overnight before cutting it into whatever shapes you prefer.

You can change the texture of the marshmallows by beating them for a longer or shorter amount of time or adding other ingredients like agar or egg whites.

You can also flavor them by adding extracts like vanilla or maple near the end of the whipping process or replacing the water in the bowl with a flavored liquid like brewed tea, or fruit juices and purees.

Marshmallow Ratios

When making marshmallows you typically want an equal weight of water and sugar. The amount of gelatin used will be around 10% of the weight of the water, or 5.5 sheets per 100 grams.

C
LASSIC
M
ARSHMALLOWS

Marshmallows are a favorite food of children everywhere. These homemade ones are so much better than store bought that there is really no comparison. Whether you want to eat these on smores, in hot cocoa or just plain they will amaze you and your friends.

You can mold the marshmallows on an acetate sheet that has been sprayed with Pam using pastry bars, on a sheet pan, or in a baking pan.

Tools Needed

Standing mixer with whisk attachment

A scale with small gram measurements

Gelatin

Candy thermometer

13” x 9” baking pan or raised sheet pan

Ingredients

For the gelatin base

220 grams water

12 gelatin sheets or 3 packets, 10%

For the Mold

½ cup powdered sugar or confectioners sugar

½ cup cornstarch

For the Syrup

220 grams white sugar

100 grams water

60 grams light corn syrup

For Flavoring

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Attach the whisk attachment to your standing mixer. Add the ingredients for the gelatin base and let the gelatin hydrate for 5 to 10 minutes.

Prepare a 13” x 9” baking pan by spraying it with Pam. Combine the cornstarch and powdered sugar and sift some of the cornstarch mixture in the pan.

While the gelatin is blooming, combine the ingredients for the syrup in a sauce pan set over medium-high to high heat. Stir it lightly until the sugar is dissolved and then leave it alone while it heats. Cook the syrup until the temperature reaches 110ºC to 116ºC / 230ºF to 240ºF.

Remove the syrup from the heat and pour it into the standing mixer on top of the bloomed gelatin and water. Turn the mixer on low and slowly increase the speed until it is on high, being careful not to splash the hot syrup out of the mixer.

Whip the marshmallow mixture until it has tripled in volume, it should take 8 to 15 minutes. When the marshmallows have almost been fully whipped, add the vanilla extract and make sure it is fully incorporated.

Pour the marshmallow mixture into the pan and spread it out evenly. Sift the top with some of the cornstarch mixture. Let the marshmallow set for several hours, preferably overnight.

Dust a cutting board with the starch powder. Turn the marshmallows out onto the cutting board and cut into the shapes you want. Coat the shapes with the cornstarch mixture to prevent them from sticking to each other.

I’ve found the best way to cut the marshmallows into squares is using a lightly oiled rolling pizza cutter, which I first heard suggested by Alton Brown. However, using a lightly oiled knife works well, as do kitchen shears. You can also use lightly oiled cookie cutters for unique shapes.

You can store the marshmallows for several days in a sealed container.

L
ECITHIN