Modernist Cooking Made Easy (32 page)

B
ASIL
B
ALSAMIC
S
AUCE

I love the sweet tang of balsamic vinegar when combined with the herbal flavor of basil. This sauce is very simple to put together and the xanthan gum helps it cling to the food much better.

You can serve this on a wide range of foods. It is great on fish or chicken, and can even hold up to steak. I also love it drizzled over fresh mozzarella and tomatoes as a take on a Caprese salad.

Tools Needed

Xanthan gum

Standing or immersion blender

A scale with small gram measurements

Ingredients

45 grams balsamic vinegar, about 3 tablespoons

½ teaspoon finely minced garlic

⅓ cup fresh basil leaves

107 grams olive oil, about ½ cup

Salt and pepper

0.5 grams xanthan gum, 0.3%

2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, chopped

Place all of the ingredients except the xanthan gum and the 2 tablespoons of chopped basil leaves into a blender or a container that works well with your immersion blender. Blend and taste for seasonings and make sure the balance of the flavors is good, adding more sugar, vinegar, or salt as needed.

Sprinkle in the xanthan gum and blend well to combine. Taste it for thickness and mouthfeel. If you need it thicker, continue adding xanthan gum and blending well until it has the thickness and mouthfeel you prefer.

Stir in the remaining basil leaves and it is ready to serve.

A
SIAN
V
INAIGRETTE

Vinaigrettes are great ways to add flavors not only to salads but also meat and fish. This Asian vinaigrette is awesome on a salad with peanuts and orange wedges but it is equally good on seared tuna or chicken.

Tools Needed

Xanthan gum

Standing or immersion blender

A scale with small gram measurements

Ingredients

15 grams rice wine vinegar, about 1 tablespoon

30 grams fresh orange juice, about 2 tablespoons

15 grams soy sauce, about 1 tablespoon

5 grams fresh ginger, minced or grated on a microplane

Salt and pepper

13 grams sesame oil, about 1 tablespoon

55 grams olive oil, about ¼ cup

0.4 grams xanthan gum

Combine the vinegar, orange juice, ginger, soy sauce, salt, and pepper in a small bowl or mixing container. Let sit for 5 minutes. Blend in the oils with an immersion blender or whisk attachment.

Taste the vinaigrette for seasoning and adjust the olive oil and vinegar to control the acidity.

Once the vinaigrette tastes balanced to you add the xanthan gum and blend well to combine. Taste the vinaigrette and make sure the mouthfeel and thickness is what you prefer. Add more xanthan gum or vinegar to adjust the thickness.

The vinaigrette can now be served at any time or can be held for several hours. If holding for longer than a few hours you can refrigerate for a day or two before it breaks.

O
THER
I
NGREDIENTS

We are always adding more ingredients to our modernist glossary. Come by and see what we’ve been using lately.

You can find it on our website at:

www.modernistcookingmadeeasy.com/info/molecular-gastronomy-glossary

Because of the large number of ingredients used in modernist cooking we are unable to cover all of them in depth. We picked out the ones we felt were the most useful for beginners but here are some of the other commonly used ones.

C
ALCIUM
C
HLORIDE

Calcium chloride is a popular calcium salt and is often used to introduce calcium into mixtures. It is typically used with sodium alginate and other ingredients that require calcium.

Calcium chloride has a harsh, bitter taste so it is not suitable for use in reverse spherification or other methods where it would end up in the final dish.

C
ALCIUM
L
ACTATE

Calcium lactate is a calcium salt and is one of the most common ways to introduce calcium into mixtures. It is typically used with sodium alginate and other ingredients that require calcium.

Calcium lactate has a mild taste and can be used in both direct and reverse spherification.

C
ALCIUM
S
ALTS

Other Names

Calcium Lactate, Calcium Gluconate, Calcium Sulfate, Calcium Chloride

Several modernist ingredients, such as sodium alginate, require calcium in the mixture in order to gel or hydrate. If the mixture does not have calcium it can be added through calcium salts.

G
ELLAN

Common Names

Low Acyl Gellan, High Acyl Gellan

Basic Ratios by Weight

0.5-1.25% for gels

Gellan is a popular gelling agent and comes in two varieties, high acyl or low acyl. High acyl gellan typically results in soft, elastic gels while low acyl gellan creates hard, brittle gels. They are often used together to create a variety of textures. They can also be used in spherification.

The gels created by gellan are highly dependent on the presence of calcium and potassium in the mixture. Gellan must also be heated to hydrate though it sets at high temperatures as well.

G
LUCOSE

Glucose is a form of sugar that prevents the formation of crystals when cooked. It is similar to corn syrup and may be substituted as such in most recipes.

G
UAR
G
UM

Common Names

Guarzoon

Basic Ratios by Weight

0.1-1.25% for thickening

Guar gum is one of several gums used in modernist cooking. It is made from the guar bean plant, typically from India.

It has properties similar to xanthan gum, including thickening and emulsifying ingredients as well as retaining water and preventing syneresis. It is also often used in ice creams to prevent crystal formation.

It is soluble in hot or cold water, but has a longer hydration time in cold water. It also works better with neutral to slightly acidic liquids. It is often used with other ingredients such as agar and xanthan gum. If too much is used it can add the flavor of dried beans to the dish.

G
UM
A
RABIC

Basic Ratios By Weight

1.0-45.0% for stabilization and thickening

Gum arabic is made from the Acacia tree’s resin. It has been used for thousands of years and can be used to stabilize emulsions and foams.

It can be hydrated in hot or cold liquids by blending.

I
SOMALT

Isomalt is a sugar alcohol often used as a sugar substitute and has only half the calories of sugar. It tends to be clear when cooked below 190ºC / 373ºF instead of coloring like sugar does. When clarity is not an issue you can substitute it with regular sugar.

K
ONJAC

Common Names

Konjac Flour, Konjac Mannan

Basic Ratios by Weight

0.3-1.25% for thickening

Konjac flour is made from the tuber of the konjac plant. It is a gum that can thicken liquids and stabilize emulsions. It can also gel in alkaline mixtures. It is often combined with other ingredients to improve their thickening and gelling.

It has been used in Japanese cooking for centuries and is used to make noodles as well as puddings and pastes. It is also unusual in the fact that it thickens at high temperatures instead of low ones.

L
OCUST
B
EAN
G
UM

Common Names

St. John’s Bread

Basic Ratios by Weight

0.1-0.3% - fruit filling stabilization

0.1-0.75% typically with other ingredients

Locust bean gum is taken from the seeds of the Mediterranean carob or locust bean tree. It is good at thickening liquids and stabilizing emulsions. It can be used by itself but is more often used to complement other ingredients.

It combines well with ingredients that make brittle gels and strengthens them by making them more elastic. This makes it ideal to use with xanthan gum, kappa and lambda carrageenan, and agar. It can also be used to help keep fruit fillings for pies from boiling out.

Locust bean gum can be dispersed in cold water with a blender and is hydrated in water above 90ºC / 194ºF. Once hydrated it is typically effective at temperatures below 85ºC / 185ºF.

Quick Recipe: Elastic Agar Gel

Take 200 grams of flavored liquid and disperse 0.5 grams locust bean gum and 0.4 grams agar into it using an immersion or standing blender.

Bring it to a boil and let it simmer for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove it from the heat and pour into molds. Let cool. You can now turn out the gel, cut it into any shapes you like, and serve.

M
ONO AND
D
IGLYCERIDES

Common Names

Glycerin Flakes, Texturas Glice

Basic Ratios By Weight

0.5-2% emulsifying

2-10% thickening

Mono and diglycerides are commonly used to stabilize emulsions and to thicken or foam oils. Unlike many ingredients, they have to be dissolved in oil, not in water.

They are high stability emulsifiers composed of monoglyceride and diglyceride taken from the fats of glycerin and fatty acids. Despite commonly being called “glycerin flakes”, they do not actually contain any glycerin.

In order to disperse the mono and diglycerides you have to heat the oil above 60ºC / 140ºF, at which point they melt and can easily be stirred in.

Quick Recipe: Sesame Oil Foam

Combine 215 grams of sesame oil with 16 grams of mono and diglycerides. Heat the oil until the mono and diglycerides melt. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. Pour into a heat resistant whipping siphon and charge as instructed by the manufacturer. The foam is then ready to be dispensed.