Modernist Cooking Made Easy (13 page)
Tools Needed
Agar
Standing or immersion blender
Plastic syringe, eye dropper, or squeeze bottle
A scale with small gram measurements
Ingredients
200 grams balsamic vinegar
2 grams agar, 1.0%
Place a glass or bowl of olive oil in the freezer for 30 to 60 minutes.
Place the balsamic vinegar in a 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.
Using the syringe, squeeze bottle or eye dropper drip the gel base into the oil. You can do many pearls at the same time. Once the gel has set you can take them out with a slotted spoon and rinse them in a container of plain water. Repeat for as many pearls as you want.
Once the pearls have been made the are ready to be served or can be refrigerated, covered, for several days.
F
LUID
G
ELS
Fluid gels are a special type of gel that behave as both a gel and a liquid. They may look like a gel and taste like a liquid, or look like a liquid but suspend other particles like a gel does.
The best known example of a fluid gel is ketchup. It looks and acts like a gel in the bottle and will not come out despite your best efforts. Then suddenly, the shear forces are enough and the gel turns into a liquid and flows quickly all over your plate.
When to Use Fluid Gels
Fluid gels have many of the same uses as thickened liquids but there are some specific differences between them.
Thicker Liquids
Unlike many thickeners, such as xanthan gum, fluid gels can be made very thick without developing bad textures. This helps create sauces with the consistency of ketchup or even pudding without developing unfavorable mouthfeel. If you tried to use xanthan gum to thicken the same amount if would develop an unappealing mucus-like texture.
Stays in Place
Because fluid gels act like a gel when they are stationary they tend to stay put on the plate better. This is nice if you have different sauces for different items, or if the sauces are a separate, decorative element. Also, unlike thickened liquids, they thin out when eaten, so the texture in the mouth can be different than the texture on the plate.
Particle Suspension
The suspension of particles can be accomplished both with a fluid gel and a thickened liquid. However, a thickened liquid will feel thick in the mouth while the fluid gel will feel thin and fluid. This is why many beverages with particles in them, such as fruit juices and flavored milks, use fluid gels instead of thickened liquids, they are more palatable.
Fluid Gel Process
Fluid gels are very easy to create. You first make a standard gel using one of a subset of the above gelling agents. You can adjust the initial thickness of the fluid gel by changing the concentration of the gelling ingredient.
Once the gel sets you puree it in a standing blender or with an immersion blender until smooth. You can change the thickness of the pureed gel by adding xanthan gum to thicken it or liquid to thin it out.
Fluid Gel Containers
I try to use a container that works well with my immersion blender so I can blend it directly in the container, but any container will work. If you need it to gel more quickly, try to use a container that is wide and flat, so the gel will not be as thick and will set faster.
Fluid Gel Ingredients
A few of the gelling agents work well for the creation of fluid gels. I’ve found best results for cold gels with agar, iota and kappa carrageenan, and gelatin. For hot gels, agar is really the only ingredient in this book that can hold up to the heat. Gellan, which we don’t cover in depth, is also commonly used.
Pre-Made Fluid Gel
If you find yourself making fluid gels on a regular basis or want to gel raw ingredients, you can sacrifice some flavor by using pre-made fluid gels. Simply make a gel with water and 1% agar and let it set. It will last covered in the refrigerator for a week or two.
When you want to turn a liquid into a fluid gel you puree it with some of the pre-made fluid gel. Just start with a small amount and continue adding more until the liquid is the texture you prefer.
Because of the water content it will dilute the liquid some but the convenience can be worth it.
P
APAYA
P
UDDING
Papaya has a nice, mild flavor that can complement fish and lighter poultry. We turn it into a pudding here to add body and texture to it.
Tools Needed
Agar
Standing or immersion blender
A scale with small gram measurements
Ingredients
400 grams papaya juice
42 grams honey, about 2 tablespoons
4 grams agar, 1.0%
0.4-1.6 grams xanthan gum, optional, 0.1% - 0.4%
Blend the papaya juice and agar together.
Place the papaya mixture into a pot and bring to a boil. Let simmer for 3 to 5 minutes. Pour the papaya mixture into a container and let it completely set.
Once it is set, cube the gel. Puree the papaya gel using a blender, immersion blender, or food processor until smooth. Add some water if you need to thin it, or some xanthan gum to thicken it.
Once it reaches the desired consistency it is ready to be served.
B
OURBON
S
AUCE
This shows how the same traditional ingredients can be transformed by using a different modernist ingredient. It uses the same ingredients for the Bourbon Glaze in the Thickening chapter but replaces the xanthan gum with agar. It’s a little more involved but the result is a fantastic, thick sauce that will last in the refrigerator for up to a week..
Even though there are several steps, they are all very easy and quick to do. First, we combine all the ingredients and gel them. Then we blend the gel to make a fluid gel, basically a flavorful, thick sauce.
You can change the final thickness of the sauce by changing the amount of agar you use.
Tools Needed
Agar
Xanthan gum, optional
Immersion blender
Immersion or standing blender
A scale with small gram measurements
Ingredients
207 grams bourbon whiskey, about 1 cup
110 grams brown sugar, about ½ cup
140 grams ketchup, about ½ cup
10 grams Worcester sauce, about 2 teaspoons
5 grams liquid smoke, about 1 teaspoon
60 grams apple juice, about ¼ cup
12 grams lemon juice, about 1 tablespoon
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon dry mustard
Salt and pepper
4 grams agar, 0.75%
0.5-2.2 grams xanthan gum, optional, 0.1-04%
Add all of the ingredients except the agar and xanthan gum to a pot over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally.
Taste the sauce for seasoning and adjust as needed. Once the sauce tastes balanced it is ready to be gelled.
Sprinkle in the agar and blend well with the immersion blender. Let it simmer for 3 to 5 minutes and then pour out into a container for it to set.
Once the gel has fully set, roughly chop it into cubes and place it a blender or a container that works well with your immersion blender. Blend the gel well until it becomes a thick, smooth sauce. You can add water to thin it out or some xanthan gum to thicken it if needed.
It can now be used as is or refrigerated for later use. It can be heated up to 80ºC / 175ºF before it will break down.
T
ERIYAKI
S
AUCE
Teriyaki sauce is one of my favorite sauces. This sauce doesn’t take very long to make, besides letting the gel cool.
Tools Needed
Agar
Xanthan gum, optional
Immersion blender
Immersion or standing blender
Chinois, optional
A scale with small gram measurements
Ingredients
80 grams soy sauce, about ⅓ cup
60 grams hoisin sauce, about ¼ cup
50 grams brown sugar, about ¼ cup
100 grams diced pineapple, about ½ cup
1 fresh red chile, diced
2 garlic cloves, diced
1 tablespoon grated ginger
45 grams rice vinegar, about 3 tablespoons
1.7 grams agar, 0.5%
0.3-1.2 grams xanthan gum, optional, 0.1-0.4%
Add all of the ingredients except the agar and xanthan gum to a pot over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally.
Taste the sauce for seasoning and adjust as needed. Once the sauce tastes balanced it is ready to be gelled. For a more refined sauce you can strain it with a chinois before gelling it.
Sprinkle in the agar and blend well with the immersion blender. Let it simmer for 3 to 5 minutes and then pour out into a container for it to set.
Once the gel has fully set roughly chop it into cubes and place it a blender or a container that works well with your immersion blender. Blend the gel well until it becomes a thick, smooth sauce. You can add water to thin it out or some xanthan gum to thicken it if needed.
It can now be used as is or refrigerated for later use. It can be heated up to 80ºC / 175ºF before it will break down.
B
ACON-
B
LUE
C
HEESE
S
AUCE
Smoky bacon and creamy blue cheese is a great pairing. We first infuse cream with bacon and then add blue cheese and iota carrageenan to gel it.
It’s great as a topping on grilled steaks or even as a dip for vegetables.
Tools Needed
Iota carrageenan
Standing or immersion blender
Chinois
A scale with small gram measurements
Ingredients
10 strips bacon, cooked and diced
375 grams heavy cream, about 1½ cups
Salt and pepper
125 grams blue cheese, about ½ cup
1 gram iota carrageenan, 0.2%
0.5-2 grams xanthan gum, optional, 0.1% - 0.4%
Pour the cream into a pot and add the bacon. Bring to a simmer and puree with an immersion blender until pureed well. Remove from the heat and let steep for 20 to 30 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.
For a finer texture you can strain the cream through a chinois. Return the cream to the pot, add the iota carrageenan and blend well with an immersion blender. Bring to a simmer. Add the blue cheese and blend until mixed well. Remove from the heat and pour into a container for it to set.
Let cool at room temperature, or in an ice bath, then place in the refrigerator to finish setting.
Once fully set cut the gel into cubes and puree with a standing or immersion blender, or food processor until nice and smooth. If needed, you can add some water to thin it, or some xanthan gum to thicken it.
After it is pureed it is ready to be served.
L
OW
T
EMPERATURE
C
OOKING
For a more detailed look at sous vide, the equipment needed, and the specifics of the process you can view our free Beginning Sous Vide guide on our website.
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