Technique, Recipe, and Video for Liquid Nitrogen Floating Island on StarChefs.com

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Nitro Coconut Floating Island with Passion Fruit and Vanilla by Pastry Chef Michael Gillet

Technique: Liquid Nitrogen Floating Island
Pastry Chef Michael Gillet of The Bazaar by José Andrés – Los Angeles, CA
September 2009

Recently we’ve seen that modern tableside service can appear in just about any form, from maitre’d’s cracking open steaming salt-encased beets to whisking together a la minute ice creams. Now we add another tableside trick to the list.

At José Andrés’ swank, Starck-designed The Bazaar in Beverly Hills, Pastry Chef Michael Gillet offers a dramatic, fun, tableside take on the floating island, the classical French dessert, which traditionally features a base of crème Anglaise topped with one or several chunks of meringue.

Gillet’s “island” is a new school meringue made sans egg whites in the iSi food whipper using coconut puree and cream. Dispensed into a ladle and dipped in liquid nitrogen before the diners, it freezes within seconds into a smooth sphere, ready to be shattered over a “sea” of agar-gelatin thickened passion fruit puree.




+ click images to enlarge		Photos by Antoinette Bruno

Step 1: Combine the flavor agent with a fat in a food whipper. Refrigerate.
Step 2: Dispense the foam in a ball shape into the bowl of the ladle.
Step 3: Dip the ladle in the liquid nitrogen, moving it around to freeze the ball consistently.
Step 4: Remove the ball from the ladle and place in the center of the plate.

Video
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Nitro Coconut Floating Island with Passion Fruit and Vanilla
Pastry Chef Michael Gillet of The Bazaar by José Andrés – Los Angeles, CA
Adapted by StarChefs.com
November 2009
yield: 6 Servings

INGREDIENTS

Vanilla Syrup:
½ liter simple syrup
3 vanilla beans

Caramelized Coconut Flakes:
200 milliliters simple syrup
50 grams coconut flakes

Coconut Foam:
200 grams coconut puree
70 grams cream

Passion Fruit Cream:
125 grams simple syrup
125 grams water
3.1 grams agar agar
1½ sheets gelatin
250 grams passion fruit puree

To Assemble and Serve:
Tamarind paste
1 passion fruit
1 bunch fresh mint
Liquid nitrogen

METHOD

For the Vanilla Syrup:
Heat the syrup to 80ºC and add the vanilla; let the mixture infuse for 24 hours and then strain and transfer to a squeeze bottle.

For the Caramelized Coconut Flakes:
Temper the syrup in the microwave, and add the coconut flakes. Reserve at room temperature until the flakes are hydrated. Strain the flakes from the syrup and spread them on a tray; dry in a dehydrator until crispy.

For the Coconut Foam:
Combine the coconut puree and the cream. Transfer to a food whipper and charge with 2 chargers. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

For the Passion Fruit Cream:
Combine the syrup, water, and the agar agar. Bring the mixture to a boil and add the gelatin and the passion fruit puree. Transfer the mixture to a tall container and blend using a hand blender. Strain and transfer to a squeeze bottle.

To Assemble and Serve:
Spoon a circle of passion fruit cream on the plate. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the vanilla syrup around the passion fruit cream. Arrange 3 dots of tamarind paste, 6 passion fruit seeds, and 3 mint leaves around the edge of the cream. Dispense the coconut foam from the food whipper into a ladle. Dip the ladle into the liquid nitrogen. Rotate the ladle to loosen the ball, giving it a rounder shape. Place the ball in the center of the passion fruit cream. Garnish with the coconut flakes.

Published: November 2009