By Chef Laurent Lherisson, for the Penang International Salon Culinaire 2005, National Team Live Hot Cooking category
Serves 6
Redcurrant Mousse
150g fresh or frozen redcurrants, mashed
10g maracuja fruit flavoured vodka
3 gelatine leaves, soaked in cold water
150g whipping cream
30g caster sugar
6 white chocolate tuilles
Pink Chocolate
200g white chocolate couverture
100g cocoa butter
A drop of pink food colouring
Redcurrant Sauce
100ml water, divided for use
chopped ginger
5g cornstarch
clove garlic, peeled and chopped
100g frozen redcurrants
olive oil
100g caster sugar
dry white wine (chardonnay)
Crisp Ring
3 egg whites
120g caster sugar
30g melted butter
80g self-raising flour
1 kikka flower*
1 kogiku flower*
Garnish
18 pcs kae de leaves*
30g egg white
15g caster sugar
30g whipping cream
1 pinch caster sugar
1 drop rose essence
1 pinch vanilla seeds
For the Redcurrant Mousse:
Place the redcurrants in a bowl. Gently warm the vodka in a saucepan and stir in the gelatine leaves until they are melted. Then pour this mixture into the redcurrants. In a separate mixing bowl, whip the cream with the caster sugar until smooth, then fold into the recurrant mixture. Pour the combined mixture into 6 narrow, cylindrical moulds and insert a white chocolate tuille into the middle of each. Place the moulds in a freezer to set in freezer. Remove the moulds from the set mousse, then spray the melted pink chocolate over them with an air brush and keep refrigerated until use.
For the Redcurrant Sauce:
Mix a few drops of water with the cornstarch the water in a small bowl and set aside. Place the frozen redcurrants in a blender and blend to a smooth puree, then strain. Mix the redcurrant puree with the caster sugar and remaining water in a saucepan, bring to a boil and then add the dissolved cornstarch to obtain a thick, smooth sauce consistency.
For the Wolfberry Compote:
Place the wolfberries in a small bowl. Bring the light sugar syrup to a boil and then pour into the bowl. Let the wolfberries sit in the syrup for about 1 minute and then strain. Warm the wolfberries in a pan and the flambé with the vodka. Then strain the mixture again and set aside to cool. Once cool, mix with the prepared redcurrant sauce, stir in the chopped basil and then store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
For the Crisp Ring:
Whip the egg whites and sugar to a soft peak, then mix in the melted butter and flour until the mixture is smooth. Reserve overnight in a refrigerator before spreading a thin layer on a silpat using a stencil. Sprinkle the petals of both the kikka and kogiku flowers over before baking the mixture at 160°C until it is set. Cut the biscuit into strips and mould into a ring while it is still hot. Then store in an airtight container.
For the Garnish:
Brush each kae de leaf on both sides with egg white, then sprinkle some sugar all over and lay the leaves on parchment paper. Keep in a dry place until the sugar form a crust. Then store in an airtight container. Whip the cream with the sugar and vanilla seeds. Fold in the rose essence and store in the refrigerator until needed.
* NOTE:
Kae de leaves, kikka flowers and kogiku flowers are totally edible plant parts used mainly in Japanese sushi-making. You can buy them from any Japanese restaurant supplier and in some good food supermarket or specialty stores.