Wild Blueberry Pt. 3: Crisp

It's Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada and I just wasn't feeling the pumpkin-dessert thing this year. I guess I'm just not ready to say goodbye to summer yet... despite the snow flurries we had yesterday. I have some of this years sweet corn in the freezer that I cut from the cobs and vac-packed along with the juice scraped from the cobs. The scraped cobs were vac-packed and frozen seperately. I still have gallons of the blueberries I picked in the freezer. Since the two flavors work so well together, it seemed like a good plan to pair them up for the harvest celebration.


wild blueberry crisp - sweet corn ice cream
blueberry crisp:
600 grams blueberries
100 grams sugar
30 grams fresh lemon juice
25 grams cornstarch
1 gram salt

75 grams oatmeal
60 grams flour
150 grams brown sugar
115 grams unsalted butter
1 gram salt

Toss together the blueberries, sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch and 1 gram of salt in a baking dish. Mix together the oatmeal, flour, brown sugar and 1 gram of salt. Work in the butter with your fingers to get a crumbly mixture. Spread over the blueberries and bake at 175°C (350°F) for 40 - 45 minutes (until the topping is browned and the blueberry juice is bubbling thickly around the edges).

sweet corn ice cream:
2 large ears of sweet corn with the corn cut and juice scraped from them
700 grams whole milk
85 grams sugar
55 grams unsalted butter
35 grams dry milk powder
20 grams trimoline
35 grams egg yolk
25 grams sugar
25 grams glucose powder
3 grams ice cream stabilizer
1 gram salt

Heat the corn and cobs with the milk, 85 grams sugar, butter, milk powder and trimoline just to a simmer. Remove from the heat, cover and infuse for 30 - 40 minutes. Remove the cobs and thoroughly puree the milk mixture with a stick blender (or in a blender). Mix together the 25 grams sugar, the glucose powder and the stabilizer and whisk into the milk mixture. Temper in the egg yolks and heat, stirring constantly, to 85°C (185°F). Pour through a strainer then pass through a chinois. Cool in an ice water bath and chill for at least four hours. Churn.

Royal Foodie Joust: Apple, Maple Syrup, Cayenne

The Oct. 1 round of the Royal Foodie Joust from the Left-Over Queen blog features apples, maple syrup and cayenne pepper as the flavor combo. This is a group of flavors that make sense together so the major challenge involved is making interesting use of the flavors, not making them taste good together. The other challenge is coming up with something I'm not embarrassed to post because the people who participate in the monthly challenges do some really nice food and this will be my first joust. Anyway, it's really all about the food and having fun so this is what I came up with. I enjoyed creating it and those who tasted it seemed to enjoy eating it.


maple cream - granny smith sorbet - apple crisps - maple cayenne puree

granny smith sorbet:
100 grams sugar
1.2 grams apple pectin
1 gram ascorbic acid (you can use a couple tablespoons of lemon juice if prefered)
.5 gram malic acid (optional... it helps restore the natural acid balance of the apples)
small pinch salt
240 grams water
450 grams cored and chopped granny smith apple with skin (hold in water acidulated with ascorbic acid or lemon juice until ready to use)

Combine the dry ingredients in a pan, whisk in the water and heat just to the boil. Put the chopped apple in a blender, pour in the hot syrup and puree. Pass through a fine mesh strainer (be sure to work all of the pulp through, only leaving behind any large chunks and bits of skin). Chill for at least 6 hours and churn.

I'm not happy with the color of the sorbet this time. For some reason, the apples were quite a bit off-white inside but the flavor and texture weren't those of overripe or mishandled apples. Maybe it was something to do with the growing season, I've noticed an unusual layer of pink flesh in the McIntoshes this year as well.

maple cream:
150 grams heavy cream
75 grams maple syrup, #2 (U.S. grade B... you want the dark stuff with lots of flavor)
100 grams whole egg
7 grams cornstarch
pinch salt
1 sheet gelatin, hydrated in cold water
75 grams white chocolate

Combine eggs and cornstarch in a pan. Whisk in cream, syrup and salt. Cook over low heat until thickened, remove from heat, add the white chocolate and whisk in. Squeeze excess water from the gelatin and whisk into the hot custard. Pour through a chinois and chill.

apple crisps:
200 grams sugar
200 grams water
2 granny smith apples, cored, cut into very thin sticks (hold in water acidulated with ascorbic acid or lemon juice until ready to use)
20 grams sugar
2 grams salt
pinch cayenne powder
pinch malic acid

Pulse the 20 grams sugar, the salt, cayenne and malic acid in a processor or spice grinder until powdered. Heat the 200 grams sugar and the water over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Drain the apples and add to the syrup. Remove from heat and allow to cool in the syrup for 20 - 30 minutes. Drain the apple sticks and form small piles on silicon or parchment lined sheet pans. Dry in an oven at 80 C (175 F) until crisp. Toss with the sugar mixture, shake off excess and cool on wire racks.

maple cayenne puree:
100 grams water
100 grams maple syrup, #2 (U.S. grade B)
2 grams salt
.5 gram cayenne powder
2 grams agar
.4 gram xanthan

Combine water, syrup, salt and cayenne in a blender. Turn on low and shear in the agar and xanthan. Pour into a pan and heat to a boil. Simmer 2 minutes. Pour into a container and chill. Break into pieces and puree in a blender until smooth. Pass through a chinois and chill.

Wild Blueberry Pt. 2: BBQ Sauce

The end of the bbq season is approaching quickly for many people where I live. They tuck their grills away in sheds and garages to hibernate through the long, cold winter. I prefer to use my grill year round despite some of the looks standing outside flipping food around brings my way when it's 30 or 40 below. Five months (or more) is just too long to live without it. So the second installment in Things To Do With Lots of Wild Blueberries is a bbq sauce that's great with pork, chicken and duck.


wild blueberry bbq sauce:
15 grams oil
200 grams onion, diced
2 cinnamon sticks
2 star anise
15 grams peeled and minced fresh ginger
10 grams garlic, minced
700 grams wild blueberries (I used fresh, frozen is fine)
100 grams honey (I used a blueberry blossom honey I had on hand just to stay with the theme but use what you like)
50 grams light brown sugar
30 grams blueberry vinegar, commercial or homemade (see below - or just use a white wine vinegar)
100 grams ketchup
60 grams yellow mustard
20 grams soy sauce
3 grams chipotle powder
2 grams smoked sweet paprika (use 5 grams chipotle and eliminate the paprika if you want more heat)
6 grams salt

Caramelize the onions with the star anise and cinnamon stick in the oil over low heat. Add the ginger and garlic and continue to cook until the garlic reduces in pungency. Add the blueberries and cook until they begin to soften. Add the honey, vinegar, ketchup, mustard, soy sauce, chipotle, paprika and salt. Continue cooking over low heat for about 20 minutes. Remove cinnamon sticks and star anise, puree in a blender and pass through a chinois (a fine mesh strainer will work if you don't mind a few blueberry seeds in the sauce). Return to a clean pan, adjust with brown sugar, vinegar, salt and chipotle to taste and cook over very low heat to thicken slightly.

blueberry vinegar:
150 grams wild blueberries
225 grams white wine vinegar

Crush the blueberries in a large glass jar or bowl. Heat the vinegar to 88 C (190 F), pour over the berries and stir. Cover and leave in a cool, dark place for 5 days. Pour through a fine mesh strainer into a pan and heat to 77 C (170 F). Pour through a few layers of cheesecloth and then through a coffee filter into a sterilized jar. Store refrigerated.

Cool Stuff.

Thanks Trig!

Wild Blueberry Pt. 1: Ice Cream

I've picked over 50 gallons of wild blueberries this year... so I suppose it's about time I did something with some of them. I used an eggless base for this because I think blueberry tastes better without the egg. If you disagree, you could work a few yolks into the base as you would for any other custard.


blueberry puree:
700 grams fresh wild blueberries, rinsed
50 grams sugar
pinch of ascorbic acid (or a squeeze of fresh lemon juice)

Toss everything together and seal in a bag. Cook in an 85 C (185 F) water bath for an hour (thanks to Linda at Playing with Fire and Water for that idea. I used a higher temp than she did in order to help them break down more since they're going to be pureed and don't need the structural integrity at the end. You could also do this without the bag over very low heat in a pan.). Puree in a blender and pass through a fine mesh strainer. Chill.

base:
400 grams whole milk
245 grams heavy cream
150 grams sugar
95 grams nonfat dry milk
60 grams trimoline
45 grams atomized glucose
5 grams stabilizer

Combine the sugar, dry milk, atomized glucose and stabilizer.
Heat the milk, cream and trimoline to 45°C (113°F). Whisk in the dry mixture and heat to 85°C (185°F). Pour through a fine mesh strainer, cool in a water bath and chill.

Combine 845 grams of the base with 655 grams of the puree and 1 gram of salt then chill for at least 6 hours (This allows a brightness and intensity of flavor from the berries to come forward that isn't there immediately after combining with the base.). Stir the mixture and churn.

It's plated with sous vide wild blueberries in blueberry syrup and an oatmeal cookie crumble made from oatmeal cookie dough with lemon zest.

Poison?

Tonka beans and bitter almonds and cherry pits... oh my!
The fear of tonka bean revolves around coumarin. Bitter almond and cherry (or peach or apricot) pits raise cyanide concerns.
Are they legitimate concerns? Probably.
Are the concerns blown out of proportion? Possibly.
Do I let fear of the "maybes" prevent me from occasional use of these beautiful flavors that have no substitute? No!
Should you? That's a decision you have to make for yourself.
For me the trusty "all things in moderation" rule applies quite nicely here. Be forewarned though: if you ever make a batch of cherry (or peach or apricot) pit ice cream, you will find it a very difficult flavor to give up regardles of your views on the potential issues.


milk chocolate pain de genes - almond frangipane - tonka bean blancmange - maraschino juice and kirsch gelee - noyaux soup

TGRWT #18: Plum and Blue Cheese

This round of the khymos.org TGRWT (They Go Really Well Together) was hosted by Pastry Chef Aidan "Trig" Brooks. He chose plum and blue cheese as the ingredient pairing to work with. To spice it up a little, he added a competitive element to this round by offering to pick his favorite submitted dessert recipe, rework it to fit in with what he does and place it on the restaurant menu (pending approval). Fun stuff!


cabrales cheesecake:
80 grams sugar
5.6 grams Iota carrageean
2.8 grams Kappa carrageenan
1.8 grams agar
150 grams water
200 grams cream cheese, room temp
200 grams cabrales cheese, room temp
200 grams sour cream, room temp

Whisk together the sugar, the carrageenans and the agar. Blend the cream cheese, cabrales cheese and sour cream together. Put the water in a blender and turn on low. Slowly pour in the sugar mixture. Pour into a heavy pan and heat over med-low heat to 88° C (190° F) Add cheese mixture and heat just to a boil, stirring constantly. Pour into molds and refrigerate until set.

pickled plum sorbet:
620 grams pitted plums, sliced
100 grams cider vinegar
50 grams sugar
1 small cinnamon stick
4 peppercorns
3 grams salt
123 grams water
257 grams sorbet syrup*

Heat vinegar, sugar, cinnamon, pepper and salt just to a boil. Remove from heat, seal with plastic wrap and cool to room temp. Pour through a sieve into a vacuum bag with the plum slices. Seal with vacuum sealer and chill overnight. Drain plum slices (reserve pickling liquid) and puree with the water. Push through a chinois. Stir in sorbet syrup, adjust to taste with reserved pickling liquid and chill for several hours. Churn and hold in freezer.

*sorbet syrup:
195 grams water
210 grams sugar
90 grams glucose powder
3.5 grams sorbet stabilizer

Combine the stabilizer with 30 grams of the sugar. Combine the water, remaining sugar and glucose powder and heat to 40° C (104° F). Whisk in the sugar/stabilizer mixture slowly. Continue heating, stirring constantly, to 85° C (185° F). Cool in an ice bath. Chill.

sablee nuggets:
135 grams unsalted butter, softened
120 grams granulated sugar
55 grams egg yolks
3 grams salt
9 grams baking powder
180 grams flour, toasted

In a mixer bowl fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar. Slowly add egg yolks, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Add flour, salt and baking powder, mixing just until combined. Chill. Crumble randomly onto parchment lined sheet and bake at 160° C (325° F) until golden brown (14 - 16 min.). Cool.

cabrales crumble:
40 grams nonfat dry milk
30 grams flour
15 grams cornstarch
15 grams sugar
30 grams cabrales cheese + 40 grams butter, melted tgether
30 grams cabrales cheese crumbles (dehydrate crumbled cheese until completely dry and crush into small crumbs)
70 grams white chocolate, melted

Heat oven to 107° C (225° F). Whisk together milk powder, flour, cornstarch and sugar. Stir in butter/cheese until well combined. Spread on a parchment lined sheet and bake until dry and crumbly (8 - 10 min.). Cool completely. Crumble into a bowl and fold in the dehydrated cabrales then the white chocolate. Toss until set and crumbly. Store at room temp in an airtight container.

plum slices:
fresh plums, pitted and sliced as thinly as possible
simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water, heated to boil and cooled)
vanilla bean

Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the simple syrup. Add the plum slices and refrigerate until needed. Drain well.

plum coulis:
350 grams pitted plums pureed with 10 grams lemon juice (room temp)
150 grams water
70 grams sugar
5.5 grams agar
.95 grams xanthan

Combine sugar, agar and xanthan. Pour the water into a blender, turn on low and stream in sugar mixture. Pour into a heavy pan and heat to a boil. Simmer 2 minutes. Stir in plum puree and pour into a pan. Chill. Break into a blender and puree until smooth. Push through a chinois and chill until needed.

assembly:
Place a cheesecake strip on a plate. Combine a small amount of sablee crumbs and cabrales crumble and make a small pile near one end of cheesecake. Place a small pile of drained plum slices on the center of cheesecake strip. Place a small pile of cabrales crumble on each side of plum slices. Arrange sablee nuggets and dollops of plum coulis along the cheesecake. Place a quenelle of sorbet on the pile of crumbs.

Summary: I enjoyed the pairing and was very happy with the final dish. It needed a few tweaks on the fly for flavor balances, sweetness, acidity, etc. that I completely failed to record so I'm going to have to play around all over again the next time I do it (and there will be a next time). For anybody curious, the recipes above will get you really close and the final taste and balance is always personal anyway so make it taste good to you.