Half Moon Unveils Food For Tomorrow
The 13th annual Jamaica Observer Food Awards featured the crème de la crème of the local culinary industry, with innovative new foods, recipes and even cooking techniques. Half Moon’s Food For Tomorrow-themed booth, spearheaded by executive sous chef Hans Heusinkveld and executive pastry chef Wouter Tjeertes, wowed patrons with its science-infused menu. Thursday Food takes a closer look today at Molecular Cuisine.
Chef Heusinkveld, who perfected the technique through his studies at the French Culinary Institute of New York, explains that the technique incorporates science – physical, technical, artistic and chemical processes – into cooking.
The food will therefore be “just as delicious”, he assures Thursday Food, but with “more varied flavour combinations”. The proof of the pudding is in the eating, so we asked Chef Heusinkveld to share a few of the molecular cuisine recipes showcased at the Food Awards. He welcomes the feedback.
Bon Appetit!
Liquid Green Peas Ravioli
Peas mixture
Ingredients:
260 grams frozen green peas
325 grams water
5 large mint leaves
3 grams sodium alginate
5 grams salt
Method:
Cook frozen peas in a small amount of water for four minutes.
Add mint leaves for the last five seconds of cooking.
Drain, then shock in icy-cold water.
Using a blender, combine water and sodium alginate.
Bring to a boil over high heat, then cool to room temperature.
Blend peas mixture, water and alginate solution.
Strain through a superbag (mesh straining bag).
Setting Bath
Ingredients:
1500 grams cold water
10 grams calcium chloride
Method:
Using a measuring spoon, scoop the pea mixture into a semi-circle shape.
Set the bottom of the spoon against the surface of the calcium chloride bath, then pour the mixture with a gentle turn of the wrist.
Let the pea mixture cook for two minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon from the bath.
Place in another bowl filled with cold water.
Smoked Salmon Powder
Ingredients:
200 grams smoked salmon
50 grams tapioca maltodextrine
Method:
Wrap the smoked salmon in plastic wrap (in a tube shape) and freeze it overnight. Using a grater, grate the frozen smoked salmon though the finest holes in the grater.
Dry in a dehydrator on low temperature.
Blend with a pinch of tapioca maltodextrine.
Pickled Cucumber
Ingredients:
1 whole cucumber
1 tsp salt
60 ml white vinegar
50 grams sugar
1 leaf finely diced pickled ginger
Method:
Dice the cucumber into a very small brunoise.
Mix the salt, vinegar, sugar and pickled ginger.
Marinate the cucumber overnight in the vinegar mixture.
Sous Vide Seafood Sausage
Ingredients:
400 grams salmon
200 grams scallops
200 grams grouper
200 grams shrimp
20 grams fresh tarragon
20 grams fresh basil
20 grams fresh parsley
20 grams fresh chives
30 grams freshly squeezed lemon juice
20 grams salt
10 grams pepper
Activa RM (Transglutaminaise)
Method:
Dice all the seafood into a very small brunoise.
Add the finely chopped herbs and a splash of lemon juice.
Season with salt and pepper.
Weigh the mixture and add 0.75 per cent by weight of Activa RM and mix.
Roll into a sausage shape and tightly wrap with plastic.
Put in a water bath of 57 degrees Celsius (134.5 Fahrenheit).
Cook for 30 minutes.
Remove from water and remove plastic.
Sear quickly in a non-stick frying pan.
Pepper Jelly with Star Anise Foam
Ingredients:
4 jars pepper jelly
5 pieces star anise
1.2 litres orange juice
50 ml lemon juice
Method:
Boil orange juice, lemon juice and star anise.
Add the pepper jelly to the hot orange juice.
Cool and strain.
Weigh the mixture.
Add one per cent of Versawhip 600K by weight.
Add 0.3 per cent of Xanthan gum by weight.
Blend.
Whisk in a kitchen aid until you get stable foam.
Crispy Capers
Ingredients:
1 jar capers
Method:
Drain and towel-dry capers, be careful not to crush them.
Fry them in a hot deep fryer until the water has evaporated.
Put them in a dehydrator until completely crispy.
