Carrots and ginger foam

Well I have done it again ... to take a recipe, read it, change something and make it. I seem not able to read a recipe without making it as it is. This time I had a good excuse! The idea for this foam cames from a cold soup recipe I read on the cavolettodibrussels.it blog. Given the diet we are following, I can not afford the mascarpone. Therefore, changing the recipe to make a foam instead of a soup seemed worth a try. This foam has very sharp taste, which can be used to complement other dishes or on its own for a taste shock! I quite like it ... my fiancee not really. She finds it too sharp. So beware ....

Serves: 10 as an amuse
FlexiPoints: 0*

Suggested wine: none! Too sharp on its own for wine ... maybe a young Chablis. Not sure.

Ingredients:
- 700g carrots
- 1 shallot
- 1 lemon
- 20g ginger
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 sheets of gelatin (about 2.5g)
- Water and salt as needed
- One 1/2 L foaming canister

How-to:
1. Peel and chop the carrot, the ginger and the shallot. Put them in a small casserole with the oil and juice of the lemon.
2. Let it cook on low heat for a few minutes until the shallot gets soft.
3. Top up with cold water. You will probably need 300/400 ml. Let it simmer until the carrot is very soft (about 20’ or 30’).
4. Whiz everything in a kitchen robot adding some more cold water if the final cream looks dry.
5. Pass the cream through a sieve twice. Rince the gelatin sheets in warm water and add it to the cream. Stir well until the gelatin has been fully absorbed by the cream.
6. Fill the foaming canister up to 2/3 (discard or eat what is left) and use one cream charger. Shake well and let it refrigerate for at least 6 hours before serving.

Learning while failing: asparagus foam

I have again tried to play around with the iSi gourmet whip. After seeing the miracles done with some orange juice and gelatin I became adventurous ... so, here I am reducing some asparagus cooking water, adding gelatin and pour it in the canister. When warm the foam had some scent of asparagus, but after cooling it down in the fridge, it was basically a water foam.

What did I learnt, well ... when making foams without cream, I need very strongly flavored stock. The cooking water of the asparagus wasn't enough. Furthermore, some water and some gelatin do indeed create a nice foamy cream that can be used with dished removing the need for cream. Great for reducing calories with no compromises on taste. Next time I will make a fish or lobster bouillon, and try the same. I am sure it will be fantastic.

As a guide, try always to use 280ml bouillon and with two gelative sheets (about 2.5g). This should give a good result in a 0.5L iSi gourmet whip.

El Bulli's blood orange foam

The iSi gourmet whip ... the simbol of El Bulli, what experts consider the best restaurant on the planet and where booking is difficult, almost imposible. It was a while I was planning to get hold on one of these strange kitchen accessories and try something out.
I admit this wasn't the first foam recipe from El Bulli (1998-2002 book) I tried, but the one by which I was surprised the most. It is perfect for a diet as it has no added sugar. Nevertheless, foaming blood orange juice gave it some sense of sweetness. Incredible. The taste is explosive and the texture ... well in between a cream and a jelly. For sure I will use the iSi more and maybe get a second one to start mixing foams.
Note that the quantities are not exactly the same as the original recipe as was looking for a slightly more consistent texture.

Serves: 10
FlexiPoints: 0*

Suggested wine: -

Ingredients:
- 280ml blood orange pressed juice
- 2 gelatine sheets (2.5g)

How-To:

1. Rinse the gelatin sheets in cold water.
2. Warm up 100ml of juice and melt the gelatin in it. Remove from the heat and add the remaining juice.
3. Pour the liquid in a 0.5 liters foaming canister through a sieve and use one cream charge. Shake well and refrigerate for at least 4 hours on the lower part of the fridge.
4. Serve as soon as the foam is produced out of the canister.