Tomato water crème bavarois,
red pepper gel, dehydrated strawberry & crystallised rose petals
Photography: Alan Carville Recipes: Chefs Stefan Hogan, Jonathan Zammit, and Mark McBride Plates from camilleriparismode, wooden bowls from LOFT
For the tomato water bavarois
600g beef tomato
100g sugar
400ml cream
4 egg yolk
3 leaves gold leaf gelatine
2tbsp boiling water
Method: Cut the tomato into pieces and place in a strainer from the night before to collect the tomato water. Bloom gelatine in cold water. Scale out 200g of the water, add to sugar and boil. Pour into the egg yolk and return to heat until it starts to thicken. Add the gelatine, and allow cooling. Whip the cream to a soft peak and fold into the tomato mixture. Pipe into moulds and allow to set in the fridge.
Ingredients for the red pepper gel
360g red pepper juice
400g sugar
100g glucose
20g citric acid
30g pectin
Method: Prepare an 8×8-inch square pan by lining it with parchment paper or use a silicone pan. Cook the red pepper purée and sugar together in a medium saucepan over low heat until they form a very thick syrup. Depending on the thickness of your purée, it will take between 30 minutes to 1 hour. The syrup should thickly coat the back of a spoon or spatula. Add glucose and pectin. Re-boil until it reaches 129C. Remove from the heat and stir in the pectin while hot. Pour immediately into prepared pan. Allow to cool to room temperature. Once the pate de fruit is completely set, cut them into small strips with a knife dipped in water. They can be rolled in caster sugar or left plain. The sugar makes them easier to store and stack, as it prevents them from sticking together.
Ingredients for the compressed tomatoes
140g water
140g granulated sugar
2 large tomatoes
Method: Boil water and sugar to obtain a simple syrup. Cut the tomatoes into quarters, remove the skin and seeds. Place them into a vacuum bag and pour over syrup. Seal the bag and poach over low heat for 30 minutes. Leave to cool.
Ingredients for the beetroot
2 egg whites
125g icing sugar
4 raw beetroot
Method: Scrub and peel the beetroot. Boil for 30-60 minutes until cooked through (a fork should easily pierce the beetroot). Remove from liquid and cook the liquid down for another 45-60 minutes until it’s reduced, thick and dark purple-red. To make the meringues, put the sugar and egg whites in a mixing bowl together and whisk with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form (about 5-8 minutes). Add as much of the beetroot syrup as required to get a dark rich purple-red colour in the meringue. Pipe onto a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper. Each meringue should be a couple of centimetres in diameter (you don’t need to pipe; the mixture will be stiff enough to shape with a spoon). Bake for 30-40 minutes at 160C until crisp on the outside but not
golden and cooked on the inside (insert a skewer into one to check). Leave to cool on a wire rack.
Ingredients for the ube halaya
500g grated purple yam
460ml coconut milk
210g granulated white sugar
1tsp cooking oil
Method: Pour the coconut milk in a cooking pot. Bring to a boil. Once the coconut milk starts to boil, add the sugar. Stir until the sugar dilutes completely. Add in the grated purple yam. Continue to cook while stirring (using low to medium heat) until the texture gets thick. (It will take around 20 to 30 minutes.) Grease a tray with cooking oil. Transfer the ube halaya to the greased tray to mould it into shape. Let it cool down to room temperature. Place in the refrigerator over night, and use the blender to turn into a paste to be piped directly onto the plate.
For plating this dessert, we have taken a modern approach. De-mould the bavarois and place onto the plating surface, as a whole or cut into smaller pieces and placed randomly. Place the compressed tomatoes slivers onto the bavarois, place the beetroot meringues and the other components as if they have fallen onto the plate instead of being placed. (This kind of plating is referred to as Dirty Plating).
