At the Institute of Culinary Education we
like to push the boundaries. In this case,
I'm using balsamic, a savory ingredient and
pastry to add balance and aesthetic
appeal to a plated dessert. Balsamic Vinegar
of Modena in the form of spun sugar achieves
a high-sheen gold effect — and it melts
in your mouth. I'm not using the richer
aged balsamic here because heating will
intensify the flavor. The mature balsamic
will be a little easier to work
with and less likely to overpower the
other flavors.
I'm using cherry puree in my cheesecake
glaze because it's strong flavor marries
beautifully with the balsamic's strong
flavor. It's common to pair opposite
flavor profiles for balance, but I prefer
to enhance each individual flavor.
It's the same concept as when you pair drinks
with dessert, you want to find something
that can stand up to the main flavor.
I want the taste of the balsamic and
what I'm pairing it with to both stand out.
The taste of vinegar is strong so
you have to find something with a flavor
profile that allows you to taste all of
the ingredients.
Sugar naturally wants to be granule
but isomalt does not, which gives me some
flexibility with this technique. The isomalt comes in a powder with bigger
granules than regular sugar. As it cooks
it melts without changing color. I melt
the isomalt in a saucepan over a low
heat until it becomes a clear liquid that simmers.
Isomalt has no flavor or
sweetness so when you spin it, you really
get the balsamic flavor. This is
similar to making a sugar syrup but with
sugar you're adding water and have to
reach a really high temperature to make
color. Once the mixture is simmering, add
the balsamic and cook for another
minute to reduce the moisture before
removing it from the heat. It will be
totally liquid at this stage and once
it's about 110 degrees Celsius, it'll
become more of a syrup. The cooler it gets,
the thicker it will be. Another benefit using
isomalt with the balsamic is it can be
reheated. You can keep coming back to it
as you work. I've created my own
attachment for an electric screwdriver,
which is essentially a round tube on the
end that spins really fast and thins out
the balsamic isomalt mixture. You get a
golden color. This is one example of how
you can innovate and be resourceful and
creative as a chef. Drop a teaspoon of
sugar over a spinning tube to get a
perfect, fine cylinder almost like a
sugar slinky. It's important to spin a
sugar to be very thin so it will dissolve in
your mouth. It may look good thicker, but
that will feel like eating glass. Once
it's had a minutes cool down, I remove the
spun sugar very delicately. It sets
straight away and it sticks, so I take it
off before it totally sets so it doesn't
lose its shape. Spun sugar is a unique and
elegant way to incorporate balance of
flavor into a show-stopping dish.
Using a savory balsamic plays with
expectations and adds an extra touch of
whimsy and artistry to desserts.
