Boa constrictor and python are a simple name. What is the difference between a boa constrictor and a python? Main differences
Molecular gastronomy is not familiar to every person. There is nothing unusual about this: the name is unclear, many have heard somewhere that it is very expensive, that it is necessary to equip the kitchen with technological equipment, and study “tons” of information about special ingredients.
In fact, everything is not as difficult as it seems. takes as its basis not the usual approach to cooking, but the use of special natural ingredients and a unique cooking technology. In the kitchens where molecular dishes are prepared, an atmosphere of creativity and concentration reigns. Many chefs note that the difference between molecular cuisine and classical cuisine is also that dishes are prepared with maximum preservation of beneficial properties.
To help you understand molecular gastronomy, we have selected 10 recipes for the most common dishes.
Molecular gastronomy recipe #1: mango spheres
Ingredients:
- water 250 g;
- citrate 1.3 grams;
- sodium alginate 1.8 grams;
- mango puree 250 grams;
- calcium 6.5 grams;
- water 1000 grams.
Technology
- Using a blender, dissolve the citrate and alginate in water.
- Bring to a boil.
- Cool to normal temperature.
- Add puree and mix with a blender.
- Mix calcium in water.
- Using a spoon, dip the prepared mixture into the calcium water.
- Sprinkle with nuts or coconut flakes.
This molecular food looks great and tastes amazing!
Molecular gastronomy recipe No. 2: ice cream
Ingredients:
- cream 1 liter;
- milk 0.5 liters;
- 1/2 cup sugar;
- liquid nitrogen 5 liters.
Technology
- In a large bowl, combine milk and cream.
- Add sugar and stir until dissolved
- Add liquid nitrogen in portions and stir until the mixture hardens.
Molecular gastronomy recipe No. 3: chocolate caviar
Spherification is the creation of artificial caviar of any taste. At the same time, the liquid is enclosed as if in a thin film, which, dissolving in the mouth, creates a real explosion of taste. In molecular gastronomy, such egg spheres are often used. Each time they bring different, always positive emotions.
Ingredients:
- Water – 200 ml;
- sodium alginate – 3 g;
- calcium lactate – 3 g;
- sodium citrate – 0.5 g;
- sugar – 90 g;
- cocoa powder – 50 g.
Tools: pipette, bowls, blender.
Technology
- Mix water, sodium alginate and sodium citrate using a blender.
- Add sugar and cocoa powder to the mixture. Mix on high speed until smooth.
- Tap the table to remove any air bubbles.
- Make a calcium bath, use a pipette to collect the cocoa mixture, drop it into the calcium bath, leaving the caviar for 25-30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon, rinse clean water.
Ready. It's the perfect accompaniment to creamy ice cream.
Molecular gastronomy recipe #4: orange spaghetti
Molecular cuisine for children at home will help you feed your little ones. Spaghetti with orange flavor is an excellent treat for picky gourmets.
Ingredients:
- freshly squeezed orange juice 250 ml;
- agar 3 g.
Tools: plastic syringe, silicone tube.
Technology
- Mix agar with strained juice, bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute.
- Using a plastic syringe, fill the silicone tube with the warm mixture.
- Cool the tube in cold water for 3 minutes.
- To remove frozen spaghetti from the tube, you need to draw air into the syringe and squeeze out the spaghetti by pressing the plunger.
- Use for decorating desserts and salads.
Molecular gastronomy recipe #5: Mojito-flavored carbonated spheres
Ingredients:
- mint leaves 12 pcs.;
- white rum 170 g;
- lime juice 170 g;
- water 128 g;
- sugar 6 tablespoons.
For decoration:
- zest from limes;
- small mint leaves;
- calcium lactate 4.7 g;
- xanthan 0.8 g;
- rum to taste.
For an alginate bath:
- water 1000 ml;
- sodium alginate 5 g.
Tools: blender, shaker, muddler, sieve.
Technology
- Prepare an alginate bath. To do this, dissolve sodium alginate in water using an immersion blender.
- Place the bath in the refrigerator to remove air and hydrate the alginate.
- Place mint and lime juice in a shaker. Use a muddler to mash the mixture and release essential oils.
- Add sugar, rum and water, stir until sugar dissolves.
- Pass the mojito through a fine sieve.
- Mix 180 g of mojito with calcium lactate until the latter is completely dissolved.
- Add the xanthan gum and place the mixture in the refrigerator to remove air.
- Prepare a bath and a blank for the spheres.
- Using a 5 ml measuring spoon, scoop the mojito and carefully lower it into the alginate bath. It is very important that the spheres do not touch, otherwise they will stick together.
- Leave the spheres to cook for 2 minutes.
- Using a special spoon, lift the spheres out of the bath.
- Rinse thoroughly in water and place in a sieve.
- To carbonate the spheres, place them in the ISI cream siphon.
- Charge it with a can of carbon dioxide(not with nitrogen dioxide).
- Place in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
- Release the air from the siphon and open it. To avoid unscheduled cleaning, do not attempt to open the siphon without following this rule.
- Serve immediately, garnished with zest and mint leaves.
Molecular gastronomy recipe No. 6: Bubble tea (tea with tapioca balls)
Ingredients:
- 100 g large tapioca balls;
- brown cane sugar, 2 tablespoons;
- milk, 1 glass;
- Indian black tea (Assam, Darjeeling) or Chinese red tea, 1 cup;
- a glass of ice;
- vanilla extract, 1/2 teaspoon.
Technology
- Boil 300 ml of water. When the water boils, add tapioca and cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.
- Close the lid, turn off the heat and let the tapioca sit for another 15 minutes. stand up. Open the lid and check: if the balls become matte, then they are ready. If the color of the balls has not changed, boil the tapioca for another 10-15 minutes.
- Quickly drain the tapioca in a colander and drain cold water to stop the swelling process.
- While the tapioca is boiling, brew strong tea (1 teaspoon per 1 cup of boiling water), add sugar, milk and vanilla extract. Let the tea cool.
- Once the tapioca is cooked, pour the tea into glasses until the liquid fills only 1/2 of the glass. You should have 4 glasses of drink.
- Add tapioca to each glass so that there is exactly 2 times as much liquid as there are balls.
- Add ice to fill remaining 1/3 cup. Let the drink sit for 10-15 minutes and enjoy the exotic summer taste!
Molecular gastronomy recipe No. 7: raspberry ravioli
Ingredients:
- water 475 ml;
- sodium alginate, 2 g;
- raspberries, 1 and 2/3 cups;
- sugar, 1 tablespoon;
- calcium lactate 5 g.
Technology
- Using a blender or whisk, dissolve the sodium alginate in 2 cups of water. Place in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
- Add 2/3 cup raspberries, 1 tablespoon sugar and 5 g calcium lactate to a blender. Grind into puree.
- Using a measuring spoon, transfer small portions of the mixture into the sodium alginate solution. Wait 3 minutes.
- Remove the ravioli with a slotted spoon and rinse in water.
Molecular gastronomy recipe #8: Chantilly chocolate mousse
Ingredients:
- dark chocolate at least 72% cocoa, 100 g;
- cold water, 89 g (based on 0.89 g of water per 1 g of chocolate);
- ice, 400 g or more.
Technology
- Weigh the chocolate.
- We are recruiting cold water.
- Place the chocolate in a saucepan, add water and set to heat over medium heat. Do not let it boil! The water just needs to get hot enough to melt the chocolate. The most difficult thing in this recipe is to decide to add water to the chocolate, because everyone knows that water is the enemy of chocolate! But not in molecular gastronomy.
- Turn off the heat and leave the melted chocolate on the stove to keep warm. Meanwhile, pour very cold water into a larger saucepan and add ice.
- Place the melted chocolate in a saucepan with ice and begin beating the mixture at medium speed with the mixer. The mixture splashes, so take a deeper saucepan for the chocolate. At first nothing happens, the chocolate water remains quite liquid.
- And suddenly - a miracle! A couple of revolutions of the mixer, and the cream begins to thicken right before your eyes. The main thing here is to stop in time: if you continue to beat, the mass will become so thick that you can make candies from it.
- Place the mousse in a bowl, pour in the syrup and taste the result.
Molecular gastronomy recipe #9: balsamic vinegar caviar
Ingredients:
Ingredients:
- “spherefood” agar - 2 g (1 teaspoon);
- balsamic vinegar, 60 ml;
- water, 30 ml;
- sugar, 1 tablespoon.
Auxiliary ingredient: chilled vegetable oil(refined olive) – chill in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours in a tall, narrow container. The oil will not be damaged or spoiled, you can continue to use it as usual.
Tools: cooking ladle, 10–20 ml plastic syringe without needle, fine sieve.
Technology
- Mix vinegar, water, sugar and agar in a ladle. Stirring, bring the mixture to a boil, simmer over medium heat for a minute. The mixture will thicken a little. Remove from heat and wait 2-3 minutes to cool slightly.
- Draw the mixture into the syringe, make sure there are no air bubbles inside (turn the syringe upside down and squeeze out the air) and, holding the syringe horizontally over a container of cooled oil, squeeze the mixture drop by drop into the oil. Try to ensure that the drops do not fall exactly one above the other. You need to move the syringe over the surface, then the eggs will not stick together. Until the drops of balsamic reach the bottom of the vessel, regular spherical eggs are formed.
- Strain the “caviar” through a sieve, pouring the oil into a clean cup.
- The oil here is simply a transit medium, an auxiliary ingredient; it does not enter into chemical reaction with eggs, so you can continue to use it as usual.
This caviar is an excellent addition and decoration to salads and dishes where balsamic vinegar is used.
Molecular gastronomy recipe No. 10: mint caviar
Ingredients:
– eggs:
- water 300 ml;
- sodium alginate 2 g;
- mint syrup 80 ml;
– calcium lactate solution:
- water 1 liter;
- calcium lactate 5 g.
Technology
- Using a blender or whisk, dissolve 2 packets of sodium alginate in 1 1/4 cups of water.
- Bring the mixture to a boil in a saucepan, pour back into the container and leave for 10 minutes.
- Mix 1/3 cup sodium alginate syrup and 1/3 cup mint syrup in another container.
- Dissolve calcium lactate in 4 glasses of water, stirring with a spoon.
- Fill the pipette with the syrup mixture and add the calcium lactate solution drop by drop.
- Remove the mint caviar with a slotted spoon.
The simplest molecular gastronomy recipes for children
Above are many recipes for parents. By preparing dishes based on them, they will be able to please their beautiful children. Both orange spaghetti and chocolate mousse will please them. What should children feed adults? Here simple recipes, which every child is capable of mastering (under the supervision of mom or dad, of course).
Yogurt spheres
You will need: milk, yogurt, alginate, gluconate, water.
We take water, add alginate to it, mix it in a blender, and put it in the refrigerator. Take milk, dissolve gluconate in it, add yogurt and mix with a spoon. We take alginate water out of the refrigerator. Using a spherical spoon, make balls from the milk mixture and place them in alginate water. After 3 minutes, remove the spheres from the alginate solution and rinse them in clean water. Place on a plate, decorate and serve.
You will need: milk, fruit, sugar, ice and xanthan gum. Place all ingredients in a blender and blend. Pour into glasses, decorate, serve. Seems like it's ordinary milkshake? Just don't forget to add gum!
Secrets of molecular gastronomy
The last recipe clearly demonstrates where the secrets of molecular gastronomy lie. The simplest components, the most regular products when using special knowledge, they can turn into miracle dishes! One secret ingredient, and the cocktail is no longer just milky and fruity, but molecular! Its texture has changed, which makes it tastier, more interesting, more original, more surprising! You can change not only the texture, but also the color, shape, and taste.
Where to buy ingredients for molecular gastronomy?
Purchasing molecular gastronomy ingredients is easy at Molecularmeal. The section features tools, textures, sublimated products, decorative elements, equipment and much more.
Other molecular gastronomy recipes
Molecular chocolate wind
There are chocolate pastries, candies, cakes, ice cream and much more. But how to make chocolate wind? This is not a joke! Such a dish exists, it was developed by molecular gastronomy chefs. Its peculiarity is that it tastes like chocolate, but its texture is so light that it can only be compared to the wind.
I recently watched the French film “Chef” with Jean Reno in the title role. And for the first time I heard about molecular gastronomy from there. Read about what it is and how to prepare such dishes.
When in a restaurant a chef serves you an amazing “something”, it’s unclear what it’s made of and filled with meat foam, and proudly calls it a dish of molecular gastronomy – there’s something to be surprised about.
But in fact, molecular gastronomy is not at all as scary as it is made out to be. And every housewife knows how to use it, even if she doesn’t know that her actions are a “molecular”.
Did you all make fish aspic? Here! This is molecular gastronomy.
What is called molecular gastronomy?
Molecular cuisine is a special approach to cooking. This kitchen pays special attention to the chemical and physical processes that occur during the preparation of food. This is a whole science that studies changes in products under the influence of one or another processing method. Adepts of molecular gastronomy actively apply all this knowledge in practice, breaking our ideas about familiar products. Consistency comes first: solid products become liquid, thick products foam, liquid products turn into stones.
Basic Techniques
Despite the fact that molecular cuisine greatly changes foods, the dishes made from them are healthy. By at least, every chef working in this field tries to make their dishes as healthy as possible.
Sous vide technology– one of the most popular technologies. In short: the products are sealed in vacuum packaging and cooked for a long time in a water bath at low temperature. During this cooking, the meat, for example, becomes indescribably soft, and everything beneficial properties his remain with him.
Application of textures: special textures are added to products that change the properties of the product: they make jelly from the liquid, remove fat...
Making gels: For this purpose, special substances are used that make liquid products gel-like. This technique is used to create the famous dish of molecular gastronomy guru Heston Blumenthal, “Hot and Iced Tea.” When you drink first cold and then hot tea from the same cup. In fact, not liquids are poured into the cup, but two gels; they do not mix due to different densities. And the taste is indistinguishable from regular tea.
Foaming: The products are passed through a special device: a creamer or a siphon, and foam is obtained. Using the same method, various mousses are created. All dishes made from kremer are called espumas.
Removing liquid: Liquid nitrogen or dry ice helps molecular cooks in this matter. There are other techniques, for example, sublimation. Or they use evaporators.
All these techniques, in addition to changing the texture of food, also concentrate its taste. And sometimes, having bitten into one gel egg, we get a real explosion of taste on the tongue.
Recruitment of a young fighter
To practice molecular gastronomy, one frying pan and a set of pots will not be enough. Will have to buy additional equipment. Ivan Varlamov, chef at Novotel Moscow City, recommends starting with purchasing a vacuum sealer (a device for vacuum packaging food) and a slow cooker for sous vide. In principle, you can even do without a sous vide device; an injection stove will handle slow heating, and you will need a thermometer to regulate the temperature.
Another important device– creamer. It can be purchased inexpensively. And use a creamer to make purees, mousses, creams, foams.
It's difficult with liquid nitrogen. Ivan Varlamov says that it can be rented, but only in the form of a large bottle. This is more suitable for a professional kitchen than for a home.
Dry ice is more accessible than nitrogen; it can also be purchased by hobbyists. Dry ice is useful if you want to make original ice cream, quickly bind the liquids in the product, and instantly and carefully cool it.
Finally, a set of textures will come in handy. They are now easy to order in online culinary stores. But orders in small quantities may not be possible.
Why are people afraid of molecular gastronomy?
Ivan Varlamov, chef of Novotel Moscow City: Many visitors are tense about molecular cuisine dishes, they are afraid of what they will be served chemical products, processed by chemical means. But in fact, molecular gastronomy is not about chemical additives at all, but very healthy dishes, simply unusual and amazing.
Balls with salted salmon in tomato juice
For juice:
- 150 g tomatoes in their own juice
- 1 g tarragon
- A pinch of fennel seeds
- Salt and pepper
- 15 ml olive oil
- 2 g xanthan texture
For balls:
- 200 ml tomato juice
- 50 g lightly salted salmon (see recipe below)
- 2 g fresh green basil
- 500 g cocoa butter
- Liquid nitrogen
- Black pepper
- Dry paprika
Step 1. Heat the tomatoes in a thick-bottomed saucepan, add spices and cook for about 15-20 minutes.
Step 2. Cool and pass through a sieve.
Step 3. Beat the resulting mass in a blender with a xanthan texture; it will give the juice a uniform, glossy structure.
Step 4. Combine the juice with finely chopped salmon fillet, add chopped basil.
Step 5. Pour into spherical silicone molds, freeze.
Step 6. Melt the cocoa butter in a water bath until it becomes transparent.
Step 7 Remove the resulting balls from the molds, lower them into liquid nitrogen for 5 seconds, then into melted cocoa butter - it will evenly cover the balls and harden instantly.
Step 8 Do the same with all the balls, place them on a sheet of parchment.
Step 9 Place in the refrigerator until the filling in the spheres is completely defrosted. When serving, sprinkle with freshly ground pepper and paprika.
Lightly salted salmon
You will need:
- 1 kg fresh salmon fillet, skin on
- 6 g dried dill
- 35 g sea salt
- 15 ml vodka
- 5 g sugar
- ½ lemon
- 2 g pepper
Step 1. Place the fish on a sheet of parchment and pour vodka.
Step 2. Salt, pepper and sprinkle with sugar.
Step 3. Sprinkle the dill tightly so that there are no open spaces.
Step 4. Cut the lemon into circles and place on the fish.
Step 5. Wrap the salmon in parchment and leave for a day.
Beef with sea buckthorn jelly and tangerine sauce
You will need:
- Beef rib (the layer of meat that covers the ribs)
- 25 ml olive oil
- 60 g tangerine (without peel)
- 1 g fresh tarragon
- Liquid nitrogen
- Ground black pepper
For "snow":
- 50 ml olive oil
- 50 g texture “Malto”
For the jelly:
- 200 g frozen sea buckthorn
- 200 g fresh persimmons
- 150 g sugar syrup
- 60 ml nut liqueur
- 7 g Agar texture
Step 1. Cook persimmons, sea buckthorn and sugar syrup over low heat for 10 minutes.
Step 2. Beat with a blender and rub through a sieve. Cool in the refrigerator.
Step 3. Add agar and beat again.
Step 4. Heat the mixture to 70 degrees, remove from heat and add liqueur. Then pour into the mold and put in the refrigerator for several hours.
Step 5. Salt and pepper the beef. Vacuum.
Step 6. Cook in a water bath using sous vide technology for 2 hours at a temperature of 60 degrees. Cool in ice water. Cut into thin slices.
Step 7 Cut the jelly into large cubes. Place on a plate with the meat.
Step 8 Peel the tangerine slices from the films, mix with spices, tarragon and sprinkle with olive oil and tangerine juice.
Step 9 Stir and add a little liquid nitrogen, stirring vigorously.
Step 10 Add chilled tangerines to the meat and jelly.
Step 11 Mix the olive oil thoroughly with the texture and sprinkle the resulting snow onto the dish.
When you are tired of the usual type of dish, and the taste no longer evokes those emotions, you can turn to a new direction in nutrition, which studies trophology - molecular cooking, where every milligram of the product plays its own role. main role. Read on to find out what it is and how to prepare simple dishes at home.
What is molecular gastronomy
Back in the early nineties, two physicists decided to experiment with products and convened an entire conference, at which it became clear that dishes and cooking can be improved not only by selecting ingredients, but also by the way they are prepared. Molecular food is created in order to explode people’s ideas about a particular dish with its pronounced taste or unusual presentation. Dishes are served in small portions, but the main thing is not to fill up, but to enjoy the taste buds.
Molecular gastronomy recipes
Molecular cooking has its own peculiarity: you need not only to select tasty, fresh products, but also to be able to use completely new physical and chemical processes for cooking, which give even the most ordinary food a completely new taste. The names of chefs who possess such skills are widely known and revered throughout the world. true connoisseurs. Among these technologies the following can be noted:
- vacuumization - everything is prepared in a bag at a temperature not exceeding 60 degrees in a water bath, suitable for cooking at home;
- spherization - with the help of sodium alginate, caviar is obtained with the taste of anything;
- emulsification or espuma effect - an emulsion can be obtained from almost any product and soy lecithin;
- freezing with liquid nitrogen;
- gelatinization - any product is turned into jelly using a thickener (or carrageenan). So under the guise of marmalade, maybe pumpkin, meat, etc.;
- centrifuge - with its help you can get paste, juice, foam from one product;
- rotary evaporator - this physical process gives the dish absolutely any flavor: fish can smell like roses - surprising, but true;
- dry ice - chemical processes make any sauce smell very strong when it comes into contact with ice.
Modern molecular gastronomy and its restaurant menu dishes can deceive any taster. Under the guise of red caviar, you may well find strawberry jam on your sandwich, and ordinary egg may have a completely different taste. You will never be able to guess from the photo what the food tastes like, and the dish on the menu can be given any name. It's all about the cooking method, which takes a lot of time. You will never be able to guess what the chef is offering you until you try it. This is the meaning of molecular art in cooking - to surprise and shock.
If you still don’t understand what molecular gastronomy is, then check out the recipes below. Completely ordinary products become part of a secret process for which the chef is responsible, and only he knows how to create a unique taste of a dish from an extensive menu by special way preparation and serving, as in the picture.
Molecular cuisine dishes
Although molecular dishes are prepared only in restaurants, there are a number of simple recipes that can be repeated at home. If you have cooking skills and know how to prepare the most complex of them, then you will be able to surprise your loved ones or friends with such a delicious culinary surprise.
Egg fudge
Cooking time: 2 hours.
Number of servings: 5 persons
Calorie content of the dish: 150 kcal
Purpose: for breakfast, snack
Cuisine: molecular
Cooking difficulty: easy
Ingredients
- eggs – 5 pcs.
Cooking method
- Place the pan with water and eggs in the oven, which has been preheated to 65 degrees.
- After two hours, take it out and serve.
- We get absolutely new texture a product that is more like delicious fudge.
Balsamic caviar
Cooking time: 10 minutes.
Number of servings: 5 persons
Calorie content of the dish: 120 kcal
Purpose: snack
Cuisine: molecular
Ingredients
- olive oil– 100 ml;
- balsamic vinegar – 60 ml;
- water – 30 ml;
- sugar - tbsp. l.;
- Agar-agar sachet – 1 pc.
Cooking method
- In a saucepan, mix vinegar, water, sugar, agar-agar.
- Bring to a boil, then remove from heat to cool the thickened mixture.
- Using a syringe without a needle, take the finished mixture and squeeze it drop by drop into the chilled olive oil. It is better to hold the syringe horizontally.
- Once in olive oil, the drops solidify and form eggs.
- Strain the product and place it on sandwiches with butter, as in the photo. Very tasty and filling!
Coffee meat
Cooking time: 2 and a half hours.
Number of servings: 5 persons
Calorie content of the dish: 250 kcal
Purpose: for dinner
Cuisine: molecular
Cooking difficulty: medium
Ingredients
- pork – 800 g;
- espresso – 1 cup;
- crushed coffee beans - a handful;
- coffee oil – 50 g;
- pepper, salt - to taste.
Cooking method
- Rinse the meat well, dry it, then use a syringe to inject a cup of espresso into it from all sides.
- Make a paste from coffee oil, coffee, salt and pepper.
- Rub it all over the piece.
- We put it in a baking sleeve and tie it well.
- Boil water in a saucepan and place a piece of pork in the sleeve.
- Simmer for 2 hours, cool, portion mode and serve as in the photo.
Molecular gastronomy desserts
As in any other cuisine, molecular can also boast of its unusual recipes desserts. Some of them are simple, others require preparation and special tools, which are available in professional kitchens. Now you will learn how to prepare a molecular gastronomy dessert that you can prepare at home.
Spicy truffle
Cooking time: 4 hours.
Number of servings: 5 persons
Calorie content of the dish: 200 kcal
Purpose: dessert
Cuisine: molecular
Cooking difficulty: medium
Ingredients
- chocolate – 100 g;
- heavy cream – 75 ml;
- butter– 20 g;
- a pinch of dry chili pepper.
Cooking method
- Break the chocolate bar into pieces, fill it with cream, add butter, and a pinch of dry chili pepper.
- Melt everything over low heat until it reaches a silky consistency.
- Cool and put in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
- Once hardened, form spheres with a spoon and roll them in cocoa powder.
- Place the finished truffles in the refrigerator until completely frozen.
Video: molecular cuisine at home