It’s time to play with your food again. Except this time, as an adult, you really have access to the chemicals and tools you’ll need to create some really amazing culinary special effects. And it’s all due to molecular gastronomy.
Molecular gastronomy is a branch of food science that uses the principles of chemistry, physics, and biology to develop delicious foods that can be presented in new and interesting ways: solid cocktails, fruit gelatin caviar or vegetable foams and bubbles. It’s basically the science of food that you thought could only exist in Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory.
But with an understanding of some of the basics of molecular gastronomy, you’re actually much closer to those fantasy recipes than you think
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This summer, go ahead and experiment. Be a mad scientist in the kitchen and prepare a romantic dinner with clear ravioli, enjoy an explosive piece of chocolate this Fourth of July or even eat a crispy cocktail or two with our list of ten easy molecular gastronomy recipes.
Alcohol
1. White Russian Krispies Yes, The Dude would approve. Now you can have your cult classic cocktail and eat it too. The good thing about mixologist Eben Freeman’s recipe is that it’s not just a cereal drowned in two types of liquor and milk. Instead, the flavor of Kahlua is infused into Rice Krispies cereal through dehydration. The moisture disappears and you are left with a coffee-flavored cereal. So now you can break, creak, pop and buzz on your way to happiness this morning in more ways than one.
The science behind it: dehydration. Dehydration is the process of extracting moisture (water) from food in an effort to preserve or dry its surface, according to Herve This’ Molecular Gastronomy: Exploring the Science of Flavor. Traditionally, this technique has been used mainly to preserve a surplus of foods such as herbs or for more convenient snacks (such as dried fruits). In molecular gastronomy, however, dehydration is also used to create crunchy textures, taste powders, or preserve the crunchiness (and flavors) of foods like Kahlua-infused Rice Krispies. Dehydration can be done using a dehydrator or a common household oven, as long as the oven can be set to temperatures below 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
Ingredients: 1/2 cup half and half 1/2 cup Kahlua liquor 1/8 cup Rice Krispies cereal 1/
2 teaspoon sugar 1/4 cup vodka
How to do it: You’ll want to make Kahlua-infused Krispies ahead of time for this crunchy cocktail. Mix the cereal with 1/4 cup of Kahlua liquor to cover, then in a dehydrator (or oven in its lowest position), dehydrate the Kahlua-coated cereal for an hour. Repeat the step mentioned above for another Kahlua coat. Depending on your dehydrator or oven, you may need to leave the cereal overnight to complete the drying/crunching process.
Once you have the cereal infused with the Kahlua, you can move on to the “milk” part. Combine the ice, vodka and sugar in a shaker and shake until the sugar has dissolved. Strain the vodka / sugar and pour and stir in half and half. When ready to serve, pour Kahlua Krispies into a bowl and add half and half/vodka/sugar mixture. Stir to combine.
Arabic numeral. It’s summer, and sometimes even the best barbecue isn’t enough to satiate some people’s smoke cravings. Well, maybe instead of just turning on the grill again on an already sweltering day, why not get your fix in a more refreshing way? Why not add smoke to your favorite beers? You could brew your own beer with smoked malts. But for the sake of saving time, why not go the molecular gastronomy route and use a portable food-smoking device known as a smoking gun? You’ll add the taste of smoke to your store-bought beer without the heat or having to brew your own beer.
The
science behind it: A molecular gastronomy gadget called “The Smoking Gun.” The steaming gun covers your food with a superficial infusion of smoky flavor. The way it works is to load the weapon with your favorite flavored wood splinter or aromatic herb and light it. Once the chips are burned, the gun creates and releases cooled smoke that can infuse food without overheating or overcooking it. This is great for foods and drinks that you normally want to keep cold like beer or butter.
Ingredients/Materials: A bottle of your favorite beer Steaming gun device mesquite wood chips
How to do it: Pour your beer into a glass. Load the wood chips into the smoke chamber of Smoking gun. Insert the gun tube/hose into the glass. Cover the cup with plastic wrap. Turn on the gun fan and turn on the chips with a lighter. As the smoke fills the glass, shake the glass gently. Turn off the gun, remove the wrap and enjoy your smoked beer.
Savory dishes
3. Arugula Spaghetti Now you are really transforming food like a mad scientist. Arugula is no longer just for salads. They are noodles. Tell your children that they are rubbery vegetables. Or not, and keep them to yourself and pretend you’re in a super stylish and highly upscale modernist cuisine restaurant in New York with your partner. Or just sip them in their sweatpants. We don’t care. And we won’t say it.
The science behind this: agar agar and gelation. Agar-agar is a substance derived from red algae that when used in recipes acts as a stabilizing and thickening agent due to its ability to create gel forms (such as caviar and spaghetti) from the liquefied versions of the foods in which it is mixed, according to Molecule-R. Like gelatin, gelling only occurs with agar-agar when a solution containing it has cooled after being boiled. However, unlike animal-based gelatin (Jello), an agar-agar-agar based gel is quite heat-resistant once the gel is formed. Agar gels will remain solid even after reaching 185 degrees Fahrenheit, while solid pieces of gelatin melt at 99 degrees. Gelling is the molecular change from a liquid food to a solid, gelatinous food.
Ingredients: 2 cups
arugula 3/4 cups water 1/2 teaspoon agar Agar powder
Syringe and plastic tube
How to do it: Watch the following MOLECULE-R Flavors demo to see how to prepare arugula spaghetti
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4. Oysters covered with passion fruit caviar There are two sides to this molecular gastronomy recipe: the science of flavor pairings and fruit caviar. According to Foodpairing.com, oddly enough, oysters and passion fruit go together in terms of taste. And you can always up the odd ante by turning your passion fruit into tiny jelly pearls known as fruit caviar. Do you want to make oysters even more elegant and romantic? Fruit caviar is the way to do it. And if you’re feeling adventurous, check out our list of other weird but delicious food pairings.
The science behind it: Hagar Hagar. As explained in the entry on arugula spaghetti, agar-agar can be used to create a variety of gel shapes, including the passion fruit caviar pearls from this recipe. Although a different shape is achieved this time using agar-agar, the same gelling process is still considered, as the entire pearl is a rubbery gel (due to agar’s unique properties) rather than a tough membrane that encapsulates a burst of liquid, as you’ll see in the next recipe.
Ingredients for passion fruit caviar from Lexie’s Kitchen: 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1/3 cup passion fruit juice puree 1/4 teaspoon agar agar powder
How to do it: Cool the vegetable oil in a tall glass. Mix passion fruit juice and agar agar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer for 2 minutes or until the agar dissolves. Let the agar and juice mixture cool for 5 minutes. Fill a straw with the cooled mixture and let the straw drops fall from the straw, one at a time, into the cold oil. Caviar beads will form on contact with the oil. Strain the caviar out of the glass and rinse with water. Until you are ready to use them, store them in water. When you’re ready to cover your oysters with caviar, simply pull them out of the water and place them on a paper towel. Pat dry and cover the oysters.
5. Vegan scallops with carrot and ginger caviar Here is another caviar recipe from the produce section. This time we are dealing with vegetables, roots and a different method to produce those little jelly spheres. With this new method, it seems that we have moved from the kitchen to a laboratory. But don’t worry, everything is still edible. Even scallops that aren’t really scallops. They are just mushrooms made to look like scorched scallops.
The science behind it: sodium alginate and calcium chloride (spherification). When you’re making gelatin caviar, that’s gelling. When you’re making caviar from fruits or vegetables that’s essentially a tough outer membrane that contains completely liquid juice, that’s a process called spherification. And in this recipe for carrot and ginger caviar, spherification is achieved by using sodium alginate and calcium chloride.
Sodium alginate is a salt that has been extracted from the walls of brown algae cells. It is a structural component of algae that allows it to be more flexible. Unlike agar-agar, the gelation that occurs with sodium alginate occurs only in cold conditions. As Molecule-R points out, along with calcium chloride, sodium alginate is able to achieve a unique form of gelation that involves forming a thin membrane around a small sphere of liquid, to create a type of caviar that bursts with liquid in the mouth as it is consumed.
Calcium chloride
is a byproduct of the production of sodium carbonate (washing soda).
Ingredients for Erin Wyso’s carrot ginger caviar 2 large, peeled and chopped carrots One inch long ginger, peeled and chopped 1/2-1 cup cold water 1/2 teaspoon sodium alginate 2 cups cold water 1/2 teaspoon calcium chloride
How to do it: Pureed carrots and ginger in a blender. Add enough water to the mash, so that the mixture is equal to 1 cup. Blend a second time and strain the pulp. Place the mixture in the refrigerator for an hour. Then, slowly whisk 1/2 teaspoon of sodium alginate into the mixture. Pour into the squeezed bottle.
Pour 2 cups of water into a shallow bowl and add calcium chloride. Using the compression bottle, let the drops of mixture fall from the bottle, one at a time, into the water. Caviar spheres will be formed on contact with water. Once you have finished making the caviar, strain the caviar and dry it on paper towels.
To see how to make the scallops go here. Top the vegan scallops with the caviar and enjoy.
6. Transparent ravioli that disappear Have you ever wondered what exactly is in your ravioli before you even bite into it? Wouldn’t you like to see the filler before you put them in your face? If you wish, then you are an enthusiast and this recipe is perfect for you. With these ravioli, you can see what’s inside and then once you put them in your mouth, they explode, release their intense flavors and disappear. It’s like a magic trick in your mouth and you have chef Ferran Adrià del Bulli to thank for it.
The science behind it: soy lecithin found in the ravioli wrappers of edible film discs. You’ve probably seen this name on a million ingredient labels. It is an emulsifier, a substance that takes a liquid and turns it into a foam, which in turn allows the mixing of other substances that would not otherwise mix, such as oil and water. Soy lecithin is derived from soybean oil that contains phospholipids. Phospholipids are chemical compounds that can dissolve in both fat and water, a feature that’s particularly useful when you’re trying to mix oil and water found in sauces like mayonnaise and hollandaise.
In addition,
lecithin is a substance found in the membranes (thin, flexible outer layer) of every cell of every living being, so it was probably ideal to use it in the manufacture of the transparent ravioli (oblate) wrappers listed in the recipe below
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Ingredients: Oblates (edible film discs for wrapping ravioli) Your choice of filling (as long as it has low water content. Examples: foie gras, nutella, ham, dried fruits or oil-coated vegetables) Sealing device
How to do it: Fold the oblates in half and set the timer on the sealant between 1 and 1.5. Use the sealant to seal one side of the ravioli, creating an open bag. Fill the bag with the desired filling with an expression bottle. Seal the open side of the bag to close it with the sealant.
Desserts
7. Chocolate-covered strawberries dipped in Pop Rocks The Fourth of July is coming soon. You have less than a month left to discover food, fun and fireworks. What if we told you we have a super easy recipe that could cover all three? Think about it, with these chocolate- and pop rock-covered strawberries, you could be watching fireworks and enjoying fun sugar explosions. you. mouth. All you need are strawberries and the ability to dip them twice: once in chocolate and once in pop rocks. And there you have it: an impressive Fourth of July.
The science behind it: popping sugar and effervescence. Effervescence is a chemical reaction that results in the release of gas and the formation of foam, effervescence and bubbles.
In addition to drinking soda, you can get an effervescent effect on your own in your desserts using sugar (Pop Rocks). Bursting sugar is essentially sugar that contains carbon dioxide. Once this type of sugar melts, usually as a result of contact with moisture, carbon dioxide gas is released, resulting in a popping sensation felt in your mouth as you eat it. Fortunately, mixing it only with melted chocolate (as in the recipe below) won’t melt it, as the oils and fats normally found in chocolate don’t trigger the melting process.
Ingredients: Chocolate strawberries (
milk, dark or white) Sugar exploding (like Pop Rocks)
How to make it: Melt the chocolate, dip the strawberries in the chocolate and then dip them in the sugar that bursts. Let the chocolate and sugar-coated strawberries cool and then eat them.
8. Nutella powder Yes, Nutella is already perfect on its own, straight from the bottle. But now we’ve gone and found you another way to gorge on its hazelnut goodness thanks to maltodextrin powder. Bonus? Once it reaches your tongue, it doesn’t go powdered – it goes back to that sticky, soft texture we all know and love.
The science behind it: maltodextrin. Maltodextrin is a simple, subtly sweet sugar known as polysaccharide. It is derived from the decomposition of starch, corn, wheat, tapioca or potatoes. In general, if you’re cooking with it, you’re using the tapioca type. As Modernist Cooking Made Easy points out, due to its unique ability to absorb oils and fats, maltodextrin is best used as a thickening agent in food or as a method of spraying high-fat foods. This food additive is also used to preserve and intensify flavors in foods and as a substitute for low calorie sweeteners.
Ingredients: 1/3 cup
Nutella 1/2 cup
maltodextrin powder
How to make it: Hand gown Nutella and maltodextrin together. Then place the mixture in the food processor or blender and mix for several seconds. Shake the blender and mix for several more seconds. Repeat this process as needed to obtain a fluffy powder of Nutella. To serve, top your favorite desserts, ice creams and fruits with the powder and enjoy.
9. Sometimes you feel elegant and just want a mousse. A foam. Something light and airy with tons of flavor but not so heavy that you feel like a sleepy bum after consuming it. But a traditional mousse takes practice to perfect and sometimes just knowing that you have to worry about raw eggs, makes it unappetizing. Don’t worry: we have a foam for that. It’s just a whipped gelatin dessert, with six different flavors superimposed on top of each other. It is light, refreshing and fruity. All the bubbles you want and no fuss. Or eggs.
The science behind it: jelly. Gelatin is used to thicken and convert liquid foods into a solid gummy gel. Unlike plant-based agar-agar, gelatin is derived from collagen found in the skin and bones of animals, especially pigs, as MCME notes.
And according to The Learning Channel, collagen, which is also found in humans, is a protein that contributes to the strength and elasticity of “the body’s connective tissues.” Since collagen does not dissolve in water, it must be treated with an acid to create water-soluble gelatin. Gelatin in its powder form, at the molecular level, are proteins made up of chains of amino acids known as polypeptide chains. Amino acids are the basic building blocks of all proteins. When amino acids like those found in gelatin (glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline) come together, they form chains called polypeptide chains, which are normally linked by weak molecular bonds. But when these bonds are subjected to boiling water like when you make Jello or rainbow foam below, those bonds break and the polypeptide chains separate from each other. Once the gelatin is cooled again with the addition of cold water, the chains are rejoined together as those molecular bonds between them are re-formed. In the process, water is absorbed and trapped in pockets between the polypeptide chains, resulting in the characteristic gelatin movement of Jello.
A gelatin-based foam,
such as the rainbow foam below, is created when the partially fixed gelatin is stirred, usually with a whisk, to incorporate air and bubbles into the gelatin mixture that is then trapped once the gelatin cools, much like water is trapped in the standard gelatin formation. The trapped air results in a light, airy texture.
Ingredients
: 6 boxes of gelatin, each of
a different color 2 tall glasses
For each packet of gelatin: 1
cup boiling water 1 and 3/4 cups cold water
How to do it: Mix each flavor of gelatin separately and according to the instructions on the box. But use 1/4 cup less water than is required in the package. (Follow our ingredient list as noted above when it comes to water.) Refrigerate each gelatin mixture for several hours or until just before it has completely set. Don’t let it fix completely. Then pour each jelly into a separate bowl and using an electric whisk, whisk each jelly until foamy. Pour the first gelatin color into each glass and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until set. Then repeat this process with the other five colors, superimposing them on top of each other. Then let all the Rainbow foam sit in the refrigerator overnight to set. Top with whipped cream if desired.
10. Hot maple ice cream is not only an ice cream that does not melt in warm temperatures. It actually uses heat to join together and form a scoop of ice cream. It’s a fun reverse temperature change. And all because of a small substance called methylcellulose.
The science behind it: methylcellulose. Through an extraction process involving heat and methyl chloride, methylcellulose comes from plant cellulose. Like gelatin and agar-agar, methylcellulose facilitates gelation in food. However, unlike them, it only creates gels when heated. When methylcellulose is used, gels are formed as a liquid heats up. And once it starts to cool, it melts. Which is the goal of something like methylcellulose-based hot ice cream.
Ingredients: 1/2 cup plain yogurt 1/2 cup cream cheese 1/5 cup maple
syrup 2/5 cup water 1.5 tablespoons sugar ~1.5 teaspoons methylcellulose powder
How to do it: Watch the following demo from Hilton Saint John’s Sous chef Sebastian Matheja to see how to make hot maple ice cream.
