Molecular cuisine is not familiar to every person. This is not unusual: an incomprehensible name, many have heard somewhere that it is very expensive, that it is necessary to equip the kitchen with technological equipment, to study the “tons” of information about special ingredients.
In fact, everything is not as complicated as it seems. It takes as a basis not the usual approach to cooking, but the use of special natural ingredients and a peculiar cooking technology. In the kitchens where molecular dishes are prepared, an atmosphere of creativity and concentration reigns. Many culinary experts note that the difference between molecular and classical cuisine is also that dishes are prepared with maximum preservation of useful properties.
So that you can understand the molecular cuisine, we have chosen 10 recipes for the most common dishes.
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Such a molecular meal looks great and tastes delicious!
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Spherification - the creation of artificial caviar of any taste. In this case, the liquid is enclosed as if in a thin film, which, dissolving in the mouth, creates a real explosion of taste. In molecular cuisine, such spheres are often used. Each time they bring different, always positive emotions.
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Tools: pipette, bowls, blender.
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Done. This is the perfect complement to cream ice cream.
Molecular cuisine for children at home will help feed the little ones. Orange-flavored spaghetti is a great treat for fastidious gourmets.
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Tools: plastic syringe, silicone tube.
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For decor:
For a bath with alginate:
Tools: blender, shaker, madler, sieve.
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Auxiliary ingredient: chilled vegetable oil (refined olive oil) - refrigerate in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours in a tall narrow vessel. The oil will not suffer or deteriorate; you can use it later on as usual.
Tools: a ladle for cooking, a 10–20 ml plastic syringe without a needle, a fine sieve.
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This caviar is a great addition and decoration to salads and dishes where balsamic vinegar is used.
Ingredients:
- eggs:
- calcium lactate solution:
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Above are many recipes for parents. Having prepared dishes for them, they will be able to please their beautiful children. Both orange spaghetti and chocolate mousse will appeal to them. How can children feed adults? Here are simple recipes that every child is able to master (under the supervision of mom or dad, of course).
You will need: milk, yogurt, alginate, gluconate, water.
We take water, add alginate to it, mix in a blender, send it to the refrigerator. We take milk, dissolve gluconate in it, add yogurt and mix with a spoon. We take alginate water from the refrigerator. Using a spherical spoon, we make balls from the milk mixture and send them to alginate water. After 3 minutes, we extract the spheres from the alginate solution and rinse them in clean water. We spread it on a plate, decorate, serve.
You will need: milk, fruit, sugar, ice and xanthan gum. Put all the ingredients in a blender and beat. Pour into glasses, decorate, serve. Seems like a regular milkshake? Just remember to add the gum!
The last recipe clearly demonstrates the secrets of molecular cuisine. The simplest components, the most ordinary products, when using special knowledge, can turn into wonderful dishes! One secret ingredient, and the cocktail is not just milk-fruit, but molecular! Its texture has changed, it made it tastier, more interesting, more original, more amazing! You can change not only the texture, but also the color, shape, taste.
Molecular cuisine ingredients are easy to find at Molecularmeal. The section presents tools, textures, sublimated products, decor elements, equipment and much more.
Other molecular cuisine recipes
There are chocolate cakes, sweets, cakes, ice cream and much more. But how to make chocolate wind? It's not a joke! Such a dish exists, it was developed by the chefs of molecular cuisine. Its peculiarity is that it tastes like chocolate, but its texture is so light that it can only be compared with the wind.
For breakfast - a sandwich with caviar from watermelon. For lunch - beef with chocolate flavor and Borodino bread mousse. For dinner - banana jelly and salmon tea. What is the menu of the heroes of the science fiction novel? No, quite ordinary molecular cuisine.
Molecular cuisine is also called “delicious provocation,” or, in modern terms, “pattern breaking." And no wonder, because its purpose is not to feed, but to surprise, delight, affect both the senses and the emotions of a person. Even the names of the molecular dishes are impressive: coffee with garlic, sweets from the liver, ravioli from the banana. How do they do it?
Molecular cuisine sees products as a combination of molecules with specific physical and chemical properties. Chefs divide products into molecules and change their properties, as a result of which completely new in form and consistency dishes with unusual tastes appear.
This trend was born in the 70s of the twentieth century, when the physicist Nicholas Kurt and the chemist Herve Thys were puzzled by the issue of the close connection between science and cooking. The very concept of "molecular gastronomy" Kurt came up with in 1992. According to him, people have learned how to measure the temperature of the atmosphere of Venus, but they still don’t know what the souffle on their table consists of. The statement, of course, is controversial, nevertheless, the ideas of scientists have taken root and went to the people.
The first dish of molecular cuisine was white chocolate and caviar mousse, the recipe of which was created in 1999. After a dozen years, molecular cuisine restaurants have opened in almost every major city.
Molecular cuisine is one of the most exotic and controversial modern areas of culinary art. It is difficult to find a person who has never heard of her, but so far there are very few people who have tasted real molecular dishes in a restaurant or practice cooking them in their own kitchen. Today we will tell you what molecular cuisine is, what its features are, and what its techniques are applicable at home.
PosudaMart Molecular cuisine design optionThe ancestor of the scientific method of cooking was the Anglo-American scientist and inventor Benjamin Thompson, who lived at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries. He made a great contribution to the study of the phenomena of thermophysics and invented several kitchen appliances innovative for his time, in particular, a stove and a geyser coffee maker (percolator). The rapid development of the fundamental and applied branches of physics and chemistry in the late 19th and early 20th centuries provided the basis for the development of experimental cooking, based on scientific knowledge about the molecular composition of food. In the 1970s, the concept and term "molecular gastronomy" appeared through the efforts of the British physicist of Hungarian origin Nicholas Curtie and the French chemist Herve Tys, who were united by a passion for cooking. Scientists began to study the physical and chemical changes that occur during cooking and began to invent new methods for creating dishes of unusual shapes, textures and tastes. “In order to get new unusual gastronomic impressions, you need to highlight the compounds responsible for the smell of the ingredient, extract them with water, and then turn this“ food ”into jelly. You can change this jelly by giving it a different texture or by tinting it to get a more appetizing look, ”wrote Herve Tis.
In 1992, in Italy, Nicholas Curti and Herve Tees held a series of seminars for scientists and practicing chefs under the general title "Molecular and Physical Gastronomy." At these meetings, new cooking methods were discussed, and for the first time the assumption was publicly voiced that by understanding the physical and chemical processes that take place during cooking, traditional cook methods and techniques can be improved. Nicolas Kurti’s famous phrase, uttered at one of the seminars, entered the world history of culinary: “The trouble of our civilization is that we are able to measure the temperature of Venus’s atmosphere, but we don’t imagine what’s going on inside the souffle on our table.” On the practical part of the seminars, scientists demonstrated how to cook meringues in a vacuum chamber, sausages using a car battery, make “Baked Alaska” on the contrary - cold outside and hot inside - using a household microwave. At that time, Herve Thies suggested isolating protein from pineapple juice and turning it into liquid jelly with its help. The participants in these scientific and practical meetings, who embraced the philosophy of Kurti and Tees, became a kind of futurists from gastronomy in their desire to replace the “archaic” methods of cooking with a precisely verified scientific method. Among them are the current stars of molecular gastronomy - the chef of the Catalan restaurant "El Bulli" Ferrand Adria and the British restaurateur and culinary owner of the legendary "The Fat Duck" Heston Blumenthal.
By the way, the term "molecular cuisine" is not the only one, along with it in the literature you can find the concepts of "experimental" and "modernist". Ferran Adria, for many years collaborating with Hervé Tees, prefers the term “deconstructive” or “provocative” to everyone else, its main purpose is to find unobvious connections and contrasting tastes and aromas that can surprise and shock guests.
Unusual forms and taste combinations - in a gastronomic restaurant on one plate you can meet solid borsch, Borodino bread in the form of foam and meat in the form of eggs.
The use of special equipment that is different from traditional cooking methods - convection cookers, shock freeze cookers, vacuum ovens, dehydrators, vacuum cleaners, su-view thermostats, rotary evaporators, centrifuges, homogenizers, siphons that convert products to foam, etc.
Innovative methods and technologies. For example, molecular chefs fry food on water by adding special vegetable sugar to it, which increases the boiling point to 120 degrees. Often used methods of long-term low-temperature heat treatment in vacuum or instant cooling of foods and dishes with liquid nitrogen.
Attention to proportions - molecular cooking requires the highest accuracy, a mistake of a couple of grams can hopelessly ruin the dish. That is why amateur experiments at home at first often end unsuccessfully.
High labor input and financial costs. Some molecular dishes may take several days to prepare. In addition, the acquisition of special equipment and ingredients require impressive cash investments. That is why dishes in gastronomic restaurants are much more expensive than traditional ones. The bill at the El Bulli restaurant can reach 3,000 euros per set!
Espumization
A common method of converting solid and liquid products into a stable air foam, while all the taste properties of the product or dish are preserved 100%.
Spherification and telephony
These essentially similar techniques are based on the technology of converting products into a gel using gelatin and sodium alginate, a stabilizer that increases the viscosity of products obtained from kelp algae. Marmalade and jelly known to everyone, as well as artificial caviar are made using the same technology, but molecular chefs create much more diverse and perfect masterpieces - orange spaghetti, edible spheres made of coffee, caviar from whiskey, etc.
Emulsification
The basis of this technique is the conversion of various products into a liquid emulsion consisting of water, fats and other substances. This method makes vinaigrette in the form of sauce, various mayonnaises, desserts, etc.
Vacuum technology (sous-vide - su-view)
Products packaged in a vacuum bag are subjected to long-term low-temperature processing, resulting in a special softness of meat, juiciness of fish, crispness of vegetables and tenderness of fruit. In order to select the optimal time and temperature for cooking products using the su-view method, there are special temperature tables.
Low temperature method
Extremely low temperatures achieved using liquid nitrogen and dry ice are used in the preparation of ice cream, mousses and similar desserts. It is also widely used baking products at subzero temperatures.
Transglutaminase
It consists in the use of transglutaminase (special enzymes capable of gluing muscle tissue) to simulate unusual forms of meat or fish dishes.
The unfamiliar names of ingredients and food additives that are added to molecular dishes to obtain bizarre shapes, textures, aromas and colors unwittingly suggest that this is not a natural or healthy food stuffed with chemistry. However, this is nothing more than a delusion. Food, like any other substance on planet Earth, consists of chemical elements, including natural dyes, flavor and aroma enhancers, preservatives, etc. Substances used to prepare molecular food are completely natural chemical compounds and natural ingredients, just a few examples are enough to verify this.
The sodium alginate mentioned above (referred to as E401 supplement) is an absolutely natural, health-friendly substance that is obtained from kelp algae. In the food industry, it has been used since the 19th century to create jellies, gels, thicken liquids and stabilize emulsions.
Calcium chloride (designated as additive E509) belongs to the category of natural emulsifiers, and at the same time is a medicinal substance that makes up for the lack of this salt in the body. Calcium chloride removes toxins from the body, facilitates the inflammatory and allergic reactions of the body, drugs based on it are sold in pharmacies for oral administration.
Lecithin (soy, sunflower) - a natural substance obtained from vegetable oils, its analogue of animal origin is found in large quantities in egg yolks. Without exaggeration, lecithin can be called the fuel of the human body, because its basis - phospholipids, are the building material for membranes and cells.
Liquid nitrogen, which is used to quickly freeze dishes and effectively dispense them in a gaseous state, is the main component of the air we breathe.
The cooking technique also suggests that molecular cuisine is a healthy cuisine. An example is dishes prepared in a su-form. Thanks to cooking in a vacuum without contact with oxygen and at low temperatures, a dish with a natural taste and appearance is obtained, while retaining most of the nutrients that are destroyed by traditional heat treatment.
Thus, in all processes of preparing molecular cuisine dishes there is nothing supernatural and dangerous, which should be really feared, especially if we bear in mind the dominance of all kinds of “chemistry” on our tables and in everyday life as a whole.
Molecular Egg Fondant
A very simple recipe that only requires eggs and a household thermostat, a slow cooker with manual multi-cook mode or an oven with a similar mode.
Take a few eggs, put in the capacity of the thermostat, a bowl of a slow cooker or a metal pan with water (if you are cooking in the oven). Cook the eggs for two hours at a temperature of 64 degrees. If this condition is met, the contents of the egg will turn into the most delicate fondant that can be spread on bread or make unusual topping on its basis.
Molecular lemon cloud
PosudaMart Do-it-yourself or spectacular decor
Lemon cloud can very effectively decorate fish, meat, fruit mousses and jelly.
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Recipe:
Mix lemon fresh, water and soya lecithin, beat the mixture with a mixer until a light, stable foam is formed. If desired, a little beetroot or carrot juice can be added to the lemon juice to make the foam color.
Caviar from melon on prosciutto ham
PosudaMart Variation on the theme of the famous Italian appetizer
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Recipe:
1. Mix water in a bowl or pan with a solution of calcium chloride.
2. Mix the melon juice and sodium alginate with a blender, strain through a sieve to allow air to escape.
3. Take a syringe without a needle, fill with melon juice and squeeze a little into a container with an aqueous solution of calcium chloride. In a minute you will see that the "eggs" have acquired their final form.
4. Catch the “eggs” from the bowl with a slotted spoon, put them in a sieve and rinse thoroughly under running cold water. Do not neglect this step.
since calcium chloride has an unpleasantbitter salty taste.5. Put melon caviar on slices of ham rolled into small rolls.
Molecular cuisine is a real break in the pattern. And this is not surprising, because the main goal of such products is not to feed, but to surprise. Such products affect not only all the senses, but also human emotions. Moreover, even the names themselves are impressive: a dessert from the liver, ravioli from a banana, pasta from oranges.
Such a kitchen considers the ingredients as a combination of product molecules with the same chemical and physical properties. Modern chefs divide the ingredients into molecules, change properties, which allows you to get an incredible dish in the end.
This direction appeared in the 70s of the last century. However, the concept itself appeared 20 years later - in 1992, it was introduced into the circulation by physicist Nicholas Kurt.
The first such dish is chocolate and fish game mousse. Today, restaurants offering such unusual snacks are available in almost every city. Moreover, unlike traditional restaurants, institutions of molecular cuisine are more like scientific laboratories, where various devices, beakers, and meters are installed.
There are several ways to prepare meals, if you wish to prepare molecular cuisine.
This is the transformation of products into foam. This effect can be achieved if a component such as soya lecithin from soybean oil is added to the product.
Espumization is a common method that allows you to turn any ingredient into airy foam. Due to this, the texture of the product will change, it will become light, weightless, airy, while retaining its taste and quality.
For example, in a foam of meat, it will taste the meat, but you can drink the product through a tube.
One of the well-known methods that has presented the world with many recipes for such a cuisine. The preparation is based on the process of processing the product into a gel using alginates or gelatin. From this sphere, one can recall the well-known marmalade, jelly; artificial caviar is made in a similar way. But modern chefs regularly show unusual workshops on cooking orange spaghetti, delicious pea dishes, and coffee desserts.
A method of converting a product into an emulsion or liquid into which fatty substances and water are distributed. One of the most famous products is ordinary milk, which is made from water and milk fat. In molecular cuisine, this technology is used to make nogogol, salads in the form of sauces, and various desserts.
It is a technology in which products packed in a vacuum bag are cooked in a water bath where a constant temperature is maintained. After this method, the taste of the finished dish improves, becomes brighter. In molecular cuisine, more familiar dishes are prepared using this technology: steaks, seafood.
If you decide to master this technology, you need to remember several important recommendations and rules that should be followed. These include:
Having decided to cook something from the molecular menu, you need to strictly follow the recipe and technology.
It is considered the simplest recipe. To prepare everything is very simple:
The result is a dish that is more similar in texture and taste to savory fudge.
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For cooking, you need ingredients such as:
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Everything is prepared very simply:
A very unusual dish that attracts with its appearance and original taste.
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Step by step cooking:
The following ingredients are needed for cooking:
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To prepare such a dish you will need:
To prepare everything is simple:
It is perfect as an oil for sandwiches, and for sauce - for this, the mixture needs to be melted.
A great dessert for those who want to try something new. Ingredients:
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To prepare an unusual dish you will need:
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This recipe is for those who have already learned a little how to cook molecular cuisine. The following products are needed.
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To decorate the dish:
Step by step cooking:
We take a glass container with a diameter of at least 10 cm. Pour a little water with sodium alginate to the bottom. We take a mixture of pumpkin filling, spread it on top, then tilt the dishes at an angle of 45 degrees and slowly pour the mixture with sodium alginate so that it covers the future sphere.
We tilt the container to 90 degrees (the method is reminiscent of the method of pouring beer into a glass). For a minute we twist the dishes to form a sphere. Leave for 2-3 minutes.
We send the formed sphere into cold water. Before serving, spread the whipped cream and sprinkle with crumbs from the cake.
The first one. Mix water and juice.
The second one. Add lecithin, beat with a mixer.
The third. The resulting foam is used as decoration.
Above was shown the recipe for molecular cuisine - a foam cloud. We introduce you to the concept itself.
What is molecular cuisine? This is a fashion trend in cooking. Cooking is based on physical and chemical concepts. In search of an unusual, new taste. Products are frozen, processed with liquid nitrogen, vacuum and pressure are used.
The restaurant or cafe has a molecular cuisine menu with honey or chocolate caviar, a mango sphere, molecular ice cream and much more. Unfortunately, there are few establishments that can offer you to try molecular cuisine. Not every cook can create such a dish.
In the restaurant of molecular cuisine, the master will arrange a presentation of the selected delicacy. The cost of one serving on the molecular cuisine menu is expensive. But for those who want to follow the new fashion trends in cooking, prices are not a hindrance.
Molecular cuisine training is gaining popularity. There are more willing to learn the culinary masterpieces on their own. For all beginners, the courses will be taught knowledge, special skills and the technique of creation. The wizard will explain unusual ways of processing products, talk about additives. It tells what the dishes should be, list the necessary equipment of the molecular kitchen.
After the luggage of knowledge is collected. Molecular cuisine at home will become a reality. You will need to buy dishes, additives and equipment in a molecular kitchen store. The average price of a set is about 1,500 rubles without additives.
Molecular cuisine recipes with a photo will help a novice prepare a foam cloud of lemon, carrot caviar, arugula spaghetti.
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Learn another recipe from the video
You can get new ideas by visiting a molecular cuisine show. At holidays and family gatherings, home molecular cuisine will surprise everyone and will delight you with new discoveries.