October 30, 2019

PINEAPPLE-FENNEL PARFAIT

by chef Harald Bresselschmidt of Aubergine

Serves 12

INGREDIENTS

Caramelized pineapple

1 fresh pineapple cut into 3cm cubes

45ml bourbon

200g brown sugar

1 vanilla bean

pinch salt

Coconut cream

500g coconut cream

50g castor sugar

3g salt

4g agar agar

Fennel parfait

50g castor sugar

25ml water

1 egg

2 egg yolks

¼t orange zest

¼t ground fennel seeds

1t Triple Sec

188g cream, whipped to stiff peaks

150g shredded coconut, toasted

Streusel garnish

90g cake flour

70g brown sugar

½ vanilla pod

65g butter, cubed

15g flaked almonds, toasted (or nuts of your choice)

Almond tuiles garnish

40g butter

100g castor sugar

25g flour

40g orange juice

50g flaked almond

METHOD

Caramelized pineapple

Place all ingredients into a saucepan and cook for 6 minutes on a low heat.

Coconut cream

  1. Bring all ingredients to the boil.
  2. Stir until agar agar is cooked. Set in the freezer.
  3. Blitz in blender until gel-like consistency.

Fennel parfait

  1. Bring castor sugar and water to boil.
  2. Whisk egg and yolks with sugar syrup over a slow boiling bain-marie for 5 minutes until eggs are colligated.
  3. Place on ice and keep whisking until cold.
  4. Add zest, fennel and Triple Sec. Fold the whipped cream into the mixture and then pour into half-sphere moulds (roughly golf ball size).
  5. Set in freezer and place two halves together to make a ball, roll in the coconut.

Streusel garnish

  1. Preheat oven to 200°C.
  2. Combine the flour, sugar, vanilla pod and almonds into the bowl of the Kitchen Aid or similar mixer. Using the paddle attachment, mix at a lower speed.
  3. Slowly add the soft cubes of butter one by one until a fine loose texture is achieved.
  4. Spread out the streusel mixture on an oven tray forming crumbs and bake for 8 to 12 minutes.

Almond tuiles garnish

  1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
  2. Melt butter in a bowl and then mix all ingredients together.
  3. Spoon ¼ teaspoons of mixture onto a silicon baking mat, leaving approximately 5cm spaces between each.
  4. Place in the oven for 2 to 3 minutes, checking when mixture has flattened out into circles and lightly browned.
  5. Remove and drape each circle over a cylindrical tube approximately 3cm in diameter and leave to cool.

PLATING

  1. Sprinkle streusel on serving plates and arrange parfait and caramelised pineapple.
  2. Top with almond tuiles.

Chefs’ tip: One can add marinated gooseberries tossed in a simple orange juice sauce as an extra garnish.

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