Minor Revelations

 

It's true, we don't typically start out on something with expectations that it will fail. But nor do we assume we'll knock it out of the park on the first swing. This corn custard, however, began as a simple exercise yet yielded a beautiful, near-perfect result.

It’s just such a minor revelation that can turn a dull, normal day into a great one.

 

 

     
 

The original idea was actually a voluntary act of kindness, troubleshooting for someone else- a similar approach that lacked refinement. Now I hope I can find a place for it myself.

 

The goal was to create a heat-stable, yet soft, corn custard. Corn was briefly simmered in milk, then drained. Agar agar and locust bean gum were hydrated into the milk, while the corn was puréed and strained. Iliked the idea of adding some richness via a bit of egg yolk- its function was less about thickening and more about flavor. The two mixtures were put back together and seasoned before dispensing into cylinder molds.

 

 

To balance the salty/savory aspect, I sprinkled the custard with sugar and applied the torch. Pictured here is a plating scheme with some other components we normally within arm’s reach: hazelnut praline cream, popcorn, orange peel, and piment d’espelette.  

Download Corn Custard- Workbook 22.10.09

 

 

 

Comments

[Michael Natkin]

I've generally had texture problems with agar preps, they tend to be rubbery. Does the locust bean gum allow you to use less agar and get a better texture or is it mainly for synerisis control?

In briefly searching for information on the synergy, I found this interesting link from Cargill's personal care division - never though about the fact that hydrocolloids are used in that business as well as food. Some pretty detailed info here: http://bit.ly/4xIeA0

[Michael Laiskonis]

Michael,

It is true that we're capitalizing on the synergy between agar agar and LBG. Such synergies are sought for their effect of creating something greater than the simple sum of their parts. And I'm not 100% sure I'm stating this correctly, but I would also guess that the fat we've introduced- from the milk and from the egg yolk- have a plasticizing effect as well, softening the texture and aiding in its flexibility. But then there's also the matter of dosage; we always try to target an amount that is 'just enough' to avoid an 'off' consistency. I actually had an image of this corn custard showing how soft it was, but didn't post it!

Of course, we can always consider other hydrocolloids to produce similar results: carrageenan or gellan could likely produce interesting, comparable textures as well, but with their own distinct personality.

[Michael Natkin]

Thanks Chef! I look forward to the day when I've worked with modern hydrocolloids enough to have intuition about them the way I do "normal" foods. As it stands now, especially without the situation to make the same prep in dozens of variations, it is a frustrating game of attempting to leverage trusted recipes that are close to something I want to create. I really appreciate that you take the time to share your knowledge and recipes - it certainly helps along the way.