Citrus recipe by Benoit Blin

Benoit Blin

Benoit Blin

26th November 2014
Benoit Blin

Citrus recipe by Benoit Blin

Citrus recipe by Benoit Blin, Chef Patissier at Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons, Oxford

Benoit cooked this dish at The Staff Canteen Live January 2015

Ingredients

  • Serves 20 guests
  • For the lemon cream half discs
  • 160g 3 eggs, whole, medium
  • 65g caster sugar
  • 45g 1 large lemon juice
  • 6g 1 small lemon zest, finely grated
  • 45g whipping cream
  • 45g double cream
  • 300g cocoa butter to be able to dip each half disc comfortably
  • Sable Shortbread
  • 95g plain flour
  • 20g potato fecule
  • 35g icing sugar
  • 100g unsalted butter, soft
  • 1/3 lemon, zest only
  • 1g salt
  • For the lemon butterscotch sauce
  • 90g whipping cream
  • 10g water
  • 35g glucose, liquid
  • 75g caster sugar
  • 35g lemon juice, freshly squeezed, hot
  • 1/2 lemon zest, grated
  • For the lemongrass whipped jelly cubes
  • 95g caster sugar
  • 200ml water
  • 30g lemongrass, crushed and chopped finely
  • 10g gelatine leaves softened in plenty of cold water and drained
  • 65ml lemon juice
  • For the lemon and basil sorbet
  • 250ml water
  • 110g caster sugar
  • 17g milk powder
  • 65g glucose
  • 22g fresh basil leaves
  • 225ml lemon juice (made from the best Italian or Menton lemons)
  • For the pink grapefruit sauce
  • 150g 1 fresh pink grapefruit juice (Florida when in season)
  • 2g gelatine softened in plenty of cold water and drained
  • To serve
  • lemon and lime grated zest in sugar
  • 1-2 pink grapefruit in segments, each cut into 3 pieces

Method

For the lemon cream half discs In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon juice and zest.

In a medium saucepan, bring the whipping cream and double cream to the boil. Whisk into the eggs. Pour this mixture back into the pan and bring to a gentle simmer, stirring all the time until it reaches 82°C and thickens.

Blitz with a stick blender for 20 seconds to homogenise and lighten the cream.

Pour the mixture into a tray of 20 straight-sided silicon cylinder moulds 5-6cm diameter and 3cm high (you will only need 10 so keep the rest in the freezer).

Freeze for at least 4 hours until firm.

Demould the lemon cream discs. Cut each disc in half and reserve in the freezer on a small tray lined with greaseproof paper.

Melt the cocoa butter to 45°C. Push a cocktail stick into the rounded rim of each half disc, and completely immerse it in the melted cocoa butter. This will provide a sweet balance to the acidity of the lemon. Line a tray with greaseproof paper. Stand each disc upright on its flat side on the tray. Leave to defrost for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours, then reserve in the fridge.

For the sablé Shortbread

Preheat the oven to 170ºC.

In the stand mixer bowl, sieve together the flour, potato fecule and icing sugar. Add the soft butter, lemon zest and salt and on low speed, mix with the paddle attachment for 1-2minutes until fully incorporated.

Roll the dough to 3mm thick between 2 sheets of silicone paper and leave to set in the fridge for 2 hours.

Cut into 20 rectangles 8x2 cm. At this stage you can keep them in the fridge or freezer until required. Bake on a silicone net or mat for 8-10 minutes until a light golden colour.

For the lemon butterscotch sauce

In a medium pan, bring the whipping cream to the boil. Meanwhile, in a separate medium pan with tall edges, bring the sugar, water and glucose to a blond caramel.

Gradually and carefully add the hot lemon juice and grated zest to the caramel, followed by the hot cream.

Stir well and bring back to the boil for 1 minute and make sure all is well dissolved. Transfer to a medium bowl placed over an ice bain marie and allow to cool down completely.

Reserve in the fridge in a piping bottle.

For the lemongrass whipped jelly cubes

In a small saucepan on a low heat, dissolve the sugar in the water. Add the lemongrass and bring to a barely simmering point for 3 minutes. Take off the heat and leave to infuse for a further 30 minutes.

Strain and warm slightly. Add the softened gelatine leaves and stir until dissolved. Add the lemon juice.

Pour into a bowl and leave to set in the fridge overnight. Place the set jelly in the small bowl of the stand mixer and whip on a medium speed for about 30 minutes until light and fluffy. You are emulsifying the jelly and trapping air in it, to change its texture completely.

Line a flat tray with silicone paper and stand a frame 16x16cm and 2 cm deep on it. Pour the whipped jelly into the frame. Leave to set in the freezer overnight.

With the blade of a warm knife dice the frozen jelly into 2cm cubes and reserve on a tray until needed. The whipped jelly cubes need only 5 minutes or so out of the freezer before being ready to serve.

For the confit lemon laces

Using a large zester knife, create 10cm-long thick zest laces around the lemons.

In a large pan of 1 litre of cold water, bring the lemon laces to the boil for 4-5 minutes. This is important as it will extract any bitterness and cook the lemon zest laces until tender. Drain and repeat the process from cold.

In a small pan bring the water, lemon juice and sugar to the boil. Add the laces, simmer for 10 minutes, then leave to cool completely in their syrup. Drain onto a small pastry tray and reserve in the fridge.

For the lemon and basil sorbet

Freeze the bowl of the Kenwood ice cream machine.

In a medium saucepan on a high heat, bring the water to a simmer and whisk in the sugar, glucose and milk powder. Take off the heat, add the basil leaves and leave to infuse for 30 minutes.

Pass through a sieve, whisk in the freshly squeezed lemon juice and churn in the ice cream machine for 8-10 minutes.

For the pink grapefruit sauce

Warm half the grapefruit juice and dissolve the drained gelatine in it. Add the remaining grapefruit juice and transfer to a small bowl over an ice bain marie to set slightly. Reserve in a piping bottle in the fridge until needed

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