Strawberry, Meringues, Shisho Cress, White Chocolate Mousse & Yuzu Recipe

Words by Dan Warden

Recipes from Jude Kereama, owner and Head Chef of Porthleven’s Kota and Kota Kai.

kotarestaurant.co.uk  

kotakai.co.uk 

Above | Rebecca Hawkey

Serves 4

Ingredients:

For the yuzu gel:

½ cup water

½ cup sugar

1 cup yuzu juice

6g agar agar

For the strawberry sorbet and strawberry sauce:

10g glucose syrup

350g sugar

275g water

500g strawberry Boiron puree

Lemon juice to taste

For the meringues:

100g caster sugar

100g egg whites

100g icing sugar sifted

For the strawberry gel:

250g strawberries, washed  and hulled

100ml water

1g agar agar

1½ gelatine leaves, soaked in  cold water

For the white chocolate mousse:

150g melted white  chocolate cooled

8 egg whites

Pinch of salt

50g caster sugar

200ml double cream

For the dacquoise:

150g almond flour

15g cornflour

100g egg whites

100g caster sugar

Pinch of salt

For the garnish:

16 strawberries hulled and diced

Red shiso cress

Green shiso leaves chopped

Method

For the yuzu gel:

Add sugar, water, and agar agar into a pan and bring to a boil for 2 minutes. Add in yuzu juice. Let set and put into a mixer and blend until smooth. Put into a piping bag until needed.

For the strawberry sorbet and strawberry sauce:

Bring the glucose syrup, water, and sugar to a boil. Add the strawberry purée and then chill. Pop in an ice cream machine and churn. Keep some of the syrup in a squeezie bottle for the strawberry sauce.

For the meringues:

Whisk whites till stiff then gradually add all the caster sugar, then the icing sugar. Spread half of the mix onto baking sheets and bake at 120°C. The other ½ mix can be put in piping bags. Pipe small domes of meringue and bake at 120°C for 2 hours and then into the dehydrator to crisp up overnight.

For the strawberry gel:

Make a purée by simply blending the strawberries until smooth and passing through a fine strainer. Combine the purée, water and agar agar in a pan and bring to the boil. Allow to cool slightly before adding the soaked gelatine. Keep at room temperature until ready to serve.

For the white chocolate mousse:

Whisk 4 egg whites and salt into stiff peaks. Sprinkle and whisk in the caster sugar. Whisk double cream to soft peaks and fold into the white chocolate. Fold in the 4 remaining egg whites gently to keep the mousse aerated and light. Pop in a piping bag and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

For the dacquoise:

Make the meringue by pouring egg whites into a bowl and mixing until frothy. Turn to high speed and slowly add sugar until shiny and glossy. Combine the almond flour and cornflour and fold into the meringue. Spread thinly onto a baking sheet and cook at 150°C for 10-12 minutes until golden. Use a small round cutter to cut out discs. Leave to cool in the oven switched off until crisp.

To assemble:

Marinate hulled and diced strawberries with the strawberry sauce and chopped shiso leaves. Place a dacquoise disc on top of a little strawberry sauce. Pipe a circle of white chocolate mousse on top and press down with a spoon to form a well. Add chopped strawberries. Pipe 3 big dots of strawberry gel and 3 dots of yuzu gel around the discs. Add a quenelle of strawberry sorbet on top. Garnish with meringue shards and red shiso cress.