Sunday, June 24, 2012

Recipe: Red pepper and mirin sheets

These Sheets made from Red bell peppers and mirin really dressed up a tuna tataki dish I made recently.  You could just use red peppers if you like, but the mirin complemented the Asian nature of the dish and also diluted the colour a bit so that the final sheets were almost transparent when done.  You may notice that the gelling proportions are higher than the chorizo sheets I did - the chorizo sheets tend to be thicker, so thinking vertically, you end up with a similar level of binding for the same surface area on the sheets.  You will get the most dramatic effect with these if you can get them as thin as possible, so I put more gelatin in.  Whereas with the chorizo sheets, you could use a stencil to spread the mix out, you will be pouring this one, so I've made the recipe for 500ml of mix to make sure you will have enough to cover the pan (you can make a gel with the rest).  The importance of both a flat pan and a level setting surface is even more important as this mix will follow the gravity until it sets.  Once you get the hang of this recipe, take things a step further and make cannelloni with the sheets - the effect is stunning.

You will need:

2 - 3                  red bell peppers (to make at least 375ml / 1.5C of juice)
125ml / 1/2C    mirin
10 sheets          gelatin
5g / 0.18oz       agar agar
pan spray

Method:

 - stem the peppers and cut out the pale ribs
 - puree the peppers down to a liquid (use a juicer if you have one)
 - "season" the juice with mirin - you may use more or less than the 125ml according to your taste
 - measure out 500ml / 2C
 - soak the gelatin leaves
 - weigh out the agar and mix with the juice
 - pan spray a smooth plastic tray or 1/2 size silicone mat inside a 1/2 size sheet pan
 - bring the mix up to a simmer
 - set the tray on the level surface
 - drain the gelatin and melt it into the mix
 - pour the mix into the pan so you have a thin even layer
 - torch or pop any air bubbles
 - let set at least an hour
 - use the edge of a palette knife to cut your shapes
 - peel off and use

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