Textural Transition
Pastry Chef Sophie Hau’s pre-dessert finds harmony in temperature, texture, and flavor at Californios.
Queso Fresco Semifreddo, Tomato-Raspberry Granita, Nixtamalized Sungold Tomato, Fresh Raspberries, Wild Fennel |. photos: will blunt
At Californios, Pastry Chef Sophie Hau finds inspiration all over, whether it’s going to the corner store for queso fresco, seeing wild fennel grow on the side of the highway, or watching one of the restaurant’s prep cooks nixtamalize corn for their tortillas. Looking to make a tangy ice cream paired with a fruity, farm fresh granita for a pre-dessert course, Hau developed a balanced, highly technical dessert that plays with various temperatures, textures, and flavors.
Queso Fresco Ice Cream
Hau adapted her queso fresco ice cream from a mascarpone ice cream recipe. She starts by combining queso fresco, crème fraîche, and cream cheese, and immersion blends them with a sorbet syrup until the mixture is homogenous and the queso fresco granules are almost indistinguishable. The base is strained then sits overnight to bring out the natural umami of the dairy and allow the acidity of the crème fraîche to bloom. Once it’s rested, the ice cream gets spun twice, first in a Carpegiani ice cream machine, then it takes a trip in a PacoJet right before service for a smooth, aerated texture.
Tomato-Raspberry Granita
The granita starts with tomato water, made from Tucker Taylor’s Sungold tomatoes. Hau macerates the tomatoes with salt and sugar, then places them in a chinois and allows them to naturally drain over 24 hours. Next, Hau takes Yerena Farms raspberries and gently tosses them with sugar, water, lemon thyme, and lemon peel. She tightly wraps the bowl in plastic wrap and places it over a very gentle double boiler for two hours. “I have kind of an aversion to cooked fruit sauces, so I always tend to go this route when I’m making one,” says Hau. “The liquid that comes out is really clear, and it keeps the flavor brighter.” Hau mixes the tomato water and raspberry consommé until it reaches 19 brix, and then seasons it with salt. She puts the granita mix in a hotel pan in the freezer, whisking it every 15 minutes until large ice crystals form.
Queso Fresco Semifreddo, Tomato-Raspberry Granita, Nixtamalized Sungold Tomato, Fresh Raspberries, Wild Fennel
pastry chef sophie hau of californios
Tomato Nixtamal
“[Nixtamalization] is a nice way to enhance these tomatoes that are already really great, using a technique that's pretty ancient, and develop more flavor into the product itself,” Hau says. Utilizing cherry-sized tomatoes, Hau briefly blanches the tomatoes to slip the skins, reserving some for garnish. She combines the tomatoes with water and calcium hydroxide, and lets it sit for about an hour and a half. The tomatoes are strained, rinsed, and lightly poached in a tomato stock, creating a bright, umami garnish that dances across your tongue.
The Set
Hau places a quenelle of queso fresco ice cream on to the plate, along with two heaping spoonfuls of the tomato-raspberry granita. The plate is adorned with fresh raspberries, blanched raw sun sugar tomatoes, the tomato nixtamal, along with fennel pollen and fronds. “Fennel just grows everywhere, literally in cracks in the sidewalk,” says Hau. “You know it’s summertime in The Bay when you see fennel just growing on highway overpasses.” She finishes the plate with Marisal (a crunchy Mexican finishing salt) for an extra pop of seasoning and added texture.
