Garlic Ice Cream and Salmon
Charcoal Oil, Balsamic Vinegar Reduction, Crushed Almonds, Avocado-Wasabi Purée, and Sea Salt
Chef Nickolas Martinez of Intersect by Lexus | New York
Yield: 50 servings
Adapted by StarChefs | OCTOBER 2019
INGREDIENTS:
Salmon:
Two 1.5-kilogram salmon fillets, skinned
3 kilograms sea salt
1½ kilograms sugar
Juice and grated zest of 4 oranges
50 grams grated ginger
Charcoal Oil:
550 grams charcoal, glowing red-hot
400 grams chilled sunflower oil
Garlic Ice Cream:
1 kilogram almond flour
100 grams white breadcrumbs
Salt
100 grams confit garlic paste
150 grams olive oil
Sherry vinegar
6 sheets gelatin, bloomed
350 grams medium-peak whipped cream
Salt
Black pepper
Balsamic Vinegar Reduction:
250 mililiters balsamic vinegar
100 grams sugar
To Assemble and Serve:
Fried and crushed almonds
Tiger's milk marinade
Sea salt
Avocado-wasabi purée
Edible flowers
Bamboo leaves
METHOD:
For the Salmon:
Place Salmon in a hotel pan. In a bowl, combine remaining ingredients and pour over Salmon, completely covering fillets. Cover and refrigerate 3 hours. Rinse Salmon under cold running water. Half lengthwise, and then bias-cut widthwise into 7- by ½-centimeter slices.
For the Charcoal Oil:
Using tongs, pick up charcoal one at a time and dip into a deep sixth-pan containing the oil, being careful not to burn the oil. Let oil cool completely. Transfer to a vacuum bag and seal.
For the Garlic Ice Cream:
In a Thermomix blender, combine flour, breadcrumbs, salt, garlic paste, and 500 grams cold water. Blend at medium speed. Stream in oil followed by vinegar. Increase speed to high and blend 5 minutes, until mixture is fine and emulsified. Blend in gelatin, pour into a heatproof, nonreactive bowl, and set aside to cool for 2 hours. Fold in cream and season with salt and pepper. Pour into popsicle molds, add sticks, and freeze.
For the Balsamic Vinegar Reduction:
In a saucepan over medium low heat, combine vinegar and sugar. Reduce until 116ºC. Reduction should have texture of cold liquid caramel. Cool completely.
To Assemble and Serve:
In a bowl, marinate salmon in tiger’s milk for 5 minutes. Remove Garlic Ice Cream from molds and brush 1 side of each popsicle lightly with Balsamic Vinegar Reduction. Dip balsamic sides into almonds to coat and place popsicles on parchment-lined sheet tray for 2 to 3 minutes for nuts to adhere. Drain salmon and wrap 1 slice diagonally around each popsicle. Lightly brush salmon with Charcoal Oil, and, using a small blowtorch, lightly torch. Sprinkle sea salt over composed popsicle and finish with two small dots of avocado-wasabi purée. Finish with flowers. Serve in a small, ice-filled wooden box decorated with bamboo leaves.
