Arabic de luxe dessert assiette
Ingredients
(serves four)
For the pears 4 baby pears, peeled but uncored and with stem
350ml white wine
150g sugar
125ml orange juice
25g clarified butter
50g Iranian honey
Gold leaf
For the pistachio and almond Bohsalino 60g ground pistachio
20g icing sugar
Rose water, to taste
25ml cream
60g ground white almonds
80g home-made camel's milk cheese or fresh Lebanese cheese (kachta)
40g rose water-flavoured sugar syrup
For the konafa millefeuille with figs
10g icing sugar
120g konafa dough, raw and cut into strips
80g pastry cream, flavoured with lemon blossom water
80g fresh blue figs, sliced
Lemon juice, to taste
Icing sugar for dusting
Mint, to garnish
For the ivory chocolate and orange blossom sherbet 220ml water
28g milk powder
10g sugar
36g invert sugar
110g white chocolate, melted
Orange blossom water, to taste
Dry coconut shavings, for garnish
Caramelised pine seeds, for garnish
White chocolate stick, for garnish
METHOD
Pears: Simmer pears in a stock syrup made with the white wine, sugar and orange juice until tender. Marinate overnight in the syrup.
Drain pears and pat dry. Sauté in the clarified butter to obtain colour on all sides. Add the honey and bake in the oven for a few minutes. Keep on brushing with honey. Dress the pears on the plate, drizzle some honey around, and garnish stem with gold leaf.
Pistachio and almond Bohsalino: Prepare two pastes - one each of pistachio and almond. Press warm paste into greased conical metal moulds, making a small pocket. Fill cream into the centre, close with paste. Turn out of the mould and garnish with syrup.
Millefeuille: Mix icing sugar and konafa strips. Cut into 12 discs (about 5cm in diameter). Place on Silpat sheets. Bake at
170°C until golden in colour and crisp. Assemble and sandwich with pastry cream, figs and konafa discs. Dust with icing sugar. Garnish with mint and a squeeze of lemon juice.
Chocolate and orange blossom sherbet: Boil water, milk powder, sugar and invert sugar. Pour on top of the melted chocolate. Add orange blossom water. Blend well. Strain. Allow to infuse overnight. Turbine in ice-cream freezer.
Assemble in a small dish. Garnish with coconut shavings, caramelised pine seed and white chocolate stick.
