Carrot Pavlova, Cream Cheese Mousse, Carrot Granita, Coconut Sorbet, Carrot Coulis, Olive Oil, Micro Cilantro, Salt, and Pepper

Adapted by StarChefs.com
February 2015

INGREDIENTS:

Carrot Pavlova
(Yield: Eight 2½-inch rounds)
120 grams room temperature egg whites
4 grams fine sea salt, plus additional as needed
10 grams white vinegar
240 grams sugar
4.7 grams cornstarch
10 grams powdered carrot
Cream Cheese Mousse
(Yield: 3 cups)
180 grams room temperature cream cheese
300 grams yogurt
120 grams organic sugar
1½ teaspoons gelatin, bloomed in 30 grams water for 5 minutes
10 grams lemon juice
Fine sea salt
10 grams vanilla extract
240 grams heavy cream, whipped to medium peaks, held in refrigerator
Carrot Granita
(Yield: One ⅓-pan)
480 grams water
240 grams organic sugar
960 grams fresh carrot juice
30 grams fresh lemon juice
11 grams fine sea salt
Sorbet Syrup
1 kilogram organic sugar
200 grams corn syrup
700 grams water
Coconut Sorbet
(Yield: One 1/6-pan)
870 grams unsweetened coconut milk
160 grams sorbet syrup
Fine sea salt
Carrot Coulis
(Yield: 1 quart)
480 grams medium diced carrot
240 grams water
10 grams organic sugar
8 grams salt
30 grams simple syrup
45 grams honey vinegar
5 to 8 grams fine sea salt
20 grams olive oil
5 grams fresh ginger juice
To Assemble and Serve
sea salt
black pepper
micro cilantro

METHOD:

Carrot Pavlova

Heat oven to between 225°F to 240°F. If using a convection oven, set fan to low or turn off completely. Lightly grease a sheet tray and adhere parchment paper to tray. Grease and gently wipe parchment paper with paper towel. The tray should be oiled evenly, but not heavily. In a stand mixer, begin whipping egg whites. Add salt and vinegar. When the whites have reached a "beer foam" consistency, add white sugar in a consistent stream. Whip meringue to strong, stiff peaks. Gently transfer meringue to a large, wide bowl.Sift cornstarch and powdered carrot over meringue and gently fold in until combined. Using a spoon, scoop meringue and gently dollop gently onto greased parchment.Top with salt and bake 4 to 6 hours, making sure no browning occurs. The Carrot Pavlovas are done when the exterior is dry and crisp and the center still has a bit of marshmallow-yness to it.

Cream Cheese Mousse

In a double boiler, melt and combine 80 grams cream cheese, 100 grams yogurt, and the sugar. Add gelatin, stirring until combined; remove from heat. To a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, add remaining cream cheese and mix until softened. Slowly add remaining yogurt. When combined, slowly pour in cheese mixture from double boiler. Keep mixing, scraping down sides of bowl, until combined and there are no lumps. Mix in lemon juice, salt, and vanilla. Transfer bowl to ice water bath and stir until mixture is cool. Remove from bath and fold in whipped cream (adjust whipped cream to medium peaks, if necessary). Transfer to pastry bag with plain tip and refrigerate.

Carrot Granita

In a saucepan, bring water and sugar to boil. Remove from heat and cool. Add remaining ingredients and check mixture for 16°Bx, adjusting if necessary. Pour into hotel pan and freeze, agitating mixture every 1 to 2 hours to create uniform ice crystals.

Sorbet Syrup

In a sauce pan, combine all ingredients and heat until sugar has melted, simmering for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and chill in ice water bath.

Coconut Sorbet

In a large container, combine all ingredients. Check mixture for 28°Bx., and adjust as necessary. Churn sorbet base in batch freezer according to manufacturer’s instructions.

Carrot Coulis

In a pot, combine carrot, water, sugar, and salt and cook until carrot is tender. Drain carrots, reserving cooking liquid. Transfer carrot to Vita-Prep with a small amount of cooking liquid and purée. Add more cooking liquid, as necessary, until mixture is velvety smooth. Chill in ice water bath.

To Assemble and Serve

Dollop Carrot Coulis in serving bowl and give it a slight push with an offset spatula. Gently hollow out top of pavlova and pull out part of the meringue inside, as with a bread bowl. Pipe 20 to 30 grams of Cream Cheese Mousse inside hollowed out pavlova. Scoop a generous amount (45 to 55 grams) of Carrot Granita and place on top of mousse (have it billowing out and spilling over). Arrange a quenelle of Coconut Sorbet on granita. Sprinkle dessert with sea and pepper. Garnish with cilantro.