Pork Trotter, Snails, Spring Garlic Espuma, and Avocado Mousse

METHOD:

For the Pork Trotter:

In a large pot, combine the water, salt, sugar, garlic, thyme, bay leaves, and lemons. Bring to a simmer, remove from heat, and cool completely. Brine pork trotters in the mixture overnight. Remove trotter from the brine, and put in vacuum bags. Seal the bags, and cook sous vide at 75˚C for 24 hours. Remove trotters from the bags, and, while warm, pull pork skin off in large pieces, remove fat, and set aside. Shred pork meat and combine with Dijon mustard, shallots, and parsley, salt, and pepper. Stir in Activa. Spray a half hotel pan with nonstick spray and lay down skin. Press the pork mixture over the skin and let sit for at least 8 hours. Cut into rectangles.

Pickled Spring Garlic:

In a small pot, combine the vinegar, sugar, chili flakes, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil and pour warm mixture over the spring garlic. Pickle for at least 24 hours. Remove from the brine, and thinly slice the garlic.

For the Snails:

Add the snails, spring garlic, carrot, garlic, butter, thyme, and peppercorns to a vacuum bag. Cook sous vide at 68˚C for 3 hours. Chill immediately.

For the Spring Garlic Espuma:

In small saucepot, sauté 100 grams of spring garlic until tender, add cream, and bring to a simmer. Blanch remaining spring garlic in salted water for 1 minute and shock in ice water. Place both mixtures in blender and blitz until smooth. Weigh the mixture, and shear in 1% Methocel F50 by weight, continuing to blend at least 1 minute. Strain the mixture through a chinois, season, and pour into a siphon with 2 charges. Set aside in a warm place.

For the Avocado Mousse:

In a food processor, combine the avocados, lemon, sugar, citric acid, and salt. Process until smooth, spoon into a piping bag, and refrigerate.

To Assemble and Serve:

Heat a nonstick sauté pan over medium heat, place pork trotter skin-side down, and crisp slowly on all sides. In separate sauté pan, heat olive oil and sauté green garlic and Snails. Deglaze pan with Sherry and stock and finish with butter. Season with salt and lemon juice. Pipe a few different size dots of Avocado Mousse in bowl, place a Pork Trotter on one side, arrange 5 snails on plate, and drizzle with a little of the pan sauce. Garnish with nasturtium leaves, fenugreek sprouts, and Spring Garlic Espuma.