Strawberry Salad, Coconut Sorbet, Basil Ice Cream, and Coconut Pearls

METHOD:

For the Basil Ice Cream: In a medium sauce pot, heat the milk, crème fraiche, sugar, and chopped fresh basil. Cover the sauce pot with plastic wrap and steep for 30 min. After steeping, bring the mixture to a boil and temper in the egg yolks. Pour the mixture into a Vita-Prep, blend, and strain. Cool for 24 hours before spinning in a Carpigiani ice cream machine according to manufacturer’s instructions.

For the Coconut Sorbet:
In a medium sauce pot, heat the coconut milk and sugar. Add the lime zest and steep for 5 minutes. Strain and cool. Spin in an ice cream machine according to manufacturer’s instructions.

For the Coconut Pearls:
Puree the water and calcium chloride in the Vita-Prep and set aside. Heat coconut water with sugar and add the warm mixture to the coconut milk, sodium alginate, and sodium citrate and puree. Strain into a squeeze bottle. Drop pearls one by one into the calcium water mixture. Remove pearls after 1 minute and hold in extra coconut water.

For the Strawberry Syrup:
Combine all of the ingredients in a small sauce pan. Cook on low heat until a thick syrup forms. Strain and cool.

To Assemble and Serve:
Using a caviar pearl press filled with strawberry syrup, “stamp” the flat plate. Toss some of the fresh strawberries with black pepper and strawberry syrup. Add a few coconut pearls, micro basil, and candied sunflower seeds and plate. Take half a spoonful of the coconut sorbet and add to the basil ice cream. Then in one motion, quenelle a mix of coconut sorbet and basil ice cream and plate on top of the strawberries.