Smoked Vanilla Pavlova
Amaro Ice Cream, Fig Leaf Bavarian Cream, Roasted Figs, Fig Compote, Fig Leaf Oil, Fig Leaf Jam
Pastry Chef Erin Kobler of Sepia | Chicago
Adapted by StarChefs | september 2024
INGREDIENTS
Fig Leaf Bavarian Cream:
Yield: 2 quarts
500 grams heavy cream
18 grams fig leaves
500 grams whole milk
140 grams honey
200 grams egg yolk
40 grams granulated sugar
5 grams kosher salt
8 grams Nielsen-Massey pure vanilla bean paste
5 grams Nielsen-Massey Tahitian pure vanilla extract
14 grams gelatin, bloomed
Amaro Ice Cream:
Yield: 2 quarts
100 grams granulated sugar
75 grams dark brown sugar
630 grams whole milk
410 grams heavy cream
10 grams Nielsen-Massey Tahitian pure vanilla extract
160 grams Meletti amaro
6 grams ice cream stabilizer
50 grams toasted milk solids
120 grams egg yolk
15 grams Nielsen-Massey pure vanilla bean paste
Fig Compote:
Yield: 1 pint
340 grams dried fig
150 grams dark brown sugar
150 grams honey
15 grams Nielsen-Massey pure vanilla bean paste
250 grams Meletti amaro
Roasted Figs:
Yield: 1 quart
10 large figs
600 grams honey
600 grams dark brown sugar
5 grams kosher salt
10 grams Nielsen-Massey pure vanilla bean paste
200 grams Meletti amaro
Fig Leaf Oil:
Yield: 1 pint
500 grams canola oil
250 grams roughly chopped fig leaves
Fig Leaf Jam:
Yield: 1 pint
14 grams beeswax
Smoked Vanilla Powder:
Yield: 1½ ounces
10 whole Nielsen-Massey Tahitian vanilla beans
Smoked Vanilla Pavlova:
Yield: 25 servings
400 grams egg white
20 grams Nielsen-Massey pure
vanilla bean paste
400 grams smoked granulated sugar
400 grams powdered sugar
To Assemble and Serve:
Yield: 1 serving
3 fresh figs, halved
METHOD
For the Fig Leaf Bavarian Cream:
In a pot over medium heat, bring cream and 12 grams fig leaves to a simmer. Using a Vitamix Commercial immersion blender, blend mixture until leaves are broken up. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate overnight. The next day, strain mixture, discarding solids. Transfer mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whip until stiff peaks form. Set aside. In a pot over medium heat, bring milk, honey, and remaining 6 grams fig leaves to a simmer. Transfer mixture to a Vitamix Commercial blender and blend until smooth and a pale color is achieved. Strain back into pot over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Keep warm. In a mixing bowl, whip egg yolks, sugar, salt, and vanilla until ribbons begin to form. Temper with hot milk mixture, then add tempered egg mixture to pot. Cook until thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Stir in gelatin. Strain mixture and let cool over an ice bath. Fold in whipped fig cream. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate.
For the Amaro Ice Cream:
In a pot over high heat, cook granulated sugar until melted and a medium-amber caramel is achieved. Whisk in brown sugar and cook until fully dissolved. Stir in milk, cream, vanilla, and 60 grams amaro. Bring mixture to a simmer. Reduce heat and keep warm. In a mixing bowl, combine ice cream stabilizer and toasted milk solids. Add to pot with caramel. In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks. Temper with warm caramel mixture, then add to pot. Increase heat and cook until mixture reaches 180°F. Strain into a nonreactive container and refrigerate until chilled. Once cooled, using a Vitamix Commercial immersion blender, incorporate remaining 100 grams amaro and vanilla paste. Cover and refrigerate overnight. The next day, process base in an ice cream machine according to manufacturer's instructions. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze.
For the Fig Compote:
Place figs in a vacuum bag. Set aside. In a pot over medium heat, bring sugar, honey, vanilla, and 150 grams water to a simmer. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Pour syrup over figs. Add 150 grams amaro and seal bag. Let sit overnight at room temperature. The next day, transfer mixture to a saucepan over low heat. Bring to a simmer and cook until figs have absorbed three-quarters of the liquid. Transfer mixture to a Vitamix Commercial blender and purée until smooth. Add remaining 100 grams amaro. Blend to combine. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate.
For the Roasted Figs:
Place figs in a nonreactive container and set aside. In a saucepan over medium heat, bring honey, sugar, salt, vanilla, and 300 grams water to a simmer. Cook until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in amaro. Pour half of the syrup over figs. Reserve remaining syrup in a separate container. Cover figs and let sit overnight at room temperature. The next day, heat oven to 200°F. Using a slotted spoon, remove figs from syrup and transfer to a sheet tray, reserving syrup separately. Roast 40 minutes, or until fig skins have caramelized. Let cool. On a work surface, slice figs into wedges. Transfer to a mixing bowl and toss in reserved syrup until well coated. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate.
For the Fig Reduction:
In a saucepan over medium heat, cook remaining reserved Roasted Fig syrup until a thick caramel is achieved. Transfer to a piping bag and refrigerate.
For the Fig Leaf Oil:
Heat the water bath of an immersion circulator to 200°F. In a vacuum bag, add all ingredients. Seal and cook sous vide 1 hour. Strain through a coffee filter, discarding leaves. Transfer oil to an airtight container and set aside.
For the Fig Leaf Jam:
In a saucepan over medium-low flame, heat 200 grams Fig Leaf Oil. Add beeswax and cook until melted. Remove from heat and let sit at room temperature until desired consistency is achieved. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate.
For the Smoked Vanilla Powder:
Prepare and heat a smoker with fig wood. Place vanilla in a perforated hotel pan. Cold smoke 30 minutes. Reignite wood, then smoke beans additional 30 minutes. Heat oven to 350°F. Roast smoked vanilla beans until crisp. Let cool completely. Transfer to a Vitamix Commercial blender and blend until a fine powder is achieved. Transfer to an airtight container and reserve.
For the Smoked Vanilla Pavlova:
Heat oven to 180°F. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip egg whites and vanilla on medium speed. Working in batches, slowly incorporate smoked sugar, mixing until stiff peaks form. Set aside. In a small mixing bowl, combine powdered sugar and 10 grams Smoked Vanilla Powder. Fold vanilla-sugar mixture into meringue. Transfer mixture to a piping bag and pipe twenty-five 2¾-inch-wide domes onto a parchment-lined sheet tray. Using the back of a spoon, make a small divot in the middle of the domes. Bake 30 minutes, or until outer shells are crispy. Remove interior of domes, then return to oven. Bake until fully crisped.
To Assemble and Serve:
On a work surface, fill 1 Smoked Vanilla Pavlova shell two-thirds full with Fig Leaf Bavarian Cream. Pipe 3 nickel-sized dots Fig Compote into Fig Leaf Bavarian Cream. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, toss fresh figs, 3 Roasted Figs, and reserved Roasted Fig syrup until evenly coated. Spoon into Fig Leaf Bavarian Cream. Flip Smoked Vanilla Pavlova over into a shallow serving bowl. Pipe 1 small dollop Fig Leaf Bavarian Cream into the divot of the shell followed by 2 Roasted Figs. Drizzle with Fig Reduction. Top with 1 quenelle Amaro Ice Cream. Pipe Fig Leaf Jam over top.
