I bought myself a new toy, a cream whipper of Mosa. It was something I already wanted for a long time. A couple of weeks ago I had to create a menu with dishes that would match with different Belgian beers. The beers we would taste were Gulden Draak, Omer, Sloeber, Augustijn Grand Cru and Achel Brown. I wanted to use the Omer as an apéritif. So the matching dish had to be a light and fresh appetizer with that beer.
When I went to Horeca Totaal to buy my cream whipper, I visited their vegetables and fruit section. It’s an impressive freezing room with all kinds of delicious vegetables or tasteful surprising fruits. I bought the so-called “smallest tomatoes in the world”. They have the size of blueberry, but look like a baby cherry tomato. Of course you can also use cherry tomatoes. Be aware, that you take out the seeds. I know it’s a very annoying and frustrating job, but it’s really better.
What do you need? (4 – 8 little glasses) For the tomatoes: 100 ml white basilic vinegar, 100 ml water, 150 g cherry tomatoes, 10 black pepper balls, laurel. thyme. For the cucumber espuma: 250 g cucumber juice, 50 g milk and cream, 1,5 sheet gelatin, 1 Tsp. white basilic vinegar, 1 Tsp lime juice, pepper and salt. 100 g peeled shrimps, sesame seeds (I used wasabi flavored ones), some eatable violets.
What do you do? Start at least three hours before serving with the cucumber espuma. If you don’t have cucumber juice, you can easily make it. Take a cucumber, chop it roughly and blend it. Strain the cucumber smoothie through a sieve. That’s your cucumber juice. Soak the gelatin in cold water. Mix the cucumber juice, vinegar, milk and cream. Season well with pepper and salt. Take 1/3th of the juice and heat it. Melt the gelatin in this hot liquid. Add the hot liquid to the cold one. Pour everything in your cream whipper. Add a first charger and shake well. Put it in the fridge for at least two hours. Shake well and try it. If your espuma is not foamy enough, infiltrate another charger and shake well. Put it the fridge until serving.
While your espuma is sleeping in the fridge, you can prepare the tomatoes. Bring the water and the vinegar together with the herbs and pepper to the boil. Cut of the heat. When it’s cold, take out the herbs and pepper balls and pour on the tomatoes. Be sure that you chopped the cherry tomatoes in small pieces and that you took out the seeds. Put aside until serving.
If you bought fresh unpeeled shrimps – those ones are the best – peel them in advance. The biggest advantage of this dish is namely that you can make everything in advance. So when your guests arrive, you give them their Omer and you can easily and quickly make this appetizer. Take a little glass, add some tomatoes, place the shrimps on top of it and squeeze out the cucumber espuma. Finish with an eatable violet and some roasted sesame seeds.
I bought myself a new toy, a cream whipper of Mosa. It was something I already wanted for a long time. A couple of weeks ago I had to create a menu with dishes that would match with different Belgian beers. The beers we would taste were Gulden Draak, Omer, Sloeber, Augustijn Grand Cru and Achel Brown. I wanted to use the Omer as an apéritif. So the matching dish had to be a light and fresh appetizer with that beer.
When I went to Horeca Totaal to buy my cream whipper, I visited their vegetables and fruit section. It’s an impressive freezing room with all kinds of delicious vegetables or tasteful surprising fruits. I bought the so-called “smallest tomatoes in the world”. They have the size of blueberry, but look like a baby cherry tomato. Of course you can also use cherry tomatoes. Be aware, that you take out the seeds. I know it’s a very annoying and frustrating job, but it’s really better.
What do you need? (4 – 8 little glasses) For the tomatoes: 100 ml white basilic vinegar, 100 ml water, 150 g cherry tomatoes, 10 black pepper balls, laurel. thyme. For the cucumber espuma: 250 g cucumber juice, 50 g milk and cream, 1,5 sheet gelatin, 1 Tsp. white basilic vinegar, 1 Tsp lime juice, pepper and salt. 100 g peeled shrimps, sesame seeds (I used wasabi flavored ones), some eatable violets.
What do you do? Start at least three hours before serving with the cucumber espuma. If you don’t have cucumber juice, you can easily make it. Take a cucumber, chop it roughly and blend it. Strain the cucumber smoothie through a sieve. That’s your cucumber juice. Soak the gelatin in cold water. Mix the cucumber juice, vinegar, milk and cream. Season well with pepper and salt. Take 1/3th of the juice and heat it. Melt the gelatin in this hot liquid. Add the hot liquid to the cold one. Pour everything in your cream whipper. Add a first charger and shake well. Put it in the fridge for at least two hours. Shake well and try it. If your espuma is not foamy enough, infiltrate another charger and shake well. Put it the fridge until serving.
While your espuma is sleeping in the fridge, you can prepare the tomatoes. Bring the water and the vinegar together with the herbs and pepper to the boil. Cut of the heat. When it’s cold, take out the herbs and pepper balls and pour on the tomatoes. Be sure that you chopped the cherry tomatoes in small pieces and that you took out the seeds. Put aside until serving.
If you bought fresh unpeeled shrimps – those ones are the best – peel them in advance. The biggest advantage of this dish is namely that you can make everything in advance. So when your guests arrive, you give them their Omer and you can easily and quickly make this appetizer. Take a little glass, add some tomatoes, place the shrimps on top of it and squeeze out the cucumber espuma. Finish with an eatable violet and some roasted sesame seeds.