Strawberry-Rhubarb Mochi
- Packed 3/4 cup (37g) fresh basil leaves
- 1/3 cup (80g) Simple Syrup (page 184)
- 1/3 cup (80g) water
- 1 teaspoon (4g) sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon (2g) agar
- Potato starch
- Scant 1/2 cup (10g) freeze-dried strawberries (see Note)
- Scant 1/3 cup (60 g) sugar
- 1 cup (140g) Mochiko rice flour (see Note)
- Coarse salt
- 3/4 to 1 cup (180 to 240g) cold water
- Strawberry-Rhubarb Compote (page 250)
- (makes about 20)
- Freeze-dried strawberries (optional)
- Micro basil (or thinly sliced fresh basil leaves; optional)
- Bring a saucepan of water to a boil.
- Add the basil and blanch for 30 seconds.
- Drain and refresh immediately under cold running water.
- Squeeze out all the water.
- Set up an ice bath in a large bowl.
- Put the basil in a blender with the simple syrup and the 1/3 cup water.
- Blend until bright green, smooth, and thin in consistency.
- Pour into a medium bowl, set it into the ice bath, and infuse for 20 minutes.
- Strain through a fine strainer, discarding the solids.
- Blend the sugar and agar together well, then pour the syrup into the blender.
- Turn the blender to low and sift the sugar and agar into the vortex.
- Blend for 1 minute.
- Pour into a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Pour into a baking dish, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until set, about 10 minutes.
- Put the gel back into the blender and blend until very smooth.
- Strain through a fine strainer.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Dust twenty 2-inch demisphere molds with potato starch or line two empty egg cartons with plastic wrap and dust lightly with potato starch.
- Put the strawberries in a spice grinder and process to a fine powder.
- Whisk the strawberry powder with the sugar, mochiko flour, and a pinch of salt in a microwave-safe bowl.
- Add 3/4 cup cold water and mix into a smooth paste.
- Cover with plastic wrap and microwave for 90 seconds.
- Stir.
- If the dough is very tight, stir in a little more water.
- Cover with plastic wrap and microwave for 1 minute.
- The dough will darken and become opaque.
- Dust a work surface heavily with potato starch.
- Working quickly, roll the warm dough 1/16 inch thick.
- Cut 3 1/2-inch rounds of dough.
- Hold a round of dough in your palm and fill with 1 tablespoon strawberry-rhubarb compote.
- Pinch the dough closed, stretching it if necessary, and place, seam side down, in the mold.
- Repeat with the rest of the dough.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until serving.
- If desired, process a few strawberries in a spice grinder to a fine powder.
- Make a smear of the basil fluid gel on a dessert plate and set a mochi on top.
- Garnish, if you want, with a few pinches of the strawberry powder and some basil leaves.
- Repeat for each serving.
- In place of the compote, doctor all-natural strawberry-rhubarb preserves with some grated lemon zest and diced fresh strawberries.
- Instead of making the basil fluid gel, you could just puree the basil with the simple syrup, strain it, and use the puree as a sauce.
- Set with agar and then run through a blender, fluid gels land right in the middle between being a liquid and a solid.
- Because they can hold a shape, fluid gels take us beyond the pool of sauce on a plate and make all kinds of interesting presentations possible.
- And they pack super-intense flavors.
fresh basil, simple syrup, water, sugar, agar, starch, strawberries, sugar, rice flour, salt, cold water, strawberryrhubarb, strawberries, basil
Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/strawberry-rhubarb-mochi-376770 (may not work)