Caramelized Fig Tartlet with...Caramelized Fig Tartlet with Smoked Honey Gelato & Black Sesame Praline

A sophisticated Michelin-star dessert harmonizing warm caramelized Black Mission figs, rich smoked honey gelato, crisp butter sable shards, and vibrant lemon verbena fluid gel.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   Prepare the Smoked Honey Gelato base: Heat milk and 150ml heavy cream in a saucepan until scalding. Whisk egg yolks with 50g smoked honey until pale. Slowly temper hot milk mixture into egg yolks, return to heat, and cook to 84°C (183°F). Strain, chill over an ice bath, churn in an ice cream machine, and freeze.

2. 02

   Make the Lemon Verbena Fluid Gel: Blanch lemon verbena leaves in boiling water for 5 seconds, then shock in ice water. Blend leaves with 150ml water and 30g sugar until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve. Bring liquid to a boil with agar-agar for 1 minute. Chill in refrigerator until set solid, then blend on high speed into a fluid gel. Transfer to a squeeze bottle.

3. 03

   Craft the Black Sesame Praline: In a heavy saucepan, melt 70g sugar with 20ml water until it turns a deep amber caramel (170°C / 338°F). Quickly stir in toasted black sesame seeds and a pinch of fleur de sel. Pour onto a silicone mat to cool completely, then shatter into delicate crisp shards.

4. 04

   Bake Butter Sablé Shards: Rub flour, chilled cubed butter, 30g sugar, and a pinch of salt together until breadcrumb texture forms. Bring dough together and roll out paper-thin between two parchment sheets. Bake at 175°C (350°F) for 10-12 minutes until light golden brown. Cool completely and break into geometric shards.

5. 05

   Roast the Figs: Drizzle halved fresh figs with the remaining 50g smoked honey. Sear cut-side down in a hot oven-safe skillet for 2 minutes, then roast in a 200°C (390°F) oven for 4 minutes until warm, tender, and lightly caramelized.

6. 06

   Assembly and Plating: Pipe precise dots of lemon verbena gel onto cold dessert plates. Arrange crisp butter sablé shards across the center. Nestling two warm roasted fig halves on top of the sablé, anchor a pristine quenelle of smoked honey gelato beside them. Garnish with black sesame praline glass, fresh verbena micro-leaves, and a touch of fleur de sel.