Deconstructed Meyer Lemon &...Deconstructed Meyer Lemon & Basil Vacherin

A sophisticated, modern play on the classic French dessert. Crisp, herbaceous basil meringue shards are paired with a velvety Meyer lemon curd, a vibrant extra virgin olive oil fluid gel, and light basil-infused Chantilly cream.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   For the Basil Meringue: Preheat the oven to 90°C (195°F). In a clean bowl, whip the 3 egg whites to soft peaks. Gradually add 100g of superfine sugar, one tablespoon at a time, whipping until glossy, stiff peaks form. Gently fold in 5g of very finely minced, blanched, and thoroughly dried basil. Spread the meringue thinly (about 3mm) onto a silicone baking mat. Bake for 90 minutes until crisp and completely dry. Cool, then break into organic shards.

2. 02

   For the Meyer Lemon Curd: In a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water (double boiler), whisk the 4 egg yolks, remaining 50g of sugar, Meyer lemon juice, and zest. Whisk constantly until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon (about 82°C/180°F). Remove from heat and allow to cool to 60°C (140°F). Emulsify the cold, cubed butter into the warm curd one piece at a time using an immersion blender until ultra-smooth. Pass through a fine-mesh sieve, cover with plastic wrap touching the surface, and chill.

3. 03

   For the Olive Oil Fluid Gel: In a small saucepan, combine the water, 15g of sugar, and the agar-agar. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, and let boil for 1 minute to activate the agar. Remove from heat and slowly whisk in the extra virgin olive oil until fully emulsified. Pour into a shallow dish and refrigerate until completely set into a firm gel. Once set, transfer to a high-speed blender and process until it forms a perfectly smooth, glossy fluid gel. Transfer to a piping bag.

4. 04

   For the Basil Chantilly: Steep the remaining blanched basil leaves in the heavy cream for 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Strain the cream, discarding the leaves, then whip the infused cold cream to medium-stiff peaks. Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a round nozzle.

5. 05

   For Assembly: Pipe three elegant dots of Meyer lemon curd onto the plate. Intersperse with dots of the Basil Chantilly cream and smaller drops of the olive oil fluid gel. Artfully rest the basil meringue shards against the curd and cream to create architectural height. Garnish precisely with micro-basil leaves and serve immediately.