Smoked Honey & Bergamot...Smoked Honey & Bergamot Parfait with Hibiscus-Poached Rhubarb

A sophisticated interplay of floral citrus, delicate smoke, and tart rhubarb, elevated by the textural crunch of a salted pine nut praline.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   To make the parfait: Whisk egg yolks and smoked honey in a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water (bain-marie) until the mixture reaches 82°C and becomes pale and thick. Remove from heat and continue whisking until cooled to room temperature.

2. 02

   In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream to soft peaks. Gently fold the cream into the honey-egg mixture in three stages. Pour into silicone molds and freeze for at least 6 hours.

3. 03

   For the poached rhubarb: Bring 500ml water, 100g sugar, hibiscus flowers, and the vanilla bean to a simmer. Infuse for 10 minutes, then strain. Place rhubarb batons in the liquid and poach at 80°C for 8-12 minutes until tender but holding shape. Cool in the liquid.

4. 04

   For the bergamot gel: Combine bergamot juice and 25g sugar in a small saucepan. Whisk in agar-agar and bring to a boil for 1 minute. Pour into a tray to set. Once firm, blend until a smooth, fluid gel forms; transfer to a piping bag.

5. 05

   For the pine nut praline: Caramelize the remaining 25g sugar in a pan until deep amber. Stir in pine nuts and sea salt. Pour onto a silicone mat to cool. Once hardened, crush into coarse shards.

6. 06

   To assemble: Demold the parfait onto chilled plates. Arrange three pieces of poached rhubarb alongside. Pipe dots of bergamot gel across the plate and garnish with the pine nut praline shards and optional micro-herbs.