Smoked Manuka Honey Mousse...Smoked Manuka Honey Mousse with Yuzu Fluid Gel and Black Sesame Shards

A masterclass in balance: deep, floral cold-smoked honey cream met with the sharp acidity of yuzu and the earthy crunch of toasted sesame.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   Place the Manuka honey in a shallow bowl and use a smoking gun with hickory wood chips to cold-smoke the honey under a dome for 15 minutes.

2. 02

   Bloom the gelatin sheets in a bowl of ice-cold water for 5-7 minutes until soft.

3. 03

   In a small saucepan, gently heat 50ml of the heavy cream and the smoked honey until simmering. Squeeze the excess water from the gelatin and whisk it into the warm honey mixture until completely dissolved. Remove from heat and cool to 25°C.

4. 04

   Whip the remaining 250ml of heavy cream to medium-soft peaks. Gently fold the honey base into the whipped cream in three stages to maintain aeration. Pipe into silicone semi-sphere molds and freeze for at least 4 hours.

5. 05

   To create the yuzu gel, combine yuzu juice and agar agar in a saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil while whisking constantly for 2 minutes. Pour onto a flat tray and refrigerate until set firm.

6. 06

   Once the yuzu gel is set, break it into pieces and transfer to a high-speed blender. Process until a perfectly smooth, fluid gel forms. Pass through a chinois and transfer to a squeeze bottle.

7. 07

   For the black sesame shards, whisk the egg whites, powdered sugar, flour, melted butter, and sesame seeds into a smooth paste. Spread a paper-thin layer onto a silicone baking mat.

8. 08

   Bake the sesame paste at 170°C (340°F) for 7 minutes until crisp. While still warm, snap into irregular, artistic shards and let cool.

9. 09

   To serve, place two honey mousse spheres on a chilled plate. Artfully dot the yuzu fluid gel around the spheres. Inset the black sesame shards vertically into the mousse for height and finish with a micro-sprinkle of sea salt.