Smoked Vanilla Bavarois with...Smoked Vanilla Bavarois with Roasted Mission Figs, Buckwheat Sablé, and Fig Leaf Oil

An exquisite modern dessert harmonizing cold-smoked Tahitian vanilla cream, tender honey-glazed figs, a crisp nutty buckwheat sablé, and vibrant, emerald-green fig leaf oil.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   For the Fig Leaf Oil: Blanch cleaned fig leaves in boiling salted water for 10 seconds, then shock in an ice bath. Squeeze out all moisture. Blend at high speed with 100 ml grapeseed oil at 60°C for 5 minutes. Strain through a coffee filter overnight to yield brilliant green oil.

2. 02

   For the Buckwheat Sablé: In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, rub together buckwheat flour, all-purpose flour, powdered sugar, and Fleur de sel with cold cubed butter until sandy. Press into a dough, roll out between two sheets of parchment to 2mm thickness, and chill for 30 minutes.

3. 03

   Preheat oven to 165°C (330°F). Cut the chilled dough into 7cm discs using a fluted ring cutter. Bake on a perforated silicone mat for 12–14 minutes until deeply golden and crisp. Cool completely on a wire rack.

4. 04

   For the Smoked Bavarois: Heat the smoked milk with vanilla bean and seeds to a simmer. In a bowl, whisk yolks and caster sugar until pale. Temper milk into yolks, return to gentle heat, and stir continuously to 82°C (180°F) to form a crème anglaise.

5. 05

   Remove anglaise from heat and stir in squeezed bloomed gelatin until dissolved. Strain through a fine-mesh chinois into an ice bath, cooling to 24°C (75°F). Gently fold in the soft-whipped cream in three additions.

6. 06

   Pour the mousse into silicone hemisphere or quenelle molds and freeze for 3 hours until completely set, then transfer to the refrigerator 45 minutes prior to service to temper.

7. 07

   For the Roasted Figs: Increase oven temperature to 200°C (400°F). Toss halved figs gently in chestnut honey and aged balsamic vinegar. Roast cut-side up on a parchment-lined sheet for 7 minutes until caramelized and tender yet holding shape.

8. 08

   To Plate: Anchor a buckwheat sablé disc in the center of chilled ceramic plates. Carefully unmold and place a tempered vanilla bavarois atop the sablé. Arrange two warm roasted fig halves beside it. Drizzle warm roasting juices and split with vibrant drops of fig leaf oil around the plate.