Smoked Vanilla & Roasted...Smoked Vanilla & Roasted Black Sesame Délice with Sea Buckthorn Gel

An avant-garde Michelin-caliber dessert featuring a velvety black sesame and dark chocolate délice infused with smoked Tahitian vanilla, paired with vibrant sea buckthorn fluid gel and crunchy pine nut tuile shards.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   Prepare the Délice Base: Whisk egg yolks with 40g caster sugar in a heatproof bowl until pale and thick. In a saucepan, bring 150ml heavy cream and the scraped seeds and pod of the smoked vanilla bean to a simmer.

2. 02

   Emulsify the Délice: Remove the vanilla pod and slowly stream the hot cream into the egg mixture while whisking constantly. Return to low heat and cook to 82°C (180°F) until it coats the back of a spoon. Pour the warm crème anglaise over chopped dark chocolate and black sesame paste. Emulsify with an immersion blender until ultra-glossy.

3. 03

   Set the Délice: Divide the sesame-chocolate emulsion evenly into four silicone ring molds. Freeze for 3 hours until completely set, then transfer to the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving.

4. 04

   Create the Sea Buckthorn Fluid Gel: Combine sea buckthorn juice, remaining 40g sugar, and agar-agar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, and boil hard for 1 minute. Pour into a shallow tray and chill completely until fully gelled. Blend in a high-speed blender until silky smooth, then transfer to a piping bottle.

5. 05

   Bake the Pine Nut Tuiles: Preheat oven to 160°C (320°F). Beat softened butter with 25g flour and chopped pine nuts until a paste forms. Spread paper-thin stencil discs onto a silicone baking mat. Bake for 8–10 minutes until golden bronze. Curve immediately over a rolling pin while warm.

6. 06

   Plate and Serve: Whip the remaining 100ml heavy cream to soft peaks. Unmold the chilled délice ring onto the center of each chilled plate. Pipe delicate spheres of sea buckthorn fluid gel and smoked whipped cream around the ring. Rest a delicate pine nut tuile arch on top and finish with a delicate pinch of Maldon sea salt.