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Beetroot sorbet, lavender mousse and black walnut
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This glorious sorbet recipe by Heinrich Schneider combines the earthy flavour of beetroot with zingy raspberry, heady lavender and fragrant verbena. Textures, too, are equally well balanced, with smooth sorbet, delicate, creamy mousse and crisp shards of meringue stacked in a colourful mound. While this striking dessert requires a few cheffy pieces of equipment, each of the elements can be prepared in advance and put together at the last minute for a fuss-free finish to a dinner party.
First published in 2016
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Ingredients
Metric
Imperial
Beetroot sorbet
- 180g of beetroot, peeled and diced
- 500ml of water
- 15g of beetroot powder
- 50g of sugar
- 10g of glucose
- 60g of raspberries, mashed
- 1 gelatine leaf, soaked in cold water until softened
Verbena meringue
- 1 tsp dried verbena, plus extra for dusting
- 90ml of water
- 100g of sugar
- 6g of egg white powder
- 1 tsp cornflowers, dried
- salt
Lavender mousse
- 150ml of milk
- 75ml of cream
- 1 tsp lavender flowers, dried
- 35g of sugar
- 1/2 gelatine leaf, soaked in cold water until softened
To serve
- 2 black walnuts, in syrup
- 1 handful of wood sorrel
- celery leaves
SAVE RECIPE
Equipment
- Food mixer
- Dehydrator
- Pacojet
- Siphon bottle or cream whipper
- 2 siphon cartridges
Method
1
Begin by preparing the verbena meringue. Heat the water in a small saucepan and bring up to the boil. Once boiling, remove from the heat and add the verbena. Leave to rest for 5 minutes, then strain through fine sieve into a clean pan
- 90ml of water
- 1 tsp dried verbena, plus extra for dusting
2
Add the sugar and a pinch of salt to the pan with the verbena water and heat, allowing the mixture to reduce down to 125g. Remove from the heat and pour into a stand mixer, then add the egg white and whisk until light and fluffy
- 100g of sugar
- salt
- 6g of egg white powder
3
Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper and spread the meringue mixture evenly across it. Sprinkle with the cornflower petals and a little extra dried verbena, then place in a dehydrator and dry at 50°C for 16 hours. Once dry, break into large shards and store in an airtight container until ready to serve
- 1 tsp cornflowers, dried
4
Meanwhile, prepare the beetroot sorbet. Place the prepared beetroot in a pan with the water and bring up to the boil. Allow to simmer until the liquid has reduced to 350ml, then carefully drain the beetroot water through a sieve into a clean pan and discard the beetroot
- 180g of beetroot, peeled and diced
- 500ml of water
5
Add the beetroot powder, sugar, glucose and raspberries to the pan with the beetroot water and gently bring up to the boil, stirring well. Squeeze any excess water from the gelatine leaf and, removing the pan from the heat, stir in the gelatine until combined. Pour into a Pacojet container and transfer to the freezer to set overnight
- 60g of raspberries, mashed
- 15g of beetroot powder
- 50g of sugar
- 10g of glucose
- 1 gelatine leaf, soaked in cold water until softened
6
The next day, prepare the lavender mousse. Combine the milk, cream, sugar and lavender together in a saucepan and stir well. Bring the mixture up to the boil, then remove from the heat and leave to rest for 5 minutes to infuse
- 1 tsp lavender flowers, dried
- 150ml of milk
- 75ml of cream
- 35g of sugar
7
Pass the lavender cream through a sieve into a clean pan or bowl. Squeeze any excess liquid from the gelatine and add to the cream, stirring well until dissolved. Pour the lavender cream into a siphon with 2 charges and transfer to the fridge until required
- 1/2 gelatine leaf, soaked in cold water until softened
8
When ready to serve, process the beetroot sorbet in a Pacojet until smooth. Meanwhile, chop the walnuts into quarters and set to one side
- 2 black walnuts, in syrup
9
To serve, add a shot of lavender mousse into the centre of each plate and top with a quenelle of beetroot sorbet. Scatter over the walnut pieces, wood sorrel and shards of meringue and garnish with a few sprigs of celery leaves
- celery leaves
- 1 handful of wood sorrel
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