SWAMS FOOD LAB

coconut sheet, caramelized honey due melon salsa, balsemic vinegar sauce

2009-03-15T00:33:00.001Z

Coconut sheet with kappa, caramelized honeydew melon, balsemic vinegar sauce

beetroot vol-au-vent, sweet basil oil and spice salt

2009-03-10T14:10:00.001Z

Mushrrom mousse, beetroot glass and basil oil

2009-03-10T14:05:00.001Z

Mushroom mousse with kappa
beetroot glass with liquid glucose and
sweet basil

Where to begin

2008-04-03T18:50:00.000+01:00

I'm a chef an accidental one. When I wake up I think of what I want to make. When I am driving home I think what I could have done better. Too many owners that did not give a shit or to many employees more worried about which waitress they are going out with. I was introduced to some new techniques and ingredients recently that have changed my outlook. Instead of what will I grill today I wonder what I will freeze or sous vide. As I started exploring and trying new things I found that there is not a lot on information on getting started. The blogs I have read have got me thinking out of my comfort zone. I hope my experiences and creations do the same for other people

Hydrocolloid Recipe Collection

2008-01-01T17:56:00.000Z

Hydrocolloids

2008-01-01T17:48:00.000Z

A hydrocolloid can simply be defined as a substance that forms a gel in contact with water. Such
substances include both polysaccharides and proteins which are capable of one or more of the
following: thickening and gelling aqueous solutions, stabilizing foams, emulsions and dispersions and preventing crystallization of saturated water or sugar solutions.
In the recent years there has been a tremendous interest in molecular gastronomy. Part of this interest has been directed towards the “new” hydrocolloids. The term “new” includes hydrocolloids such as xanthan which is a result of relatively recent research, but also hydrocolloids such as agar which has been unknown in western cooking, but used in Asia for decades. One fortunate consequence of the increased interest in molecular gastronomy and hydrocolloids is that hydrocolloids that were previously only available to the food industry have become available in small quantities at a reasonable price. A less fortunate consequence however is that many have come to regard molecular gastronomy as synonymous with the use of hydrocolloids to prepare foams and spheres. I should therefore emphasize that molecular gastronomy is not limited to the use of hydrocolloids and that it is not the intention of this collection of recipes to define molecular gastronomy.

Food Photography

2007-12-29T19:35:00.000Z

Any suggestions for food photography...

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Some of the most used ingredients in restaurant kitchens

2007-12-28T17:04:00.000Z

E322 Lecithin
E327 Calcium lactate
E331 Sodium citrates
E400 Alginic acid
E401 Sodium alginate
E402 Potassium alginate
E403 Ammonium alginate
E404 Calcium alginate
E406 Agar
E407 Carrageenan
E407a Processed eucheuma seaweed
E410 Locust bean gum (Carob gum)
E412 Guar gum
E413 Tragacanth
E414 Acacia gum
E415 Xanthan gum
E416 Karaya gum
E417 Tara gum
E418 Gellan gum
E422 Glycerol
E425 Konjac
E440 Pectins
E441 Gelatine
E461 Methyl cellulose
E463 Hydroxypropyl cellulose
E464 Hydroxy propyl methyl cellulose
E466 Carboxymethyl cellulose
E473 Sucrose esters of fatty acids
E474 Sucroglycerides
E621 Monosodium glutamate
E631 Disodium inosinate
E636 Malto
E953 Isomalt
E1103 Invertase
E1400 Dextrin
Transglutaminase

who is a chef

2007-12-28T16:56:00.001Z

Somewhere between the innocence of pot washer and the majestic indignation of the local tycoon (Who wants a special dinner tonight and you are booked sold) there is harassed, tormented, overworked, underpaid, pitiful creature known as the CHEF.

The chef is also manager, the cook, the boss and the supervisor.

Chefs come in all sizes, shapes and condition. You find them everywhere – upstairs, downstairs, at the range, in the freezer, checking portions, repairing equipments in the kitchen, in the dining room, in the supply room, in the office.

A Chef is patience with a clenched fist, humor with fingers crossed, experience with scars on hands, imagination with a recipe and a childlike trust in the honesty of guests.

A Chef has the work capacity of a computer, the energy of a lion, the curiosity of a cat, the judgment of an umpire and the enthusiasm of a child at a circus.

A Chef loves big parties, prompt arrivals, full tables, quick turnovers, cheerful employees, happy patrons, clean dinning rooms, good waiters and Waitress and free publicity.

They aren’t much of clutter, clatter, waste, carelessness, mistakes, delays, gripes, accidents, complaints, deadbeats, burned food, drunks or employees who don’t show up for the work.

Chefs are amazing creatures. When you want them, you can’t find them; when you don’t they are looking over your shoulder.

You can keep them out of your sorts, but you can’t keep them out of your hair. You can frustrate their desire but you can’t frustrate their drive. You can top their jokes, but you can’t top their performance. They are inspiration, our example, our parent image, our critic, our conscience and our passion.

But when the dinning rooms are full and the guests are smiling, the Chef is the personification of benevolence and lovable.

And when they go to the last great banquet, St. Peter will smile a warm welcome, bow and ask “Are you sure you have a reservation”

“Chefs are rare and dangerous breed and we must protect them from marrying so that their tribe does not increase” (Not for everyone)

Recipe

2007-12-21T14:26:00.000Z

Melon Cantaloupe caviar
250g Cantaloupe juice
2g Algin500g water
2.5g Calcic

Mix the Algin with 1/3 of the melon juice and blend. Mix in the remaining 2/3, strain and set aside. Dissolve the Calcic in the water. Fill 4 syringes with the melon and Algin mixture. Expel it drop by drop into the Calcic base. Remove after 1 minute, strain and rinse the resulting caviar in cold water.

Spherical mango ravioli
250g mango puree
1,250g water
1.8g Algin1.3g Citras
5g Calcic

Blend the Citras with 250g of water, add the Algin and blend once more. Bring to a boil, allow to cool and mix with the mango puree. Blend 1000g of water with Calcic. Pour the contents of a dosing spoon full of the mango and Algin mixture into this Calcic bath, leave for 2 minutes and wash in cold water. Repeat until all of the ravioli are made.

Spherical tea ravioli

975g water
16g Earl Grey tea
25g sugar50g lemon juice
1.5g Algin
3.25g Calcic

Mix 400g of water, the tea and 20g of sugar while cold and steep in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Strain. Combine the lemon juice with 5g of sugar and freeze in an ice tray. Blend the Algin with 75g water.Dillute the Calcic in 500g water. Mix the tea infusion with the Algin base and allow to rest. Place in the freezer to chill but do not allow it to freeze.Place a lemon cube in a 3cm dosing spoon and fill the rest of it with the tea base. Place in the Calcic bath for 30 seconds. Rinse the ravioli in cold water.

Consommé macaroni

250g beef and chicken stock
6.5g Gellan
1 pvc rod 0.3cm in diameter

Mix the Gellan with the stock and blend. Bring to a boil and transfer to a container. Allow to gel and slice with a mandoline into 0.15cm thick rectangles. Roll each rectangle with the help of the rod to make macaroni.

Saffron tagliatelle

250g unsalted consommé
10 saffron threads
4,8g Gellan

Combine the three ingredients and bring to a boil. Allow to gel in a flat tray. Cut into 0.5mm thick

Porcini amber

5 fresh porcinis
200g porcini stock
3g Kappa

Slice the porcinis to a thickness of 0.3cm. Mix the stock with the Kappa and bring to a boil until dissolved. Dip a porcini slice into the mixture and place on a flat tray. Repeat with the rest of the slices.

Gelatinated cucumbers in bloom

20 cucumbers in bloom
100g brine from pickled gherkins
0.75g Kappa

Wash the cucumbers in bloom and refrigerate. Combine 100g of brine from pickled gherkins with the Kappa in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Dip the cucumbers twice in the warm mixture and refrigerate.

Milk gelatin

200g milk
0.6g Iota

Mix the milk with the Iota and blend with a hand-held mixer until completely dissolved. Pour into a saucepan, heat to 80 °C and allow to gel in the refrigerator.

Pineapple gelatin

250g pineapple juice
0.3g Iota

Mix the pineapple juice with Iota and pour into a saucepan.Bring to a boil and allow to gel in the refrigerator.

Hot Norway lobster gelatin

250g Norway lobster stock
0.6g Agar
salt

Mix the Norway lobster stock, salted to taste, with the Agar. Bring to a boil over medium heat while stirring continuously. Allow to gel in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and heat under the salamander before serving.

Terrine of basil

250g basil water
0.9g Agar
salt

Combine 1/4 of the basil water and the powdered Agar. Bring to a boil over medium heat while stirring continuously, remove from heat an add the rest of the basil water, salted to taste. Foam. Allow to gel in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours, in a square container so that it has a thickness of 1 cm.

Tender broad bean balls

For the Metil mix
100 g of water
3 g of Metil

Mix the two ingredients at room temperature in the blender to obtain a lump-free mixture. Strain and leave tosit in the refrigerator for 24 h.

For the tender broad bean balls

65 g of shelled tender broad beans
20 g of Metil mixture

Mix the shelled tender broad beans with the Metil mixture.Make 8 balls of 8.5 g each. Keep in the refrigerator. Put the balls in salted water which has been kept hot at 90° C and leave to cook for 1 min.

Frozen Parmesan air

500g grated Parmesan
450g water
3g Lecite

Mix the Parmesan with the water and gradually heat to 80 °C. Steep for 30 minutes and strain. Add 1.3g of Lecite for every 250g of Parmesan solution obtained. Use a hand-held mixer on the surface of the liquid, allow to stabilize for one minute and collect the air that has formed on top. Freeze the air in a container of choice.

Lime air

225g lime juice
275g water
1.5g Lecite

Combine the three ingredients and use a hand-held mixer on the surface of the liquid; allow to stabilize for one minute and collect the air that has formed on top.

Olive oil spiral
For virgin olive oil caramel

100 g of Isomalt
25 g of glucose
1.5 g of Sucro
45 g of extra virgin olive oil
1.5 g of Glice

Mix the Isomalt, the glucose and Sucro and cook at 160° C (they will obtain the missing 5° C with their own heat).As the caramel is cooking, dissolve Glice with the virgin olive oil at 50° C.When the caramel is at 160° C drizzle the oil and bind with a spatula.When the caramel has absorbed all the oil, spread out on sulphurised paper.With this caramel we can make many different forms, such as the olive oil spiral.

Black olive emulsion

50 g of black olive water
1 leaf of gelatine
2 g(previously rehydrated in cold water)
0.5 g of Sucro50 g of black olive grease
0.5 g of Glice

Dissolve the gelatine with 1/3 part of the black olive water at medium temperature and add the rest of the water.Add Sucro and blend with a turmix.At the same time, dissolve Glice with the black olive grease at a temperature of about 50° C. Continue to add the grease to the black olive water while binding with the turmix.Keep in the refrigerator for 2 h. When it has set, cut 10 pieces of 0.2 g each. This emulsion is served with the disc of mango.

Photos coming soon
All recipes by Ferran Adria (El Bulli)

Texturas

2007-12-16T18:02:00.000Z

Texturas product name of ingredients and small tools available at El Bulli stores world wide. By using the ingredients one can do number amazing experiments. Its basically palying around with texturas of food.

Texturas divided into four different categories

1. SFERIFICACIÓN

Algin (Sodium Alginate)

A natural product extracted from brown algae (of Laminaria, Fucus, and Macrocystis genera, among others) that grow in cold water regions of Ireland, Scotland, North and South America, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, etc. Depending on the part of the algae that has been refined, the texture and Calcic reactivity of each alginate varies. For this reason, we have selected Algin as the ideal product for achieving spherification with guaranteed results.

Characteristics: Presented in a refined powder. Gels in the presence of Calcic. Dilutes while cold with strong agitation. It need not be heated to produce spherification.

Calcic (Calcium Chloride)

This product is a calcium salt traditionally used in the food industry, for example in cheese making. Calcic is essential in the reaction with Algin that produces spherification. It is the ideal reactant for its high water solubility, considerable calcium content, and consequently great capacity for producing spherification.

Characteristics: Presented in granules. Highly water soluble. Great moisture absorption capacity.

Citrus

A product made from sodium citrate, obtained mainly from citrus; it is usually used in the food industry to prevent darkening of cut fruits and vegetables. It has the property of reducing the acidity of foods, and using it makes it possible to achieve spherical preparations with strongly acidic ingredients.Dissolves easily and acts instantaneously.

Characteristics: Presented in a refined powder.Highly water soluble.

Eines

Spherification is a new process that uses a very specific technique. For this reason, the tools used for this purpose have been subjected to numerous tests. The Eines pack contains the most useful tools for each step in spherification. Once the desired shape and size are determined, the right tool must be chosen: Syringes are used to create drops that make spherical caviar. For larger preparations (mini-spheres, ravioli, gnocchi, balloons), Dosing Spoons must be used. Collecting Spoons are used to remove and wash the spherical preparation from the Calcic bath.

Gluco

Gluco consists of calcium gluconolactate, a mixture of two calcium salts (calcium gluconate and calcium lactate) that produces a product rich in calcium and perfect for the technique of Inverse Spherification, while adding no flavour whatsoever to the food under preparation. In the food industry calcium gluconolactate is used to enrich different foodstuffs with calcium. Gluco was chosen for its excellent behaviour in spherification processes.

Characteristics: Presentation in powder form. Soluble in cold liquids. To avoid difficulties in dissolving, add Gluco before any other powder product. Problem free in acidic, alcoholic or fatty mediums.

2. GELIFICACIÓN

Gellan

A very recently discovered (1977) gelling agent obtained from the fermentation of Sphingomonas elodea bacteria.Depending on the production method, there are two different types of gellan. This sample is firm gellan. Gellan allows us to obtain a firm gel that slices cleanly and withstands temperatures of 90 °C (hot gelatin).

Characteristics: Presented in a refined powder. Heat to 85 °C, then allow to cool to achieve the gelifying effect.It loses its gelling capacity in concentrated saline solutions.

Kappa

A gelling agent extracted from a type of red algae (mainly from Chondrus and Eucheuma genera).It is a carrageenan, a name originating from Carragheen, Ireland, where these algae have been used for more than 600 years. In the mid 20th century, this “Irish moss” started to be produced industrially as a gelling agent. Kappa produces a gel with a firm, brittle texture.

Characteristics: Presented in a refined powder. Mix while cold and bring to a boil. Its rapid gelification allows us to cover an ingredient. Once gelled, it can withstand temperatures of up to about 60 °C. In acidic mediums, it loses part of its gelling capacity.

Iota

A gelling agent extracted from a type of red algae (mainly from Chondrus and Eucheuma genera), like other carrageenans.They are found on the coasts of the north Atlantic, as well as in the Philippine and Indonesian seas. Iota has very specific characteristics and produces a soft, elastic gel. It can also be used to make hot gelatins

Characteristics: Presented in a refined powder. It dissolves while cold and is heated to about 80 °C for gelification.A soft gel that does not form while the mixture is stirred.If the gel breaks, it will reform if allowed to rest.

Agar

Extracted from a type of red algae (of the Gelidium and Gracilaria genera), AGAR is a gelling agent used in Japan since the 15th century. In 1859, it was introduced to Europe as a characteristically Chinese food, and at the start of the 20th century it began to be used in the food industry. It is a source of fiber and can form gels in very small proportions. It can be used to make hot gelatins.

Characteristics: Presented in a refined powder. Mix while cold and bring to a boil. Gelification is fast. Once gelled, it can withstand temperatures of up to 80 °C (hot gelatin). Allow it to rest for correct gelification. In acidic mediums, it loses part of its gelling capacity.

Metil

Gelifier extracted from the cellulose of vegetables. Unlike other gelifiers, Metil (with a metilcellulose base) gelifies when heat is applied. When cold it acts as a thickener. There is a wide range of viscosity in metilcelluloses, which affects the final result of the gelification. Metil has been chosen for its great gelifying power and reliability.
Characteristics:Available in powder form. Mix cold, shaking vigorously, and leave to rest in the refrigerator until it reaches 4° C for hydration. Next apply temperature up to 55° C. When the product cools it loses gel capacity and becomes liquid.

3. EMULSIFICACIÓN

Lecite

A natural soy lecithin-based emulsifier, ideal for making airs.This product, discovered at the end of the 19th century, was first produced for the food industry in the last century.It is useful in the prevention of arteriosclerosis and contains vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.Lecite is made from non-transgenic soy.

Characteristics: Presented in a refined powder. Cold soluble. Very soluble in aqueous mediums. Thanks to its great emulsifying power, Lecite is the ideal product for converting juices and other watery liquids into airs. It also has a surprising capacity to emulsify impossible sauces.

Sucro

Emulsifier derived from sacarose, obtained from reaction between sacarose and fatty acids (sucroester). This product is widely used in Japan. Due to its high stability as an emulsifier it is used to prepare oil in water type emulsions. It is a product similar to water, and so it must first be dissolved in that medium. It also has aerating properties.
Characteristics: In powder form. Indissoluble in fat. It is dissolved in water with no need to apply temperature, though with heat it dissolves faster. Once it has dissolved, it must be slowly added to the fatty medium.

Gelice

Monoglyceride and diglyceride derived from fats, obtained from glycerine and fatty acids.Glice has been chosen for its high stability to act as an emulsifier which integrates a watery medium into a fatty medium. It is an emulsifier similar to oil, which means that it must first be broken down with a fatty element and then added to the watery element.

Characteristics: Available in flakes. Indissoluble in water. It dissolves in oil heated up to 60° C.The mixture of oil and Glice in water must be integrated slowly for the emulsion to be satisfactory.

4. ESPESANTES

Xantana

Its an amazing product. Used with liquid to create suspension effect.

5. SURPRISES

Malto

Malto is a product based on maltodextrin, a carbohydrate obtained from cornstarch molecules, in this case those of tapioca, which have been broken down. It has low sweetening power and does not add calories. It is employed as a bulking agent, but can also absorb oils. Used in the food industry in the preparation of beverages, dairy products, candies, soups, and so on.

Characteristics: Presentation in a very fine powder. Readily soluble when cold or hot. Becomes a manipulable powder when mixed with oil (2 parts Malto to 1 part oil) and dissolves completely on contact with any aqueous medium.

Crumiel

This product from the Surprises family offers cooks a magic possibility unthinkable until now – the easy, convenient use of honey in its crystallised state. Crumiel enables us to incorporate all the flavour of honey into a vast number of dishes, both sweet and savoury, to enhance them and make combinations with the widest variety of flavours and ingredients, adding a unique crunchy texture to every dish.

Characteristics: Presentation in small, irregular granules. It is extremely important to store CRUMIEL in a cool, very dry place to avoid humidification.

Fizzy

A product with an effervescent effect in the shape of long thick granules. They can be consumed in the usual way (directly or dissolved in water), though we also recommend a selection of less usual uses: bathe them whole in chocolate or caramel, or grind them into a powder and mix them with other ingredients, such as fruit or sorbets. Fizzy has a neutral flavour with a hint of citric, which allows it to be combined with any number of flavours and ingredients.

Characteristics: Presentation in elongated granules. Conserve in a cool very dry place to avoid humidification.