Recipe by Chef Castro Boateng.
"Elderflower is a late spring flower that is found all over the Island from April to June. Elderflower has a tropical flavour reminiscent of fresh fruit like pears and lychee. You can find elderflower in just about any forested areas.
Rhubarb is one of my favourite spring vegetables (despite most of us thinking rhubarb is a fruit, as it is often used in dessert application). I love it because it can be used in both savoury and sweet dishes. This recipe takes advantage of its tart and sweet notes, but I also love using it in savoury dishes such as chutneys, or pairing it with duck dishes."
Instructions
Panna Cotta
Ingredients
4 cups foraged elderflower
4 cups whipping cream
2 cups sugar
8 Dr. Oetker gelatine sheets.
Method
Add elderflower to ¾ cup of whipping cream and add sugar. Stir to combine. Place the mixture on the stove to dissolve sugar.
Add cold water over gelatine to soften the gelatine.
Whip remaining cream to stiff peaks.
Add soft gelatine to warm elderflower cream. Stir to dissolve the gelatine, once dissolved, strain the elderflower out of the cream. Set aside to cool.
Once slightly cooled, add the whipped cream.
Pour the mixture into moulds or fancy glasses. Place the glasses in the fridge to set (usually takes about an hour.) If you are using a mould, place in the freezer to freeze before unmoulding (about 2 hours).
Meringues
Ingredients
1/2 cup granulated sugar
5 egg whites
1¼ tsp vanilla
¼ cup pistachio or any nuts (finely chopped)
Method
Preheat oven to 225°F
Whip egg whites until foamy, slowly add sugar, once all the sugar is added, fold in vanilla. Spread egg white mixture on a baking tray lined with silicone sheet or parchment paper. Sprinkle chopped pistachios on top of egg white mixture. Place in the oven for 2-3 hours. Break into pieces.
Poached Rhubarb
Ingredients
4 rhubarb stalks
2 cups sugar
2 cups water
2 star-anise
1 lemon
Method
Peel and cut rhubarb in half.
Combine sugar, star anise and water together, bring to boil then simmer for 2 minutes. Zest the lemons, then slice lemons in four pieces. Add both to the simple syrup.
Add the rhubarb and the zest to the simple syrup.
Simmer on very low heat for 5-8 minutes. Remove from the heat, rhubarb should be soft but not mushy. If the rhubarb is getting too soft, remove from the liquid and allow to cool separately from the liquid. If the rhubarb is a little firm, leave it in the liquid to cool. Once completely cool, store the rhubarb in the simple syrup if you are not using right away.
Remove rhubarb from simple syrup, cut half the rhubarb on the bias to use as a garnish, then puree the remaining rhubarb in a blender for the sauce.
Crumble
Ingredients
¼ lb butter
1 Tbsp vanilla
¼ cup white sugar
½ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup sweet coconut
salt to taste
Method
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Mix wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Using your hand, mix well until crumbly and breaks apart into large clumps.
Spread on baking sheets, bake at 350°F for 5 minutes.
Toss the mixture together and bake for another 5 minutes.
Garnish with mint and raspberries.
To Plate
Unmould panna cotta and place it off-centre of your plate. Fan off three slices of rhubarb and place it on three corners of the panna cotta. Place five dots of rhubarb purée on the centre of the plate, garnish with crumble, raspberries, meringue sheets and mint.
