Almond sourdough cake with Plum compote & Orange Curd ice-cream
This is based on a recipe by Kim O’Flaherty in the book "A Modernistic
View of Plated Desserts"
Yield: Serves 4
Sourdough starter
1 tsp. dried yeast
150ml lukewarm water
80g plain flour
Method
In a non-metal container, dissolve the yeast in the water. Mix in
the flour.
Cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let the starter sit at room temperature
for 2 to 3 days. Stir occasionally. Refrigerate after use.
To keep your starter alive
Sour dough starters can be kept alive indefinitely, as long as they
are regularly fed. This is done as follows:
-
Once a week remove from fridge.
-
Combine 1 cup starter (discard the rest), 1 cup water & 1 ½
cups plain flour (or proportional quantities) and leave at room temperature
for about 12 hours.
-
A healthy starter should have pancake-batter-like consistency and lots
of bubbles. The longer the starter is left out of the fridge the more sour
it becomes.
-
Return to the fridge.
To use the starter in a recipe, combine 1 part starter, 1 part water
& 1 ½ parts flour and leave at room temperature for 1 - 3 days
prior to using.
A wonderful source of information and recipes on Sourdough can be found
on the internet in newsgroup: rec.food.sourdough
Almond Sourdough Cake
50g Marzipan
40g caster sugar
1/3 vanilla bean, split & scraped
40g unsalted butter, softened
2 eggs, slightly beaten
25g sourdough starter (about 2 tbs.)
40g plain flour
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
pinch of salt
Method
Preheat oven to 175° C. Grease and line an 8" square (or similar
size) cake tin.
Process the marzipan and sugar in a food processor until fine. Cream
the butter, vanilla seeds and marzipan/sugar until pale.
Slowly add the lightly beaten eggs. Add the sourdough starter. Sift
in the flour, baking powder and salt and fold until combined.
Bake for about 20 mins until golden and a skewer comes out clean.
Assembly
Warm the plums in the syrup.
Cut out 3" circles of the cake and position in the center of each plate.
Top with some of the plum compote. Arrange some of the plums to one side.
Place two small scoops of ice cream on top of the compote. Drizzle some
syrup around the plate. Top with a tuile.
Plum Compote
5 red plums, cut into ½" dice
80ml raspberry puree
200g sugar
100ml orange juice
1 vanilla bean, scraped
1 tsp. lemon juice
Method
Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan and cook over medium heat
for about 10 to 15 mins. Make sure the plums do NOT lose their shape.
Strain the plums and reserve the syrup.
Almond Tuiles
15g marzipan
85g sugar
70g plain flour
1 egg
1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
Method
Preheat over to 175° C.
Process the marzipan, zest and sugar in a food processor until fine.
Add the flour and process briefly. Add the egg with the machine running
and process until well mixed. The batter should be the consistency of thick
double cream.
Strain through a sieve to remove any lumps. Put the batter into a piping
bag and pipe right triangles 7" x 4" with a lattice pattern onto a non-stick
baking tray.
Bake for 5 to 6 mins until light golden. Immediately wrap around a 2"
cylinder, e.g. a rolling pin, until set.
Orange Curd ice-cream
180ml milk
65ml double cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 egg yolks
60g sugar
200g creme fraiche
Grated zest of 1 orange
2 heaped dsp. Orange curd
Method
Bring the milk, cream and vanilla to the boil. Whisk the sugar, yolks
and zest to the ribbon stage.
Pour the milk/cream onto the yolks, whisking all the time and return
the lot to the saucepan. Heat slowly until the mixture thickens. Do NOT
let it boil.
Strain through a fine sieve and whisk in the orange curd and creme fraiche.
Cool and process in an ice cream machine.