Citrus & basil dessert

We’re going to make a lovely citrus & basil dessert! It’s a basil panna cotta with a citrus gel sphere, a white chocolate & vanilla gel, a lemon spongecake, a basil pate de fruit and a delicious citrus & basil vinaigrette.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzEDwWguiec

The basil panna cotta & white chocolate glaze

1 leaf or 1.6 g	gelatin
200 g	milk
1/2	empty vanilla pod
1	orange for zest
100 g	white chocolate
10 g	basil leaves

Begin by soaking the gelatin in cold water. Now mix the milk with half an empty vanilla pod and the zest from the orange. Bring this to a simmer. Then turn off the heat and dissolve the gelatin. Also add the white chocolate and mix it well. After that pass it through a fine sieve and add the basil leaves. Now blend it till smooth. Be sure to use a strong blender for the best even result. Once smooth you can pour it into a piping bottle and use it to fill a sphere mold. The molds in this video are from Mold Brothers, a partner of the channel. Click here for more information. Now freeze them till solid. After that remove the top part of the mold and turn the panna cotta’s around. Keep them in your freezer for later.

200 g	cacao butter
200 g	white chocolate

Then transfer the cacao butter in a saucepan and melt it on a low heat. Once melted turn off the heat and add the white chocolate. Mix it well till the chocolate is fully incorporated. Then let it cool down till the temperature is 40 degrees Celsius before pouring it into a measuring cup. Now press a cuison needle or another kind of skewer into the frozen panna cotta and dip them twice in the chocolate glaze. Don’t use a wooden skewer because they might break and guests can accidentally swallow it. Now remove the needle or skewer. Then use a hot spoon to tidy up the top and close the hole. Keep them covered in your fridge for later. Now I also filled a mandarin flower mold with the chocolate glaze. Just level the top and let it set in your fridge. Then after unmolding keep them covered in your fridge as well.

The citrus gel sphere’s & orange jelly

1	lemon
2	limes
2	oranges
30 g	ginger syrup
60 g	sugar
4 g	agar powder
3 g	gellan powder

Begin by zesting the lemon, the limes and the oranges. Keep the zest covered in your fridge. Then slice the zested citruses in half and juice them for 50 grams of lime juice, 50 grams of lemon juice and 110 grams of orange juice. Also add the ginger syrup, the sugar, the agar powder and the gellan powder. Mix it well and then bring it to a boil for at least 30 seconds. Stir it every now and then. Then pour it into a bowl and let it set in your fridge. Once it has set transfer it into a blender and blend it till smooth. Now add the gel to the citrus zest we made before and mix it well. I don’t add the zest before because it will lose it’s fresh vibrant flavor from cooking the gel. Then transfer it into a piping bag and fill a small sphere mold. Now level the top and then freeze it till completely frozen. If it stays to soft just turn down the temperature of your freezer. Mine is at minus 25 degrees Celsius. Then take the gel balls out of the freezer and keep them frozen for later.

300 g	orange juice
1 g	salt
3 g	kappa powder

Begin by reducing the orange juice till you're left with 150 grams. Once the orange juice has properly reduced add the salt and the kappa powder. Mix it well and then bring it to a boil. When it has boiled we can repeat the same process we just did with the panna cotta. So, insert a needle in the frozen citrus sphere’s and cover them once with the jelly. Then gently place them on a tray that’s lined with some wrap. Repeat this process with all the remaining sphere’s. Just beware that the jelly doesn’t cool down too much, so if needed reheat and mix it in between. Keep them covered in your fridge for later.

The basil pate de fruit

250 g	water
25 g	sugar
7 g	pectin jaune
155 g	sugar
50 g	glucose syrup
10 g	basil leaves
1.5 g	citric acid
20 g	water

First pour the 250 grams of water in a saucepan and bring this to a boil. Meanwhile mix the 25 grams of sugar with the pectin jaune. We do this to prevent lumps from forming later on. Once the water is boiling while stirring add the pectin sugar and let it boil for 3 minutes. Then in two or three parts add the 155 grams of sugar and mix it in between. Also add the glucose syrup and heat this up till the temperature is 108 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile mix the basil leaves with the citric acid and the 20 grams of water. Blend it till smooth. This will result in a beautiful vibrant color. Also spray some pan coating on a small tray. Once the temperature is the desired 108 degrees Celsius add the basil & citric acid liquid. Then mix it and bring it to a boil once more. Now pour it into the tray and let it set for at least 2 hours out of the fridge.

8 g	basil leaves
20 g	sugar
3 g	citric acid
80 g	sugar

While that’s happening, we can start on the basil sugar. Mix the basil leaves with the 20 grams of sugar and the citric acid. Blend this for a couple of seconds. Then add the 80 grams of sugar and blitz it for 5 or 6 times. This is a great way to make flavored sugar with other herbs as well. Once the pate de fruit has set transfer the basil sugar on top and spread it. Gently take the pate de fruit out of the tray and cover the other side as well. Now place it on your cutting board and portion it to the desired size. I first cut it in long stripes and covered then in sugar as well. Then I portioned them in cubes and covered them once more. Not only is this the perfect garnish, but also a lovely friandise. Keep them dry and covered for later.

The white chocolate & vanilla gel

220 g	milk
1/2	empty vanilla pod
3 g	agar powder
80 g	white chocolate

First mix the milk with the empty vanilla pod. Cover the pan with a lid and heat this up till it starts to steam. Then turn off the heat and let it infuse for at least half an hour. After that add the agar powder and while stirring bring it to a boil. Now turn off the heat and add the white chocolate. Mix it well till all the chocolate is incorporated and then pass it through a fine sieve. Then let it set completely in your fridge. Once it has set, transfer it into a blender and blend it into a smooth gel. Blend it a bit longer than normal to create some heat from the friction. This will insure a smooth gel that’s fully emulsified. Now transfer the gel into a piping bottle and keep it in your fridge for later.

The lemon sponge cake

150 g	egg white
45 g	hazelnuts
15 g	flour
30 g	sugar
2 g	salt
1	lemon for zest

Mix the egg white with the hazelnuts, the flour, the sugar, the salt and the zest from the lemon. Blend it till smooth, this takes at least 2 to 3 minutes. Once smooth pass it through a fine sieve to insure there are no lumps. Pass it through using a ladle so you don’t waste a single drop. Now pour the batter into a siphon and charge it with 2 charges. Shake it well after each charge for a beautiful fluffy sponge cake. Then make 3 thin slices in some paper cups and place them next to each other. Fill the cups a little over half and then bake the sponge cakes at 600 watts for 40 to 45 seconds. Once baked turn the cups upside down on your worktop and let them cool down completely. Now to remove the cakes give the cups a quick roll and then turn them around on your worktop. If they stick you can always give them a little hand with a knife. Then keep them covered in your fridge for later.

The honey & lemon tuille

60 g	egg white
40 g	neutral oil (I use sunflower or grape seed oil)
10 g	butter
2 g	salt
50 g	honey
50 g	flour
1	lemon for zest

Mix the egg white with the neutral oil, the butter, the salt, the honey, the flour and the zest from the lemon. Blend it till smooth. Now spread the batter on a tuille mold and level it with a pallet knife. Bake the tuille at 140 degrees Celsius for around 15 to 20 minutes till golden brown. Then when still hot remove the tuille from the mold and keep it covered at room temperature. I also made some tuille leaves from the same batter that I colored with some green color powder. Only bake this one for 10 minutes to prevent the green from turning brown.

The citrus & basil vinaigrette

230 g	orange juice
60 g	honey
250 g	apple juice
60 g	sugar
20 g	basil leaves
15 g	verbena leaves

Mix the orange juice with the honey, the apple juice, the sugar, the basil leaves and the verbena leaves. Then blend it till smooth. Blend it until there are no more green spots. Now pass the broth through a fine sieve. Do this into a bowl that’s sitting in a ice bath. You want the broth to cool down as fast as possible to prevent it from turning brown.

30 g	basil leaves
150 g	neutral oil (I use sunflower or grape seed oil)

While it’s cooling down we can make the basil oil. For that mix the basil leaves with the neutral oil. I use sunflower or grape seed oil. Then blend it till the temperature of the oil is 65 degrees Celsius. It will heat up from the friction. Once that’s done let it drain on a super fine sieve or a sieve that’s lined with a kitchen paper. Do this in your fridge so the color doesn’t turn brown. Now to finish the vinaigrette mix 3 parts of the broth with 1 part of the basil oil. Then just give it a quick mix before it’s ready to be served. Keep it covered in your fridge for later.

How to finish the dessert

Begin by placing a big plate on a turn table and turn it. Use this to create an even circle with the white chocolate & vanilla gel. We do this to keep the plate nice and tight when pouring the vinaigrette in the center.

Now place three of the panna cotta’s around the gel and also place 5 of the citrus sphere’s in between. Be gentle so they don’t break.

Then also add a couple of the basil pate de fruit together with the lemon sponge cake that I’ve portioned in small bits.

Fill the space in between with some dots of the white chocolate gel and decorate the top with some fresh leaves.

Now gently place the tuille on the three panna cotta spheres. Decorate the tuille with the green tuille leaves and the white chocolate flowers. Then the dessert is ready to be served with that delicious vinaigrette.

The pairing

In the dry vineyards of Paarl, the vines of the Dry Land Collection stood resilient against the harsh climate. With little irrigation and deep roots, the Chenin Blanc grapes slowly developed remarkable concentration and character. At Perdeberg Wines, patience was part of the craft, and the 2021 season brought cooler days and a late harvest that promised something extraordinary.

Rather than rushing the fruit from vine to cellar, the winemakers allowed the grapes to remain on the vines until they naturally shrivelled into golden raisins, concentrating every drop of sweetness and flavour. When finally harvested, the grapes carried notes of ripe apricot, peach, marmalade, and honeycomb.

The wine is matured in large French oak barrels for 6 to 8 months before spending another year aging in bottle. It's a luxurious sweet wine: rich and silky on the palate, yet lifted by a vibrant acidity that kept every sip elegant rather than heavy. Click here for more infomartion.