As I make way through the Harvard Lecture Series, I came across the lecture of Olive Oil and Viscosity given by Catalan chef Carles Tejedor quite interesting. He shows some great examples of manipulating the use of olive oil, by adding certain hydrocolloids, making a sweet application, and different techniques other that drizzling over a salad or pasta dish.
Above in the gallery of pictures, the first row is a process he call Soft Creamy Olive Oil.
Soft Creamy Olive Oil
200g water-based liquid (water, wine, fruit juice, etc…)
5g iota carrageenan
200g high quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil
In a small sauce pot, whisk together the water and the carrageenan and bring to a boil. Take off the heat and emulsify the olive oil in a steady stream into the hot gel whisking vigorously to keep from separating. Once all the oil is added keep whisking until it cools and looks like a homogeneous mixture. Pour into desired mold.
The other technique is a sweet application, similar to a pate de fruit using olive oil instead of a fruit puree. The second row of photos is called Olive Oil Jelly.
Olive Oil Jelly
100ml water
80g sugar
100g isomalt
24g glucose syrup
200ml high quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 sheets gelatin, soaked and squeezed
2g citric acid
Superfine sugar for dredging
In a small sauce pot, whisk together the water, the 80g sugar, isomalt, and glucose. Bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and emulsify the olive oil with a stick blender in a slow steady stream. Add gelatin one sheet at a time. Add citric acid. Pour into desired mold until set. Dredge in sugar.
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