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Sekai Gohan
Flummery: Australian Whipped Passionfruit and Gelatine Dessert
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Amount | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Powdered gelatine | 1 tbsp (15 ml) | Sets the dessert and holds the whipped air |
| Water, for the syrup | 1¼ cups plus 2 tsp (312 ml) | Warmed to dissolve the sugar |
| Granulated sugar | ¾ cup plus 1½ tsp (187 ml) | Sweetness |
| Plain flour | 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp (20 ml) | Gives body and a smoother feel than gelatine alone |
| Cold water, for the flour paste | a little | Loosens the flour so it goes in without lumps |
| Orange juice or lemon juice | ½ cup plus 1 tsp (125 ml) | Acidity and scent; choose one |
| Hot water, for the gelatine | ¼ cup (62 ml) | Dissolves the gelatine; kept apart from the syrup water |
| Passionfruit | 6 | Pulp and seeds, the main flavour and the crunch |
| Cream or custard | as needed | Served alongside |
Steps
1Make the flour paste
Put the flour in a small bowl. Add a little cold water, a splash at a time, and stir after each splash. Keep going until you have a smooth, pourable paste. Any lump left now stays as a grain of flour in the finished dessert, so stir until there is no dry flour anywhere in the bowl.
2Dissolve the sugar in hot water
Pour the syrup water into a heavy-based saucepan and warm it on the stove. Add the sugar and whisk until it disappears. Keep the heat moderate; you only need the water hot enough to melt the sugar. The syrup is ready when it is completely clear and you no longer feel grains dragging under the whisk.
3Add the paste and boil for 5 minutes
Stir the flour paste once more, then pour it into the syrup a little at a time, whisking all the while. Bring the pot to a gentle boil over low to medium heat and keep it there for 5 minutes, whisking constantly and scraping the bottom. Do not turn the heat up; the bottom catches easily. The base is done when it is glossy, slightly cloudy and noticeably thicker, with no raw floury taste.
Keep the whisk on the bottomThe flour settles and scorches long before the top of the pot shows trouble. Sweep the whole base of the pan with every stroke for the full 5 minutes.
4Stir in the gelatine and the juice
Once the base has boiled for 5 minutes, sprinkle the gelatine over the hot water in a small cup and stir until it is completely clear. Whisk the dissolved gelatine into the pot, then add the orange or lemon juice and mix well. Taste a little from a spoon: the sharpness depends on the fruit, and this is the moment to know it. The mixture should be smooth, with no strands or grains of gelatine.
5Cool to half-set
Pour the mixture into a deep mixing bowl and leave it to cool, checking it often. You are waiting for it to thicken slightly. Tilt the bowl: when the edges have begun to set and the centre still flows, it is ready to whip. If it sets solid, it will not whip evenly.
Catch it at the edgesStart checking well before you think it is time. The set begins at the rim, so watch the edges rather than the middle.
6Beat to a stiff cream
Beat the half-set mixture with a hand mixer or a whisk. It turns cloudy, then pale, thick and airy as it fills with air. Keep going until it is a stiff cream: heavy, pale, and falling from the beaters in a thick ribbon that holds its shape briefly on the surface. The air you beat in now is the texture of the finished flummery.
7Fold in the passionfruit
Halve the passionfruit and scoop the pulp and seeds straight into the bowl. Fold them through with a rubber spatula, turning the mixture over gently from the bottom. Stop when the seeds are spread evenly and the streaks of yellow pulp have disappeared into the foam. Stirring hard knocks out the air you just beat in.
8Set and serve
Spoon the flummery into a serving bowl or six small glasses. Refrigerate until set. It is ready when you tilt the bowl or glass and the surface does not move. Serve it cold, with cream or custard spooned on top or passed alongside, never mixed into the flummery itself.