WARM PISTACHIO SPONGE WITH MELON SORBET & MARZIPAN

WARM PISTACHIO SPONGE WITH MELON SORBET & MARZIPAN

This dish takes a lot of work, especially piecing everything together. But it's super-striking and it tastes utterly gorgeous.

INGREDIENTS

SERVES: 8

For the Melonberg:

1 watermelon, skin removed, deseeded and cut into neat bars, 12 x 12mm and 8cm long

3 Cantaloupe melons, skin removed, deseeded and cut into neat bars, 12 x 12mm and 8cm long

50g Sosa Gelburger

 

For the Pistachio Sponge:

100g unsalted butter, softened

150g caster sugar

2 medium free-range eggs, beaten

1 medium free-range egg yolk

50g pistachio paste

7g green food colouring

200g self-raising flour

 

For the Melon Sorbet:

2 Charentais melons, peeled, deseeded and roughly chopped

100ml water

100g caster sugar

100g liquid glucose

100g Pro Sorbet

 

For the Pistachio Glass:

200g Isomalt

10g pistachio paste

5g green food colouring

 

For the Marzipan Sticks:

100g marzipan

 

For the Pistachio Crumb:

100g skinned Iranian pistachio nuts

 

For the Pistachio Glaze:

50g caster sugar

100ml water

20g pistachio paste

3g green food colouring

 

To Serve:

40g skinned Iranian pistachio nuts

METHOD

1: For the melonberg, put the watermelon and Canteloupe bars into separate vacuum-pack bags and seal under full pressure to compress the melon. Place in the fridge for 8 hours.

2: Assemble the watermelon and Canteloupe melon bars in alternate layers like a Battenberg, dusting each layer with Gelburger; it should measure 5 x 3cm. Once built, wrap tightly in cling film and place in the fridge to set for 2 hours.

3: Once set, remove the melonberg from the fridge and square off any imperfect edges. Re-wrap in cling film and refrigerate until needed.

4: When ready to serve, carefully cut the melonburger into 5mm thin slices.

5: For the pistachio sponge, using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together. Gradually beat in the eggs and extra yolk, then incorporate the pistachio paste and food colouring. Carefully fold in the flour, using a spatula.

6: Scrape the mixture into a large piping bag and keep in the fridge until needed.

7: Preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6. Pipe the mixture into a silicone tray of 8 rectangular mini-loaf cake moulds, dividing it equally. Bake in the oven for 12 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

8: Leave to cool slightly in the tins for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to finish cooling.

9: For the melon sorbet, put the melon flesh into a high-powered jug blender (Vitamix) and blend to a smooth purée; you will need 1 litre. Pass the melon purée through a chinois into a bowl.

10: Put the water, sugar and liquid glucose into a heavy-based saucepan and heat to dissolve the sugar then bring to the boil. Take off the heat and leave to cool.

11: Once cooled, mix the sugar syrup with the melon purée, then add the Pro Sorbet and stir to combine.

12: Pass the mixture through a fine chinois, pour into a Pacojet beaker and freeze overnight.

13: Before serving, churn the sorbet for 2 hours and place back in the freezer, ready to serve.

14: For the pistachio glass, melt the Isomalt in a saucepan and heat to 120°C (check the temperature with a digital probe). Whisk in the pistachio paste and food colouring until evenly combined. Pour onto a silicone mat and spread thinly and evenly with a palette knife. Leave the pistachio glass to cool and then break into shards.

15: For the marzipan sticks, preheat the oven to 140°C (no fan)/ Gas 1. Line a baking tray with a silicone mat. Roll out the marzipan on the silicone mat to a 3mm thickness and cut into long, thin strips. Place in the oven for 10 minutes, then remove and leave to cool on the tray.

16: For the pistachio glaze, put the sugar and water into a small saucepan and heat to dissolve the sugar, then bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and leave to cool. Once cooled, add the pistachio paste and food colouring and mix until well combined. Set aside until ready to serve.

17: To assemble, when ready to serve, warm the pistachio sponges through in the oven at 205°C/Fan 185°C/Gas 6–7 for 4 minutes.

18: Square off the top of the pistachio sponges and drizzle with the pistachio glaze. Place a sponge on one side of each serving plate. Top with pistachio nuts and brush with more glaze. Stand the pistachio glass shards on top of the sponge.

19: Lay a slice of melonberg alongside the sponge. On one end of the melonberg, sprinkle a teaspoonfulof the pistachio crumb evenly into a 3cm round cutter (this will stop the sorbet sliding around). Lift off the cutter and place a scoop of melon sorbet on the pistachio crumb disc.

20: Finish with a marzipan stick and serve at once.

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INGREDIENTS

SERVES: 8

For the Melonberg:

1 watermelon, skin removed, deseeded and cut into neat bars, 12 x 12mm and 8cm long

3 Cantaloupe melons, skin removed, deseeded and cut into neat bars, 12 x 12mm and 8cm long

50g Sosa Gelburger

 

For the Pistachio Sponge:

100g unsalted butter, softened

150g caster sugar

2 medium free-range eggs, beaten

1 medium free-range egg yolk

50g pistachio paste

7g green food colouring

200g self-raising flour

 

For the Melon Sorbet:

2 Charentais melons, peeled, deseeded and roughly chopped

100ml water

100g caster sugar

100g liquid glucose

100g Pro Sorbet

 

For the Pistachio Glass:

200g Isomalt

10g pistachio paste

5g green food colouring

 

For the Marzipan Sticks:

100g marzipan

 

For the Pistachio Crumb:

100g skinned Iranian pistachio nuts

 

For the Pistachio Glaze:

50g caster sugar

100ml water

20g pistachio paste

3g green food colouring

 

To Serve:

40g skinned Iranian pistachio nuts

METHOD

1: For the melonberg, put the watermelon and Canteloupe bars into separate vacuum-pack bags and seal under full pressure to compress the melon. Place in the fridge for 8 hours.

2: Assemble the watermelon and Canteloupe melon bars in alternate layers like a Battenberg, dusting each layer with Gelburger; it should measure 5 x 3cm. Once built, wrap tightly in cling film and place in the fridge to set for 2 hours.

3: Once set, remove the melonberg from the fridge and square off any imperfect edges. Re-wrap in cling film and refrigerate until needed.

4: When ready to serve, carefully cut the melonburger into 5mm thin slices.

5: For the pistachio sponge, using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together. Gradually beat in the eggs and extra yolk, then incorporate the pistachio paste and food colouring. Carefully fold in the flour, using a spatula.

6: Scrape the mixture into a large piping bag and keep in the fridge until needed.

7: Preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6. Pipe the mixture into a silicone tray of 8 rectangular mini-loaf cake moulds, dividing it equally. Bake in the oven for 12 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

8: Leave to cool slightly in the tins for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to finish cooling.

9: For the melon sorbet, put the melon flesh into a high-powered jug blender (Vitamix) and blend to a smooth purée; you will need 1 litre. Pass the melon purée through a chinois into a bowl.

10: Put the water, sugar and liquid glucose into a heavy-based saucepan and heat to dissolve the sugar then bring to the boil. Take off the heat and leave to cool.

11: Once cooled, mix the sugar syrup with the melon purée, then add the Pro Sorbet and stir to combine.

12: Pass the mixture through a fine chinois, pour into a Pacojet beaker and freeze overnight.

13: Before serving, churn the sorbet for 2 hours and place back in the freezer, ready to serve.

14: For the pistachio glass, melt the Isomalt in a saucepan and heat to 120°C (check the temperature with a digital probe). Whisk in the pistachio paste and food colouring until evenly combined. Pour onto a silicone mat and spread thinly and evenly with a palette knife. Leave the pistachio glass to cool and then break into shards.

15: For the marzipan sticks, preheat the oven to 140°C (no fan)/ Gas 1. Line a baking tray with a silicone mat. Roll out the marzipan on the silicone mat to a 3mm thickness and cut into long, thin strips. Place in the oven for 10 minutes, then remove and leave to cool on the tray.

16: For the pistachio glaze, put the sugar and water into a small saucepan and heat to dissolve the sugar, then bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and leave to cool. Once cooled, add the pistachio paste and food colouring and mix until well combined. Set aside until ready to serve.

17: To assemble, when ready to serve, warm the pistachio sponges through in the oven at 205°C/Fan 185°C/Gas 6–7 for 4 minutes.

18: Square off the top of the pistachio sponges and drizzle with the pistachio glaze. Place a sponge on one side of each serving plate. Top with pistachio nuts and brush with more glaze. Stand the pistachio glass shards on top of the sponge.

19: Lay a slice of melonberg alongside the sponge. On one end of the melonberg, sprinkle a teaspoonfulof the pistachio crumb evenly into a 3cm round cutter (this will stop the sorbet sliding around). Lift off the cutter and place a scoop of melon sorbet on the pistachio crumb disc.

20: Finish with a marzipan stick and serve at once.

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Print

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Save this Recipe

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