AN ORCHID FOR THE KITCHEN

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REAL VANILLA IS THE QUEEN OF SPICES. AFTER SAFRAN, IT IS THE SECOND MOST EXPENSIVE INGREDIENT IN COOKING AND BAKING.

The Aztecs used vanilla to refine their cocoa drinks. The Spanish conqueror Hernan Cortes  (1485-1547) brought them to Europe from Mexico.

Botanically, vanilla belongs to the orchid family. Its name comes from the Spanish: “Vainilla” which means small pods.

The cultivation of the plant outside of Central America was initially difficult, as it did not form shites. Today it is clear why: It was pollinated by bees and hummingbirds that are only native to Mexico.

The spice came from France to the island of Ile Bourbon (today La Réunion). There a slave discovered the hand pollination of the plant in 1841. That was the end of the 300-year-old vanilla monopoly of the Mexicans.

The Queen of spices enchants almost everything that is sweet: every fruit compote, every cake, every ice cream gets its flavor balance and depth thanks to its aroma.

Vanilla has something pleasant, even comforting for me.

For a Soulfood Dessert: Chocolate Mousse with Vanilla Yogurt Cream

Combine 50 grams of sugar and 2 egg yolks, whip up until foamy. 250 gr Dark chocolate, chopped, melt in a bowl over a water bath, then add 0.7dl of warm milk. Add the sugar-egg-yolk mixture with a pinch of fleur de sel and mix it in. Beat 5 dl cream until stiff and fold into the chocolate mixture. Refrigerate for 2 hours

For the yogurt cream, boil 2 dl cream with 50 gr brown sugar in a small pot. Scrape out the pulp of a vanilla pod and add. Remove from the stove. Soak 2 sheets of gelatine in cold water, add to the cream mixture to disolve. Let it steep for 10 minutes, then strain it through a fine sieve. Refrigerate for 2 hours

Before serving, stir the yogurt cream with a whisk until creamy. Arrange layers in glasses and decorate with berries or fruits ..

 

Story by  Tanja Grandits, Restaurant Stucky, Basel, Switzerland

Edited, translated  and elaborated by Ulrich Koepf