THE DECONSTRUCTED LAMINGTON
To celebrate the launch of surfboard shaper Hayden Cox’s book New Wave Vision, Audi hosted an intimate dinner at luxury resort Qualia for close friends, and boat lovers, as part of Hamilton Island Race Week. The highlight? This modern take on an Aussie ic
FOR THE CRÈME PÂTISSIÈRE: BRING milk and 50ml cream to the boil with vanilla. In a separate bowl,
WHISK eggs, yolk and sugar together with cornflour. Meanwhile, SOAK gelatine in iced water to bloom. Pour hot milk over egg mixture, whisking slowly but constantly. Place back in pan and on heat. Continue to whisk until thickened. Remove from heat, WHISK in gelatine and butter gradually. Pass through a fine drum sieve. Place cling-film on top to cover and chill. SEMI-WHIP remaining cream. Once cold, remove mixture from fridge and fold cream through. Place in fridge until required.
FOR THE VANILLA SPONGE: Heat oven to 180°C. CREAM butter and sugar together until pale. BEAT in eggs. SIFT flour over mixture and fold in. The mixture should be of a dropping consistency; if not, add a little milk. Place into a lined half-sized gastro tray and bake for 20-25 minutes.
FOR THE CHOCOLATE ROCKS: MELT chocolate over a double boiler. FOLD in coconut cream and fresh coconut. Place in a lined gastro tray and set in freezer. When frozen, smash chocolate into “rocks”. Place back into freezer.
FOR THE STRAWBERRY GEL: BLITZ strawberries and sugar syrup together. Pass through a sieve. In a heavy-bottom pan, bring liquid to the boil and WHISK in agar. Cook for 2 minutes. Pass through sieve and set on a tray. Cut up and blend until smooth.
FOR THE CRISP CHOCOLATE MOUSSE: ADD half the sugar to yolks and mix on high until doubled and fluffy. MELT chocolate. WHIP egg whites with remaining sugar until medium peaks form. Fold yolk mixture into chocolate quickly, then immediately fold in the whites. Spread out thinly and dehydrate for 8 hours minimum.
TO PLATE: PIPE about 30g of the vanilla crème pâtissière into the middle of the plate. TEAR the sponge into pieces and place three around it. Do the same with the chocolate rocks. Follow with five
DROPS of the strawberry gel, randomly around the plate. CUT a strawberry into quarters and place them around the cream. PLACE three chocolate mousse crisps around the cream. Do it at random angles – symmetry looks boring on the plate.