Chamomile & Wild Honey...Chamomile & Wild Honey Bavarois with Yuzu-Apricot Gel

An elegant, multi-textured dessert featuring a velvety chamomile-infused Bavarian cream, vibrant yuzu-apricot compote, smoked almond sable crumble, and a delicate honeycomb tuile.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   Bloom the gelatin sheets in a bowl of ice-cold water for 10 minutes until softened.

2. 02

   In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the whole milk, 100ml of heavy cream, and the dried chamomile flowers until steaming. Remove from heat, cover, and let infuse for 15 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, discarding the flowers.

3. 03

   In a heatproof bowl, whisk the egg yolks and 50g wildflower honey until pale. Slowly pour the warm chamomile cream into the yolk mixture while whisking constantly. Return the mixture to the saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly with a spatula until it reaches 82°C (180°F) to create a light crème anglaise.

4. 04

   Remove from heat, squeeze the excess water from the gelatin sheets, and stir them into the hot crème anglaise until completely dissolved. Let the mixture cool to room temperature (about 25°C / 77°F). Whip the remaining 100ml of heavy cream to soft peaks, then gently fold it into the cooled chamomile base. Pour into silicone sphere or dome molds and freeze for at least 4 hours to set.

5. 05

   To make the yuzu-apricot gel, combine the diced apricots, yuzu juice, caster sugar, and agar-agar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, and simmer for 2 minutes. Pour into a shallow container and refrigerate until completely set. Once firm, transfer the gel to a high-speed blender and process until completely smooth and glossy. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip.

6. 06

   For the smoked almond sable, cream 60g of softened butter with the powdered sugar. Mix in the almond flour, 75g of all-purpose flour, and a pinch of smoked Maldon sea salt until a crumbly dough forms. Roll out to 3mm thickness between two sheets of parchment paper. Bake at 160°C (320°F) for 12-15 minutes until light golden brown. Let cool completely, then crumble gently to create a rustic soil texture.

7. 07

   For the honey tuile, whisk together 30g of melted butter, 30g of honey, 30g of all-purpose flour, and 30g of egg white until a smooth batter forms. Spread the batter thinly over a silicone stencil or baking mat in an organic shape. Bake at 170°C (340°F) for 6-8 minutes until golden brown and lacy. Cool on a curved surface to create movement.

8. 08

   To assemble, place a neat circle of the smoked almond sable crumble in the center of each plate. Carefully unmold the frozen chamomile bavarois domes and place one on top of each crumble base (allow to temper for 15 minutes before serving). Pipe precise dots of the yuzu-apricot gel around the plate. Garnish the bavarois with the delicate honey tuile and edible micro-flowers.