Roasted Black Mission Fig...Roasted Black Mission Fig Tart with Smoked Vanilla Mascarpone and Shiso Fluid Gel

An avant-garde balance of earth and elegance featuring caramelized figs over crisp buckwheat sablé, accented with a vibrant shiso gel and cold-smoked mascarpone quenelle.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   Prepare the buckwheat sablé: In a food processor, pulse buckwheat flour, all-purpose flour, butter, confectioners' sugar, and salt until a fine sand texture forms. Add the egg yolk and pulse just until dough comes together. Roll between parchment paper to 3mm thickness and chill for 30 minutes.

2. 02

   Cut four 10cm rounds from the chilled dough. Place on a perforated baking mat, prick with a fork, and bake at 175°C (350°F) for 12-14 minutes until golden and nutty. Cool on a wire rack.

3. 03

   Make the shiso fluid gel: Blanch shiso leaves in boiling water for 5 seconds, shock immediately in ice water, and drain completely. Blend with 120ml simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water) and yuzu juice until smooth. Strain through a fine chinois into a saucepan, whisk in agar-agar, bring to a rolling boil for 1 minute, then pour into a flat tray and chill until fully gelled. Once set, blend at high speed into a glossy, pipeable fluid gel.

4. 04

   Prepare the smoked vanilla mascarpone: Whisk cold mascarpone, heavy cream, and the scraped seeds of the smoked vanilla bean together until smooth and stiff enough to quenelle. Place in a pastry bag and chill.

5. 05

   Roast the figs: Arrange fig halves cut-side up on a parchment-lined sheet. Drizzle with wildflower honey and aged balsamic vinegar. Roast at 200°C (400°F) for 7-8 minutes until caramelized and tender, basting once with residual pan juices.

6. 06

   Assembly: Place a buckwheat sablé disc in the center of each chilled plate. Fan roasted figs neatly over the sablé. Form an elegant quenelle of smoked mascarpone alongside the tart. Pipe decorative beads of shiso fluid gel across the plate and garnish with crushed toasted black walnuts and micro shiso shoots.