Sarcasm has always been a key element in avant-garde cuisine. In this case, it's a dessert truly outside the norm, inspired by the popular vibes of a Slovenian brewery, yet taste-wise, it's surprising.
Dish photo by Suzan Gabrijan
Cover photo of the Chef by Sam Zucker
The dish
Ana Roš is a former skier, and in fact, her ascent is unstoppable: awarded the first three stars in Slovenia this year and honored in 2017 by The World's 50 Best Restaurants as the best chef in the world (here's our review of the new menu), she competes on an equal footing with male counterparts. It will indeed be a great day for global cuisine when she reaches the top without gender specifications.
In creating this dish, Ana was thinking about the beer produced by her ex-husband Valter Kramar, served at the Hiša Polonka bar. "Beer, cheese, and junk food like popcorn are all elements in the small brewery he managed. It's something light but serious".
A very deep and tasty snack that brings together everything around Polonka. So, cheese, beer, and corn we all grew up with. I always combine sweetness with saltiness, acidity, or bitterness. The beauty of life lies in contrasts, and the dessert is exactly that." The recipe is from the book "Ana Roš: Sun and Rain," published by Phaidon.
Ana Roš's Beer and Cheese Popcorn Recipe
Ingredients for 6 people
For the crispy walnuts
- 40g butter
- 30g glucose
- 80g sugar
- 100g walnuts
Method
First, prepare the crispy walnuts. Melt the butter in a saucepan, add glucose and sugar. Cook, stirring until it becomes caramel, then incorporate the walnuts, continuing to stir until they crystallize. Spread out on a Silpat and let cool.
For the white chocolate
- 120ml milk
- 240ml cream
- 6g glucose
- 3g gelatin
- 175g white chocolate
Method
Mix milk, cream, and glucose in a pan over medium heat. Add gelatin and stir until it dissolves. Continue stirring until it reaches 85°C. Remove from heat and incorporate white chocolate, stirring until melted. Let it cool and blend at high speed.
For the beer gel
- 250ml FEO beer
- 2 gelatin sheets
Method
Heat FEO beer to 85°C, add gelatin and stir to dissolve. Heat for 2 minutes, pour into a plastic container, and refrigerate.
For the ice cream
- 300ml milk
- 50ml cream
- 35g sugar
- 100g aged Tolminc cheese (3 years)
- 5g super neutralizer
Method
For ice cream, combine milk, cream, sugar, and cheese in the Thermomix, work for 6 minutes at 80°C. Add super neutralizer and blend for another minute. Cool the mixture and pour it into the Pacojet container. Freeze.
For the beer chips
- 160ml beer
- 30g glucose
- 4g agar-agar
- 80g wild hops
Method
For the chips, mix beer, glucose, and agar-agar in a blender and blend for 3 minutes. Pour into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Transfer to a plastic container and let it cool in the refrigerator for about 1.5 hours. When the jelly is ready, pour into the Thermomix and make it into a puree. Spread 110g of the mixture on each Silpat. Dry overnight at 65°C.
Finely chop the hop sprouts and store them in water and ice.
Dish composition
- 20ml olive oil
- 40g corn kernels
Method
For cheese popcorn, heat oil in a non-stick pan and add corn kernels. Cover and let them pop. Season with caramelized kernels and salt. To plate, arrange beer jelly, crispy nuts, white chocolate, and chopped hops. Add cheese ice cream and beer chips.
Address
Hiša Franko
Staro selo 1, 5222 Kobarid, Slovenia
Phone: 386 5 389 41 20
Website
