Spherical pastiera | Andrea Aprea

Ingredients per serving

• 8 g of spherical pastiera
• 20 g of cooked wheat cream
• 15 g of shortcrust pastry Biscuit
• 10 g of candied fruit ice cream
• sweet orange ricotta foam to taste 
• 20 g of powdered sugar
• orange zest with microplane

For the spherical pastiera

• 1 kg of sugar (isomalt)
• 20 ml of water
• Pastry coloring to taste

Method

Bring the isomalt to a temperature of 150°C. Add the coloring. Bring the mixture to 180°C. Remove from heat and with the help of a spoon add the water. Pour the mixture obtained onto a silpat. With the latter, work the sugar while still hot to mix everything well by folding it several times until obtaining a satin effect. Blow the mass while still hot  (90°/100°C), until obtaining a sphere with a thin surface. Let it cool and create an opening on the base that will then be used to insert the ricotta foam.

For the candied fruit ice cream

• 1 liter of milk
• 200 ml of cream
• 50 g of Butter
• 250 g of egg yolk
• 220 g of sugar
• 10 g of neutro
• 400 g of diced candied lemon
• 400 g of diced candied orange

Method

Work everything as if it was an English cream, at the end add the chopped candied fruits and emulsify. 

For the cooked wheat cream

• 1.1 kg of cooked wheat
• 2.2 liters of milk
• 450 g of egg yolk
• 1 vanilla bean
• zest of 1 lemon
• zest of 1 orange
• 315 g of sugar
• 145 g of cornstarch
• 225 g of butter

Method

Work yolks, sugar, and cornstarch, bring the milk to a boil with the vanilla bean. Pour the hot milk over the egg sugar and cornstarch mixture and continue cooking gently. Add the cooked wheat, the citrus zests, and finally the butter. Cool in a blast chiller.

For the sweet orange ricotta foam

• 125 ml of milk
• 100 g of egg white
• 250 g of buffalo ricotta
• 35 g of sugar
• orange flower essence
• 1 gelatin sheet

Method

Work the buffalo ricotta with the sugar, add the milk keeping a small portion to heat and dissolve the gelatin, add the orange flower essence and lastly the egg white, incorporate the gelatin into the mixture, strain through a fine chinoix and load the siphon with 2 charges.

Plate composition

At the base of a dish, arrange the cooked wheat cream using a cylindrical pastry cutter with a diameter of 7 cm. Place the shortcrust pastry disc previously cut with the same diameter on top of the cream and position 3 pieces of candied orange, 3 pieces of candied lemon, and 3 pieces of candied citron. Add a scoop of candied fruit ice cream and fill the isomalt sphere with the pastiera foam. Place the sphere on the base of the dish. Dust with powdered sugar and garnish with orange zest.