Molecular Cuisine: Linking Science to Cooking

Everything we eat should be not only healthy, but also tasty. After all, food makes us happy. We have said many times that healthy food can be really tasty. But it turns out that it can also be original. Recently, molecular cuisine has become increasingly popular. This is a cuisine that stands on the border of science and cooking.

Therefore, the editors of Estet-portal decided to find out what kind of phenomenon it is, and what it refers to scientific experiments or, nevertheless, to culinary delights.

History of Molecular Cuisine

The term "molecular cuisine" is confusing to many people. In fact, everything is as complicated as it might seem at first glance. In the early 90s of the last century, the wife of a physicist, and a professional chef herself, Elizabeth Thomas organized a seminar dedicated to the introduction of scientific developments into the usual cooking. It was from that seminar that everything began.

After that, there were other seminars at which the physicist, who is fond of cooking Nichols Kurti, spoke. His stories began to be brought to life by several chefs, and molecular cuisine began to develop and enter the wide market.

What is molecular cuisine

Molecular cuisine – this is a new approach to the preparation of quite familiar dishes, for the preparation of which modern technological, physical and chemical developments are used. Molecular chefs give familiar dishes new, brighter flavors, as well as changing their forms and ways of serving. At the same time, they retain the taste and all the useful elements that are contained in the products.

Methods of cooking molecular cuisine

If you look into the kitchen of a molecular restaurant, it can remind you of something between a kitchen and a laboratory. The use of special apparatus and various ingredients other than food can cause confusion even for a professional chef. Among the methods of preparation and type of dishes, the main ones can be distinguished:

1. Espuma.
2. Spherification and gelification.
3. Emulsification.
4. Sous-vide vacuum technology.
5. Low temperature method.
6. Using the enzyme transglutaminase.

Next, we will tell you in detail about each of these methods of cooking molecular cuisine.

Espuma

Espuma – this is any molecular cuisine dish prepared in the form of foam. It is the so-called hallmark of molecular cuisine. The technology for making foams allows you to make it from anything, even from meat and nuts. Essentially espuma – it is a sauce, but it is not burdened with fats or anything superfluous. How masters of this type of cooking speak about it – it's a taste of weightlessness.

Spherification and gelification

These are two similar processes for making jelly spheres and gels. Interestingly, in fact there is nothing new in this. We are all well aware of the existence of artificial black and red caviar, which is nothing more than spheres. The only difference is that in the molecular cuisine restaurant this technology is used as a trick and interesting and unique flavors are imprinted inside the spheres and gels.

Emulsification

The process of emulsification occurs by separating several immiscible liquids. One of the first emulsions was milk. Drops of milk fat are distributed in water. This process is often used to prepare original dressings for dishes.

Vacuum sous-vide technology

Another interesting food preparation technology. It consists in the fact that the products placed in a vacuum bag are cooked in a special water bath, at a stable average temperature for a long period of time. During cooking, the products do not lose their taste properties, but, on the contrary, become more saturated. This is basically how meat is prepared.

Transglutaminase

The strange and frightening name does not actually pose any danger to humans. Transglutaminase – These are enzymes that can glue muscle tissue together. With the help of these enzymes, familiar fake crab sticks are prepared for all of us, which are made from surimi fish. In molecular cuisine, they are used to give meat and fish dishes an interesting new look. For example, serve a full-fledged steak made from fillet, sealed with enzymes.

Low temperature method

Molecular restaurants use dry ice and liquid nitrogen to prepare some dishes. If you can buy the first one for home use, then it is difficult to cope with the second one at home. In a professional molecular kitchen, it's still easier. So, with the help of liquid nitrogen, unique cold mousses are created that are reminiscent of super light meringue in their structure. Chefs call it the perfect ice cream.

But dry ice is mainly used to complement the atmosphere and enhance the taste sensations of the guest by surrounding him with special aromas. The prepared aromatic mixture is poured over a piece of dry ice and placed near the guest.

Molecular cuisine at home

The increased popularity of molecular cuisine has led to the emergence of many restaurants. But that's not all. Nowadays, you can not just go to a restaurant and try molecular cuisine dishes, but also cook them yourself at home. Molecular cooking at home requires the use of the same units as in a professional kitchen, but only designed for home use:

• cremer;
• centrifuge;
• dry ice;
• other.

But, as it turned out, you can do without special devices. Of course, since it won’t work in a restaurant, but it’s quite possible to cook something interesting with a little imagination.

Recipes for molecular cuisine at home

To prepare the following dishes, you will not need special equipment or deep knowledge of molecular cuisine. You just need to get used to it a little and dream up a little.

Molecular Egg

You can start with the simplest – cooking eggs. To do this, you need to take an egg or several eggs, but not more than three, and put them in a pot of water. Pour as much water as you pour when boiling eggs. Then, instead of the stove, put the pot of eggs in the oven for two hours at 64 degrees. Due to this cooking method, you will get a completely different dish, which will be distinguished by tenderness and taste.

Tomato Soup

If you have mastered the egg, then you can move on to more multi-tasking cooking of the molecular cuisine dish – tomato soup. To prepare it you will need:

• low-fat chicken broth – 350 ml;
• medium carrot – 1 piece;
• leek stalk – 0.5 pcs;
• tomatoes – 3 pcs;
• garlic cloves – 3 pcs;
• thick tomato paste – 2 tbsp;
• agar-agar – 20 gr.

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Vegetables should be cut into slices and poured with broth. After that, add tomato paste to them and squeeze the garlic. Seasonings and salt can be chosen to taste, but we suggest adding a pinch of Italian herbs, a little salt and pepper. Then the pan should be put on fire and, bringing to a boil, boil the mixture for 20 minutes. When the soup is cooked, take it off the heat and let it cool down a bit.

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After it has cooled, it must be whipped in a blender until a homogeneous mass is obtained. Strain the puree through cheesecloth back into the pan, add agar-agar to it, and constantly stirring over low heat, bring it to a boil. After that, remove it, pour it into molds, let it cool a little, put it in the refrigerator until it solidifies.

Of course, someone might say that we already use gelatin in the kitchen, and there is nothing special about molecular cuisine. But remember that the main feature of molecular cuisine is not the use of modern technologies or chemical and physical knowledge, but the culinary's imagination and the preservation of as many useful components as possible.

Therefore, Estet-portal wishes you inspiration and health.