Alicia Taylor
“This luscious starter should be served in small portions as its rich texture could become cloying if too generous,” says Alexander. “I use small glass dishes, so the colour can be admired. I like to top each dish with a generous quantity of well-seasoned crab meat or steamed prawns cut into small pieces. Even simpler would be tiny dice of ripe tomato spooned over just as you serve the bavarois. A delightful final touch is a squeeze of finger lime pearls.”
Ingredients
Method
Soak gelatine leaves in cold water for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the custard: put milk and 3 of the coriander sprigs into a small saucepan and heat over a low heat. Put egg yolks into a bowl that fits over saucepan and whisk well.
Whisk until yolks foam and start to thicken (about 3 minutes). Remove bowl at once. Whisk hot milk and coriander into yolks. Squeeze soaking gelatine, then drop it into hot custard and whisk to mix. Strain custard into a clean bowl, add remaining coriander sprigs and refrigerate, covered, to chill but not set.
Purée avocado flesh, lemon juice, vinegar, Tabasco and salt until smooth in a food processor. Taste and adjust seasoning. Check custard. You want it cold but not set. Remove coriander and whisk custard into avocado purée. Spoon or pour into your selected glasses.
Refrigerate for at least 1 hour until thick and smooth. The bavarois will never set like a rock but will be spoonable.
Meanwhile, for confit crab, combine oil and crab in a saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally until crab turn opaque (6-8 minutes). Remove from the heat; strain mixture through a fine sieve (discard oil). Spread crab out on a large tray and refrigerate to cool (20 minutes). Transfer to a bowl, dress with extra lemon juice to taste and season.
Spoon seasoned crab on top of bavarois and squeeze over finger lime pearls to taste. Scatter with extra coriander (optional) to serve.
Related stories
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
