Advice on making a gelatin foam with a whisk

[austinlinecook]

OK, I'm just watching a British TV show called "Raymond Blanc Kitchen Secrets" where he does an episode devoted to chocolate. One of the cool things he does is that for one of his garnishes, he makes an "espresso foam" using simply espresso and gelatin and a whisk. No siphon. On TV, he plates a beautiful looking foam on the plate using this method.

Now I'm familiar with making foams via liquid and gelatin in a siphon, but I've never heard of someone doing it with just a whisk. Can anyone back up the fact that to make a foam, you can simply whisk in some dissolved gelatin in a liquid and come out with a foam? Here's the actual recipe:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/chocolatedelice_93624.shtml

[dougal]

When you use a syphon, the foam is being 'foamed' as you release it.

That is super-convenient if you want a little at multiple different times.

However, if you don't mind preparing and whipping pretty much immediately before service, I believe you really could whip it by hand - but you'll probably be dealing with a larger minimum quantity.

My understanding is also that using Nitrous in the bubbles by means of a syphon, (instead of air, using a whisk), would give a "smoother" foam.

The programme is supposed to be about 'restaurant secrets' for use at home. My guess would be that M. Blanc would very likely choose to use a syphon at work, but what he demonstrated was a way to produce a 'foam' at home - and without needing to invest in a syphon.

The chocolate programme is (so far) the only one broadcast.

Well done on somehow getting to see it!

I've set my recorder for programme 2, (on Fish I believe), due in less than 2 hours.

There's a thread for the programme over here -

Edited February 22, 2010 by dougal (log)