Why use fondant when wrapping savory dishes in caramel?

[KennethT]

So this really isn't a pastry question so much, but I figured this was the best place to put it...

El Bulli and other restaurants have been wrapping savory items in very thin caramel. Most techniques out there use the following: 2:1:1 by weight fondant:isomalt:glucose heated to 325-330F (where the fondant is sugar/glucose not rolled fondant).

My question is why do they use fondant rather than just sugar and extra glucose? My understanding is that fondant is made up of very small sugar crystals in a saturated sugar solution - so it has a very fine and creamy texture. But if you're going to remelt and bring to hard crack, doesn't that destroy your crystal structure anyway? Does using fondant do anything special in this application?

[Kerry Beal]

I wonder if the fondant just gives you a little more structure initially when forming the wrapping?

[paulraphael]

Are you sure they're not just talking about fondant sugar? It's like confectioner's sugar but finer. I see it used in a lot of high tech pastry applications.

[KennethT]

I wonder if the fondant just gives you a little more structure initially when forming the wrapping?

Right - but, wouldn't the fondant lose its structure once you remelt/boil/bring to hard crack?

[KennethT]

Are you sure they're not just talking about fondant sugar? It's like confectioner's sugar but finer. I see it used in a lot of high tech pastry applications.

I'm not sure - it always has just been called "fondant" and since they're european, I've assumed they meant the european fondant which I've seen in european food science texts as being 1000g sugar, 300g water, 100g glucose, brought to softball, cooled to roughly 86F, then agitated (kneaded) to form small crystals - then let rest to ripen for 12 hours. For example that is.... Plus, I can't imagine why they would use superfine sugar if you're just going to melt it anyway....

[Tri2Cook]

The caramel sheets are made with fondant patissier ("pouring fondant"), isomalt and glucose. I've never tried substituting anything else but that's definitely the type of fondant it refers to.