Expectations for Spherification

[Anonymous Modernist 3449]

Hello, I've beenexperimenting with spherification the last couple nights with some success, i think... The wholeexperiencehas left me wondering, what should a properly executed sphere be like? I've never had the pleasure of eating a dish using the technique prepared by someone who really knows what they are doing, so I'm heading blind into this.

My spheres have been somewhat like caviar at best and like terrible snot at worst... In my reading of MC and other books like Art Culinaire, I've always imagined the spheres to be discrete from each other, not sticky or slimy. Also they are supposed to "pop" in the mouth i've heard, but mine seem to go from too fragile to lift from the bath to fairly solid within a very short period.

Can anyone shed light on what I should be looking toachievewith this?

Thanks

-Steven

[Anonymous Modernist 310]

Personnaly I find that the easiest way to have good results with spherification (And give you a baseline!) is to use a reverse spherification recipe and freeze the mix that you want to spherify. (Doesn't need to be spherical mold the tension will mostly make a sphere one way or the other.) and after that put your frozen "sphere" in your warm alginate bath. Once you take it out and you wash it with fresh water it should stick together but it will always bit a little bit slimy like a whole egg yolk.

[Anonymous Modernist 3449]

Okay, thank you, I'll try that!

[Anonymous Modernist 6607]

which kind of spheres are you making, straight caviar or reverse?

practice is the real answer.

if you are making 'snot' i'm guessing you are using a calcic bath and a syringe? snot would be from pushing the syringe too fast. they can be tricky little buggers. practice or, a pippette with the end cut to the size of the caviar you want. if the caviar is not holding it may be down to the strength of the powder. In the UK MSK produce powders but they are very variable in strength. I would recommend 'Texturas' every time, also might need a couple of seconds more in the bath.

As for reverse bubbles, we serve them as an aperitif, and again its just practice. If you go on the El Bulli website and watch their videos you can see the technique for real. A good measuring spoon is essentil. i reckon i've made over 5000 spheres and it comes second nature but the early days were horrific until it just 'clicked'. But although the frozen technique is a good one, practice will eliminate the need for it. Unless you are sphereing fats, which wont sink unless frozen, like butter