Molecular Gastronomy
Modernist cooking gives familiar ingredients different forms through controlled techniques. Foams, fluid gels, and spheres offer several starting points in this collection, with recipes and ingredient guidance to support the process. Browse a technique for the result it produces, then read the full method and equipment requirements before attempting the preparation.
Browse the posts below, or choose a subcategory when available.
Foams, Espumas, & Gels
Peanut-chile foam, cream cheese espuma, and cranberry fluid gel use different methods to change texture. These preparations offer components that can become part of a more elaborate dish.
Modernist Ingredients & Techniques
Soy lecithin and xanthan gum guides introduce ingredients used to manage texture. These modernist recipes and explanations connect a particular ingredient or technique with the result it helps produce.
Spherification
Strawberry spheres, liquid olives, and reverse-spherical mozzarella give spherification several flavor directions. Browse the preparations for the method and ingredients that create a distinct outer layer around a softer center.
In this collection
Peanut and Chili Foam
Ingredients 150 g peanuts 100 ml meat stock 150 ml coconut milk 200 g cream cheese, full fat 2 g chili powder or cayenne pepper Preparation Puree all…
Cranberry-Flavored Fluid Gel
Cranberries are naturally full of pectin, and when we blend the jellied sauce, we create a fluid gel—albeit a weak one. A little xanthan gum thickens it, stabilizing…
Cream Cheese Espuma
Ingredients 160 g Cream cheese, full fat 340 ml heavy cream 1 g Salt 1 g Pepper Preparation Mix all the ingredients. Pass through the iSi funnel &…
Hollandaise
Hollandaise—that bright, velvety concoction of egg yolks, butter, and lemon juice—has a reputation for being difficult to make. In part, that’s because the delicate proteins in egg and…
Soy Lecithin
Lecithin, also known as soy lecithin, is a natural emulsifier and stabilizer. It comes from fatty substances found in plant and animal tissues. It is a traditionally used…
How to Make a Soy Lecithin Foam
One of the most popular methods in molecular gastronomy is the creation of foams. While they are associated with modernist cuisine, foams have been used for centuries and…
Soy Foam
A good place to get started with molecular cooking is by using foams. Many foams are easy to make and they add great flavor and texture to a…
How to Use Xanthan Gum
Xanthan gum, or just xanthan, is one of the easiest ingredients to work with. It is used extensively to thicken liquids, make light foams, strengthen vinaigrettes, and is…
Strawberry Spheres with Ground Pepper
A simple spherification recipe to make strawberry spheres that explode in the mouth! Great for kids and very versatile. In this recipe we just serve them with ground…
Reverse Spherical Mozzarellas
This molecular gastronomy recipe is another creation of Ferran Adria and el Bulli team. This molecular gastronomy recipe is based on the reverse spherification technique and it is…
