Prosciutto di Parma with Cantaloupe Melon Soup Spheres
This Prosciutto Parma, with Cantaloupe Melon Soup Spheres, Dehydrated Prosciutto di Parma and Parmesan Foam recipe brought to us by Chef Patrick Brunelli Guerra and the Culinary Students Art institute Houston, is a Whole Leg masterpiece. By using the fat from the whole leg of Prosciutto di Parma, the dish is given a rich, buttery flavor and silky-smooth texture. The fat also adds a surprisingly sweet flavor, sure to leave your guests wanting more.
Ingredients
For the Per Il Brodo di Prosciutto Crudo
20 ounces Prosciutto di Parma, aged 15 months
6 ounces shallots
0.75 ounces Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 quart cold water
5 grams lecithin powder
For the Melon Soup
10 ounces cantaloupe melon
4 ounces honeydew melon
0.75 ounces lime juice
0.3 ounces honey
9.2 grams calcium lactate 2%
3.5 ounces cantaloupe melon cut into small cubes
For the Setting Bath
1000 grams water
100 grams sugar
5 grams sodium alginate 0.5%
For the Rinsing Bath
1000 grams water
For the Holding Bath
water
For the Parmesan Espuma
10 ounces milk
2.5 ounces heavy cream
1 gram salt
1 gram black pepper
6.25 ounces Grana Padano
For the Prosciutto Powder
2.8 ounces Prosciutto di Parma fat and olive oil
0.9 grams tapioca maltodextrin
Instructions
For the Per Il Brodo di Prosciutto Crudo
Sweat the shallots and the prosciutto until get crispy. Deglaze with cold water and simmer for 10 minutes. Let steep and strain with cheese cloth; place in cooler. When cold fat comes to the surface, remove fat, add the lecithin and blend using an immersion blender until you get a nice foam.
For the Melon Soup
Combine 10oz of the cantaloupe with the honeydew, lime juice, honey, and calcium lactate then blend to combine. Pour into spherical or hemispherical molds. Place a small cube of cantaloupe into each mold then place the molds in the freezer and let freeze fully.
For the Setting Bath
Prepare the setting bath at least an hour before you want to make the spheres. Blend together the water, sugar, and sodium alginate then bring to a boil. Set aside and let cool.
To Create the Spheres
Once the soup is frozen you can make the spheres. This can be done up to a few hours before serving.
Set up the rinsing bath by placing the water in a bowl. Set up the holding bath by adding enough water to a bowl to cover the spheres once they have been spherified.
Remove the frozen spheres from the freezer. Place the spheres, a few at a time, in the setting bath, being sure not to let them touch or they can fuse together. Let them set for 2 to 4 minutes. Remove them with a slotted spoon and place them into the rinsing bath. Swirl them gently to rinse off the outsides then place in the holding bath. Repeat for the remaining spheres.
The spheres can be held in the holding bath for several hours, but the flavor will begin to leak out over time into the holding bath.
Place the sphere on a small bowl or plate, or a large spoon. Top with some prosciutto foam, Grana Padano mousse and powdered prosciutto. Garnish with micro greens.
For the Parmesan Espuma
Gently heat the milk, add Pargmiano Reggiano and steep for approx. 20 minutes. Add heavy cream and season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour the mixture through the iSi Funnel & Sieve into a 0.5 l iSi Whipper, screw on 1 iSi Cream Charger and shake vigorously. Before serving, cool in the refrigerator for a min. of Cool for 6 hours.
For the Prosciutto Powder
The olive oil powder is one of my favorite molecular gastronomy powders created with Tapioca Maltodextrin. This recipe is based on the molecular gastronomy technique of converting a high-fat liquid into powder using Tapioca Maltodextrin.
