Serves 5
Ingredients
Algin bath
473ml water
1tsp algin
Spherical mango cream
1 cup diced mango, from 2 small mangoes
60ml water
9g gluco
Spherical mango cream
4 pieces seasoned and roasted korean nori, also known as kankoku, cut into 20 2.5×1″ strips
473ml algin bath
236ml mango spherical cream
473ml bottled water, at room temperature
20 pieces sea urchin
Caviar and zest from 5 finger limes
Method
Algin bath
In a blender, mix the water and algin together until the algin is completely dissolved in the water. Store in the refrigerator for 12 hours to eliminate any excess air. When ready to use, skim any foam that has formed from the top of the mixture.
Spherical mango cream
In a blender, add the mango, water, and gluco and purée. Pass through a fine mesh strainer and reserve. Store in the refrigerator for 12 hours to eliminate any excess air. When ready to use, skim any foam that has formed from the top of the mixture.
Sea urchin and mango nigiri
Lay 20 strips of the nori on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and set aside the extra nori for use if needed. To make the spheres, fill a shallow 9×9″ glass baking dish with at least 2″ of the algin bath. Create the sphere by carefully releasing a spoonful of the spherifical cream into the algin bath, making sure that the entire amount of cream released is submerged in the algin bath and that the spheres are not touching one another so that they do not stick together.
Allow the spheres to sit, or ‘cook’ in the algin bath for 2 minutes. After 2 minutes in the algin bath, use a slotted spoon to remove the spheres and place them in a bowl filled with the bottled water to clean off excess algin.
Working with one at a time and using a slotted spoon, remove the spheres from the bowl of bottled water. Very gently in order not to break the sphere, blot the bottom of the slotted spoon with a paper towel to dry the bottom and carefully slide it onto a nori strip about a 1/3 of the way from the end. Place one piece of sea urchin next to each mango sphere so that they are centered on the nori strip. Repeat with the rest of the nori and spheres.
Place 4 pieces of nigiri, exposed side up, on a plate. Garnish each plate of nigiri with the finger lime caviar and zest. Gently fold the nori and enjoy as a taco.
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