The dish
Chefs Giuseppe Lo Iudice and Alessandro Miocchi have created a dessert of great finesse that plays on different textures and sensations. The velvety sweetness of acacia honey meets the crunchiness of walnuts and the lightness of milk foam, in a harmonious and pleasantly unexpected finale.
Ingredients
For the honey mousse
- 90 g of acacia honey
- 35 g of egg yolks
- 1 sheet of gelatin
- 175 g of semi-whipped cream
For the walnut sponge
- 190 g of egg whites
- 100 g of egg yolks
- 160 g of sugar
- 30 g of water
- 60 g of potato starch
- 60 g of walnut paste
For the candied walnuts
- 200 g of shelled walnuts
- 100 g of white sugar
- 50 g of water
- Salt to taste
For the reduced milk foam
- 1.5 l of milk
- 40 g of sugar
- 4 g of gelatin
Preparation
For the honey mousse
- Soak the gelatin in ice water.
- Place the honey in a large saucepan. When it reaches 70°C, start whipping the egg yolks in a stand mixer.
- When the honey reaches 121°C, pour it in a thin stream over the yolks and continue whipping until completely cooled. The whipped mixture should be foamy, light-colored, and most importantly, firm in structure.
- Semi-whip the cream, setting aside 50 g to dissolve the soaked gelatin.
- Combine the dissolved gelatin in the cream with the semi-whipped cream and gently fold the mixture into the eggs whipped with honey, using upward movements.
- Transfer the mixture to a container and let it rest in the refrigerator for 12 hours.
For the candied walnuts
- Place the walnuts, sugar, and water in a non-stick pan.
- Cook, stirring slowly until the sugar crystallizes around the walnuts.
- Add a pinch of salt to counteract the sweetness.
For the reduced milk foam
- Soak the gelatin in ice water.
- Pour the milk and sugar into a saucepan and reduce to one-third of the initial volume. Add the soaked gelatin and continue stirring until completely dissolved.
- Pour into the siphon, charge with two cartridges, and let rest in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
For the composition
- Place a spoonful of honey mousse at the base of the plate.
- Garnish with candied walnuts and walnut sponge.
- Cover with milk foam and finish with a sprinkle of pollen.
The author
Chef Giuseppe Lo Iudice and Alessandro Miocchi
Ristorante Retrobottega
Via della Stelletta 14, Roma
A talented and well-coordinated duo of the new Roman cuisine, Giuseppe Lo Iudice and Alessandro Miocchi have revolutionized the capital’s gastronomic scene in just a few years. In their Retrobottega, in the heart of Rome, they offer high cuisine in an urban, direct, and immediate version: cooking takes place in view of those seated, to enhance the purity of the raw materials and simplicity, with great technique behind it.
