Asparagus, Mushroom, Pistachio, Cocoa

This amazing and unusual combination of Asparagus, Mushroom, Pistachio, Cocoa from top chef Daniel Clifford is a taste sensation, uses locally grown asparagus and looks stunning too! The cocoa nib powder brings the whole dish together too.

Ingredients

Elements
  • Asparagus, asparagus juice
  • Mushroom and pistachio puree
  • Grated Pistachio
  • Cocoa nib powder
  • Wood sorrel
  • Asparagus puree
  • Cocoa nib oil
  • Pistachio mayonaise
  • Pickled button mushroom
  • Raw asparagus dice
  • Raw button mushroom discs
  • Asparagus Veloute
  • Mushroom foam
Mushroom Puree Base
  • 3kg Button Mushrooms
  • 250g Finely Sliced Shallots (4)
  • 2 Garlic cloves Finely Sliced
  • 3 Bay Leaves
  • 5 Sprigs Thyme
  • 300g Madeira
  • 300g Double Cream
Pistachio and Mushroom Puree
  • 300g Mushroom Puree Base
  • 50g Pistachio Paste
Mushroom Foam
  • 300g Mushroom Puree Base
  • 40g Madeira
  • 3 Sprigs Thyme
  • 100g Mushroom Stock
  • 120g Milk
Asparagus Puree
  • 500g Asparagus
  • 70g Spinach
  • 40g Double Cream
Asparagus Veloute
  • 500g Finely Sliced Asparagus
  • 1/2 Onion
  • 2 Cloves Garlic
  • 50g Potato Finely Sliced
  • 1L White Chicken Stock
  • 150g Double Cream
Pistachio Mayonnaise
  • 1 Egg yolk
  • 5g Dijon Mustard
  • 5g White Wine Vinegar
  • 200g Grapeseed Oil
  • 20g Pistachio Paste
Pickled Mushrooms
  • 150g Rice Wine Vinegar
  • 50g Sugar
  • 50g Water
  • 3g Salt
  • Button Mushrooms
Cocoa Nib Oil
  • 60g Cocoa Nibs
  • 140g Grapeseed Oil

Method

Mushroom Puree Base

Finely slice the button mushrooms and colour on the plancher in button. Leave in a colander to drain.

Put the bay and thyme in a muslin bag and sweat the shallots and garlic in butter. Cook until soft, no colour. Add the Madeira and reduce.

Add the coloured mushrooms and cream, boil for 2 minutes.

Blend and pass. You may need to add a bit of boiled double cream whist blending to make it catch. The puree needs to be thick.

Season with salt and lemon.

Pistachio and Mushroom Puree

Blend and pass.

Season with salt and lemon.

Mushroom Foam

Bring the Madeira to the boil with the thyme, reduce by two thirds. Infuse for 5 minutes then remove the thyme.

Add the mushroom puree, mushroom stock and milk. Warm, season with salt and lemon, the charge in an espuma gun.

Asparagus Puree

Cut the asparagus into 2cm chunks. Blanch in rapidly boiling, salted water for 4 minutes.

Stain and steam dry for 1 minute.

Put the spinach at the bottom of the blender, add the asparagus and boiled double cream.

Blend, pass and season with salt.

Asparagus Veloute

Sweat the finely sliced onion and garlic in butter until soft. Add the potato and seat for another 2 minutes.

Add the chicken stock, bring to the boil, cook for 7 minutes.

Add the asparagus and boil for 2.5 minutes.

Add the cream and boil for 1 minute.

Blend, pass and season with salt.

Pistachio Mayonnaise

Whisk your egg yolk, mustard and vinegar together.

Slowly add your oil whilst whisking. It needs to be thick.

Add the pistachio paste, season with salt and lemon.

Pickled Mushrooms

Dice the mushrooms into 4mm cubes, with no gills.

Bring the vinegar, sugar, water and salt to the boil and pour over the diced mushrooms.

Cocoa Nib Oil

Toast the cocoa nibs at 170 degrees, fan 2 for 4 minutes.

Warm the oil to 80 degrees, then blend in the cocoa nibs.

Pass and centrifuge for 40 minutes at 4 degrees. Pass through muslin cloth.

Cocoa Nib Powder

Toast cocoa nibs at 170 degrees, fan 2 for 4 minutes. Allow to cool.

Submerge the cocoa nibs in liquid nitrogen until fully frozen, then pass off excess and blend into a powder. Pass through a sieve.

To Serve

In glass:

  • 30g asparagus veloute
  • 4g mushroom foam
  • Cocoa nib powder
  • Grated pistachio

On plate:

  • Asparagus puree, drops of cocoa nib oil in a circle on the puree
  • 1 spear asparagus cut into three. Piped lines mushroom and pistachio puree, grated pistachio, cocoa nib powder. 3 x wood sorrel on each piece of asparagus.
  • 3 x pucks of mix, pickled mushroom dice, raw asparagus dice, pistachio mayonnaise, grated pistachio
  • 3 x discs raw button mushroom slices dusted with cocoa nib powder

 

Ingredients

Elements
  • Asparagus, asparagus juice
  • Mushroom and pistachio puree
  • Grated Pistachio
  • Cocoa nib powder
  • Wood sorrel
  • Asparagus puree
  • Cocoa nib oil
  • Pistachio mayonaise
  • Pickled button mushroom
  • Raw asparagus dice
  • Raw button mushroom discs
  • Asparagus Veloute
  • Mushroom foam
Mushroom Puree Base
  • 3kg Button Mushrooms
  • 250g Finely Sliced Shallots (4)
  • 2 Garlic cloves Finely Sliced
  • 3 Bay Leaves
  • 5 Sprigs Thyme
  • 300g Madeira
  • 300g Double Cream
Pistachio and Mushroom Puree
  • 300g Mushroom Puree Base
  • 50g Pistachio Paste
Mushroom Foam
  • 300g Mushroom Puree Base
  • 40g Madeira
  • 3 Sprigs Thyme
  • 100g Mushroom Stock
  • 120g Milk
Asparagus Puree
  • 500g Asparagus
  • 70g Spinach
  • 40g Double Cream
Asparagus Veloute
  • 500g Finely Sliced Asparagus
  • 1/2 Onion
  • 2 Cloves Garlic
  • 50g Potato Finely Sliced
  • 1L White Chicken Stock
  • 150g Double Cream
Pistachio Mayonnaise
  • 1 Egg yolk
  • 5g Dijon Mustard
  • 5g White Wine Vinegar
  • 200g Grapeseed Oil
  • 20g Pistachio Paste
Pickled Mushrooms
  • 150g Rice Wine Vinegar
  • 50g Sugar
  • 50g Water
  • 3g Salt
  • Button Mushrooms
Cocoa Nib Oil
  • 60g Cocoa Nibs
  • 140g Grapeseed Oil

Method

Mushroom Puree Base

Finely slice the button mushrooms and colour on the plancher in button. Leave in a colander to drain.

Put the bay and thyme in a muslin bag and sweat the shallots and garlic in butter. Cook until soft, no colour. Add the Madeira and reduce.

Add the coloured mushrooms and cream, boil for 2 minutes.

Blend and pass. You may need to add a bit of boiled double cream whist blending to make it catch. The puree needs to be thick.

Season with salt and lemon.

Pistachio and Mushroom Puree

Blend and pass.

Season with salt and lemon.

Mushroom Foam

Bring the Madeira to the boil with the thyme, reduce by two thirds. Infuse for 5 minutes then remove the thyme.

Add the mushroom puree, mushroom stock and milk. Warm, season with salt and lemon, the charge in an espuma gun.

Asparagus Puree

Cut the asparagus into 2cm chunks. Blanch in rapidly boiling, salted water for 4 minutes.

Stain and steam dry for 1 minute.

Put the spinach at the bottom of the blender, add the asparagus and boiled double cream.

Blend, pass and season with salt.

Asparagus Veloute

Sweat the finely sliced onion and garlic in butter until soft. Add the potato and seat for another 2 minutes.

Add the chicken stock, bring to the boil, cook for 7 minutes.

Add the asparagus and boil for 2.5 minutes.

Add the cream and boil for 1 minute.

Blend, pass and season with salt.

Pistachio Mayonnaise

Whisk your egg yolk, mustard and vinegar together.

Slowly add your oil whilst whisking. It needs to be thick.

Add the pistachio paste, season with salt and lemon.

Pickled Mushrooms

Dice the mushrooms into 4mm cubes, with no gills.

Bring the vinegar, sugar, water and salt to the boil and pour over the diced mushrooms.

Cocoa Nib Oil

Toast the cocoa nibs at 170 degrees, fan 2 for 4 minutes.

Warm the oil to 80 degrees, then blend in the cocoa nibs.

Pass and centrifuge for 40 minutes at 4 degrees. Pass through muslin cloth.

Cocoa Nib Powder

Toast cocoa nibs at 170 degrees, fan 2 for 4 minutes. Allow to cool.

Submerge the cocoa nibs in liquid nitrogen until fully frozen, then pass off excess and blend into a powder. Pass through a sieve.

To Serve

In glass:

  • 30g asparagus veloute
  • 4g mushroom foam
  • Cocoa nib powder
  • Grated pistachio

On plate:

  • Asparagus puree, drops of cocoa nib oil in a circle on the puree
  • 1 spear asparagus cut into three. Piped lines mushroom and pistachio puree, grated pistachio, cocoa nib powder. 3 x wood sorrel on each piece of asparagus.
  • 3 x pucks of mix, pickled mushroom dice, raw asparagus dice, pistachio mayonnaise, grated pistachio
  • 3 x discs raw button mushroom slices dusted with cocoa nib powder