Champagne Mango – Pandan – Jasmine Rice by Mauro Pompili and Manunya (Maya) Sittisuntorn

(This recipe appeared in the Winter 2022 issue of Pastry Arts Magazine)

Mango & sticky rice is one of the most popular desserts from Thailand, and this dish is inspired by our many trips to that country. We redefined the way to put together the dish by elevating the preparation and presentation for fine-dining style, while still keeping closest to the original flavors and the feeling of comfort and fulfillment when eating the dish.

Yield: 10-12 servings

Coconut Crunch

• 100 g unsalted butter 82%, cold
• 100 g Demerara sugar
• 100 g coconut flakes
• 100 g all-purpose flour
• 2 g salt

1. Cut cold butter into small cubes into the bowl of a mixer. Add Demerara sugar and mix at low speed with paddle attachment.

2. In a bowl, mix together the coconut, flour and salt well. Add to the butter mixture and mix to form dough. Roll between parchment paper sheets into thin sheets. Freeze.

3. Once completely frozen, cut into rectangular shape and bake at 320˚F (160˚C) for 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown.

Lemon Sponge

• 240 g eggs
• 290 g marzipan (50%)
• 25 g cake flour
• 25 g cornstarch
• 80 g unsalted butter
• Finely grated zest of 2 lemons

1. Whisk together eggs in bowl with marzipan and warm to 122˚F (50˚C). Mix with whisk attachment at high speed until the texture is stable and the mixture has increased in volume.

2. Mix the cake flour and cornstarch together, then add to the egg mixture and mix well.

3. Melt the butter and add the lemon zest. Slowly fold into the batter until blended. Bake cake on a sheet pan lined with a silicone mat at 392˚F (200˚C).

Jasmine Rice Purée

• 600 g coconut milk
• 500 g whole milk
• 100 g jasmine rice
• 150 g granulated sugar
• 1 g salt

1. In a large pot, heat the coconut and whole milk. Add the jasmine rice and cook, stirring occasionally, until rice is over-cooked. Add the sugar and salt and allow to hot-infuse for 1 hour.

2. Process rice mixture in blender until pureed. Cool completely.

Jasmine Rice Mousse

• 15 g gelatin leaves
• 425 g Jasmine Rice Purée
• 360 g meringue
• 760 g heavy cream 36%, semi-whipped

1. Bloom the gelatin in ice-cold water.

2. Heat the Jasmine Rice Puré Dissolve the gelatin in the purée. Fold in the meringue and then the semi-whipped cream.

Lime Gel

• 200 g water
• 75 g granulated sugar
• 6 g agar agar
• 300 g lime juice

1. In a medium pot, stirring constantly, bring water, sugar and agar agar to a simmering boil. Allow to boil for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lime juice, mixing well. Cool down in ice bath. Allow to set completely.

2. Process in blender to a smooth gel texture.

Jasmine Rice Ice Cream

• 880 g whole milk
• 250 g heavy cream 36%
• 100 g jasmine rice
• 60 g milk powder
• 60 g dextrose
• 140 g granulated sugar
• 4 g stabilizer
• 2 g salt

1. In a hot, heat together the milk and cream. Add the rice and allow to infuse for at least 24 hours. Strain.

2. Heat up the infused milk mixture in a pot. Add the milk powder, then the dextrose. Mix the stabilizer with the sugar and add to the milk mixture. Heat to 185˚F (85˚C). Add salt, then let cool and allow to mature for at least 4 hours before processing in ice cream machine.

Pandan Sauce

• 400 g coconut milk
• 600 g whole milk
• 120 g granulated sugar
• 4 g salt
• 2 large pandan leaves

1. In a saucepan, warm up the coconut milk, milk, sugar and salt until the sugar is dissolved.

2. Rub together the two pandan leaves with your hands to release their aroma. Drop the leaves into the warm coconut milk mixture, cover and allow to infuse for at least 2 hours. Cool, then refrigerate until ready to use.

Jasmine Dust

• 20 g jasmine tea leaves
• 1 g salt
• 3 g confectioners’ sugar

1. Blend together all ingredients and strain to create a very fine dust.

Assembly

• Champagne mango
• Edible viola flower petals

1. Cut the Lemon Sponge with a round cutter that is sized slightly smaller than the round mold for the mousse.

2. Fill small silicone molds with Jasmine Rice Mousse. Place the Lemon Sponge rounds in the center, pressing lightly so that just half of the thin sponge is in the mousse. Freeze overnight.

3. Put the Lime Gel in a bag fitted with a 0.2ʺ (0.5 cm) tip. Refrigerate until ready to plate dessert.

4. Prepare ice bath with a little bit of fresh lemon juice. Peel and cut ripe champagne mango into very thin slices. Place the sliced mango into the ice bath, making sure the fruit is submerged. Remove the mango slices from the water and place in a container. Arrange the mango slices into a flower shape (about 1.5-2ʺ/3.8-5 cm in diameter), layering one slices at a time. Keep refrigerated until plating.

5. Unmold the rice mousse while completely frozen and let thaw out in refrigerator.

6. Place the mango rose in the middle-lower part of the plate (6 o’clock). Pipe about 5-6 small dots of Lime Gel organically on the mango rose, mimicking some dew drops. Pipe a larger dot toward the upper right side of the mango rose. Place some Coconut Crunch on top of the larger Lime Gel as a bed for a quenelle. Place a thawed rice mousse toward the upper left side of the mango rose and pipe another larger dot of Lime Gel on top.

7. Separate viola flower petals (we use white) for decoration. Decorate with about 5-6 white edible viola flower petals in a pattern directly on Lime Gel on the rice mousse. Dust an area toward the left side of the plate with Jasmine Dust. Finish the plate with a quenelle of Jasmine Rice Ice Cream on the Coconut Crunch right before serving. Serve with Pandan Sauce.

About Mauro Pompili and Manunya (Maya) Sittisuntorn

Mauro Pompili and Maya Sittisuntorn are Chef-Owners of MARBLE Dessert Dining, New York, NY. Their signature style highlights good ingredients and surrounds them with complementary flavors – sometimes unusual ones – to create a dish that is good to eat.