Citrus Pavlova by Angel R. Betancourt

(This recipe appeared in the Spring 2019 issue of Pastry Arts Magazine)

Pavlova has to be one of my very favorite desserts to eat and make. It’s simple yet fragile. I always research desserts I want to make and when I discovered that pavlova was named after a ballerina, my creative mind could not stop thinking about how perfect the name is. Pavlova is delicate, beautiful, stylish and feminine, but was she married? So, I came up with a veil made of passion fruit to finish a fantasy dessert.

Yield: 4 servings

Pavlova

• 120 g egg whites
• 200 g confectioners’ sugar
• 15 g white vinegar
• 10 g cornstarch

1. Whip the egg whites, adding the confectioners’ sugar in three additions and whipping until stiff peaks form. Add the white vinegar and fold the cornstarch.
2. Spread on Silpat and bake at 200˚F for 50-60 minutes.

Lime-Yuzu Cream

• 205 g lime juice
• 100 g yuzu juice
• 433 g granulated sugar
• 333 g whole eggs
• 605 g cold butter, diced

1. Mix lime and yuzu juice, sugar and eggs. Heat in a double boiler, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until it starts to thicken and the mix covers the back of the spoon. With the help of a hand blender, add the diced cold butter, and mix until smooth.

Passion Fruit Espuma 

• 250 g passion fruit puree
• 150 g granulated sugar
• 50 g water
• 5 g Versawhip 600k
• 4 g xanthan gum

1. Pour the puree, sugar and water into the jar of a Vita-mix blender. Blend on high speed for 1 minute, then add the Versawhip and xanthan gum and blend on high speed once again.
2. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer and, using the whisk attachment, whip on high speed until stiff peaks form.

Mango Fluid Gel

• 150 g granulated sugar
• 5 g agar agar
• 500 g mango puree
• 2 g citric acid

1. Mix sugar and agar agar together. Add the sugar mixture to the mango puree and bring to a boil. Boil for 30 seconds and remove from heat. Pour the mix onto a clean sheet pan and let set in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
2. Process in a Vita-Prep with the citric acid.

Coconut Oil Powder

• 120 g coconut oil
• 80 g maltodextrin
• 10 g anti-humidity snow sugar
• 2 g fine salt

1. Place coconut oil, maltodextrin, snow sugar and salt into a Robot Coupe and process until it resembles snow or sand.

Plating

• Diced fresh pineapple
• Diced kiwi
• Edible flowers
• Micro greens

1. Pipe the Lime-Yuzu Cream on the plate and cover with broken pieces of the Pavlova.
2. Pipe the Mango Foam and Mango Fluid Gel on top, and add diced fresh pineapple and kiwi. Decorate with flowers and micro greens.

About Chef Angel R. Betancourt

After training at one of the world’s most renowned culinary institutes, Le Cordon Bleu Paris’ Ottawa campus, Angel R. Betancourt honed his craft alongside mentors such as Chocolatier Laurent Pagès, Chef Carles Mampel, Chef Nobu Matsuhisa, Chef Sara Tibbitts and Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. Chef Betancourt is the former Executive Pastry Chef of the uber-luxury resort One & Only Ocean Club and now current Executive Pastry Chef of The Ocean Club, a Four Seasons Resort, Bahamas.