Yka Leaf Commemorative Wreath

Ingredients

Poached Pears:

• 2 small, firm pears
• 750ml water
• 250ml white wine
• 300g sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 star anise
• 1 vanilla pod
• 2 cloves

Pomegranate & Yka Leaves jelly:

• 3 large pomegranates or 300ml fresh pomegranate juice
• 100ml Yka Leaves® syrup
• 2.4g xantham gum
• 2.4g agar agar

Yka Leaves syrup:

• 100g sugar
• 150ml water
• 10 Yka Leaves

Toasted almonds: 

• 20g almonds

Dehydrated Yka Leaves:

• 5 Yka Leaves

Vanilla mascarpone: 

• 100g mascarpone
• 1 vanilla pod
• 20g icing sugar
• 1/4 lemon squeezed

Plating:

• 2 different punnets Cornabria Blossom®
• 1 punnet Honny® Cress
• 1 punnet Vene Cress

Method

Dehydrated Yka Leaves: 

• Firstly separate the three leaves from five individual Yka Leaves® and lay flat on a dehydrator tray. Add an additional mesh to sandwich them between and dehydrate at about 45°C for a few hours.

Poached Pears:

• Combine pear poaching liquor ingredients and bring to the boil. Peel pears and poach gently for about 20 minutes. They should be tender but still firm enough to handle. Leave to cool in the liquid.

Yka Leaves Syrup:

• Combine the sugar and water for the Yka syrup and bring to the boil, whisk in 10 individual Yka Leaves and continue whisking until the colour has been imparted but before they turn brown, strain through a chinois and leave to cool.

Yka Leaves & pomegranate jelly:

• Blend together 100ml of Yka syrup with the 300ml pomegranate juice. Using a stick blender, disperse Agar-Agar into the liquid. Pass through a fine strainer and skim off the bubbles. You can also vacuum seal to remove bubbles.
• Bring mixture to the boil (above 90C) and then leave to cool slightly. Using the stick blender, add the Xantham. Leave the mixture to settle for a few minutes and then skim off any residual bubbles or foam.
• Pour mixture into silicone moulds of your choosing, preferably 2 different shapes and sizes. Set in the fridge until needed.

Vanilla Mascarpone:

• Scrape the vanilla pod and mix together with the icing sugar and mascarpone.

Toasted Almonds:

• Toast or caramelise almonds ready for plating.

Yka Leaves Powder:

• Blend or crumble a few dehydrated Yka Leaves and pass through a sieve to form a powder.

Recipe: Jacques Cresser Brown 
Source: Staff Canteen