Compressed watermelon with coconut sorbet

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Tom Aikens' recipe requires a sous-vide and a day in advance to make the compressed watermelon in this dazzling coconut dessert recipe. The freshness of the fruit works brilliantly with the creamy coconut, fresh mint and chilli.

First published in 2015

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Compressed watermelon

Mint oil

  • 150g of fresh mint
  • 20g of caster sugar
  • 175ml of olive oil

Mint powder

  • 50g of absorbit

Mint syrup

Coconut sorbet

  • 500g of coconut purée
  • 500ml of water
  • 150g of caster sugar
  • 50g of trimoline
  • 2g of gellan gum type F

Coconut jelly

  • 250g of coconut purée
  • 1 vanilla pod
  • 100ml of milk
  • 15g of caster sugar
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • 2 gelatine leaves

Chilli jelly

Coconut foam

  • 250g of coconut purée
  • 60g of caster sugar
  • 140ml of water
  • 1 vanilla pod
  • 3.5g of lecithin

Mint foam

  • 150ml of water
  • 3.5g of lecithin

Italian meringues

  • 180g of caster sugar
  • 40ml of water
  • 15ml of liquid glucose
  • 3 eggs

Coconut mousse

  • 250g of coconut purée
  • 1 vanilla pod
  • 3 gelatine leaves
  • 100ml of whipping cream
  • 25ml of Malibu
  • 15ml of lime juice
  • 1 tbsp of desiccated coconut, toasted

To plate

Equipment

  • Ice cream maker
  • Muslin cloth
  • Blender
  • Thermometer
  • Sous vide equipment
  • 2 x 5mm deep trays
  • 6 x 2.5cm square moulds

Method

1
To prepare the mint oil, bring a litre of water to the boil, add the caster sugar, then add the mint leaves straight away and cook until just soft - this should take 45-60 seconds
2
Remove the leaves from the boiling water and drain them in a colander. Place into iced water and leave for a minute until completely cold
3
Drain and squeeze the water out of the mint and place this into the blender with the olive oil, blitz until puréed. Drain the mint oil through muslin cloth
  • 175ml of olive oil
4
To prepare the mint powder, mix 50ml of the mint oil and the maltodextrin/absorbit together with a whisk until the oil turns into a powdery consistency
  • 50g of absorbit
5
For the mint syrup, bring the glucose, caster sugar and water to a simmer, then add the mint. Cook for 30-45 seconds until the leaves are just soft
6
Place the mint syrup into the blender and purée until smooth. Pass through a fine sieve, pressing well, then chill the mint syrup instantly, retaining the mint purée for the foam
7
Cut the rind off the watermelon and trim to a neat shape. Place the trimmed watermelon into a sous vide bag with 100ml of the mint syrup, then vacuum pack on full and leave in the fridge overnight
8
Once ready to serve, cut into rectangles approximately 1cm thick by 2 1/2cm wide and 4cm long
9
For the coconut sorbet, bring all the ingredients to a simmer and then freeze in an ice cream maker
  • 500g of coconut purée
  • 500ml of water
  • 150g of caster sugar
  • 50g of trimoline
  • 2g of gellan gum type F
10
To prepare the coconut jelly, split and scrape the vanilla pods and bring to a simmer with the coconut purée, milk, sugar and salt
  • 1 vanilla pod
  • 250g of coconut purée
  • 100ml of milk
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • 15g of caster sugar
11
Soak the gelatine leaves in cold water for 5 minutes to soften. Add the soaked gelatine leaves to the mixture and pass this through a fine sieve. Set this in a square tray just over 5mm deep
  • 2 gelatine leaves
12
Once ready to serve, cut the jelly into 1cm sized cubes
13
To make the chilli jelly, split the chillies (making sure there are no seeds left) and simmer with the water, watermelon and sugar for 5 minutes. Take 200ml of the syrup and the chillies and blend together in a blender
14
Soak the gelatine in cold water for 5 minutes to soften. Pass through a fine chinois and set with the 2 leaves of soaked gelatine. Set this in a square tray just over 5mm deep
  • 3 gelatine leaves
15
Once ready to serve, cut the jelly into 1cm sized cubes
16
For the coconut foam, bring the sugar and 40ml of the water to the boil to make a syrup. Split and scrape the vanilla pod, then blend the pod, remaining water, lecithin, coconut purée and sugar syrup for a minute and pass through a fine sieve
  • 60g of caster sugar
  • 140ml of water
  • 1 vanilla pod
  • 3.5g of lecithin
  • 250g of coconut purée
17
For the mint foam, place 75ml of the mint syrup, 25g of the reserved mint purée, the water and lecithin into a blender, whizz and then pass through a fine sieve
  • 150ml of water
  • 3.5g of lecithin
18
To prepare the Italian meringue for the coconut mousse, bring the sugar, water and glucose to the boil, skimming off any scum. Separate the eggs and once the sugar has reached 110°C, start to whisk in the egg whites
  • 180g of caster sugar
  • 40ml of water
  • 15ml of liquid glucose
  • 3 eggs
19
Bring the sugar to a soft boil. Once it reaches 121°C, remove from the heat. Turn down the mixer and slowly add the sugar. Beat until cool for approximately 15 minutes
20
To prepare the mousse, warm the coconut purée up with the split and scraped vanilla pod. Soak the gelatine in cold water for 5 minutes to soften, then add the gelatine and melt. Pass through a fine sieve, then set over a bowl of iced water, stirring occasionally
  • 250g of coconut purée
  • 1 vanilla pod
  • 3 gelatine leaves
21
Once almost set, fold in the semi-whipped cream, 100g of the meringue and then the Malibu and lime. Place this into small metal square moulds that are 2.5-3cm square and leave to set for 2 hours
  • 100ml of whipping cream
  • 25ml of Malibu
  • 15ml of lime juice
22
Once set, turn out of the moulds and roll in the dessicated toasted coconut
23
Place a sweep of the mint purée onto each plate, followed by the flat piece of watermelon. Place the cubes of the 2 jellies at the back of each plate and add the coconut sorbet
24
Add the grated fresh coconut followed by the mint powder, 2 foams, the toasted desiccated coconut and the herb sprigs
First published in 2015

Tom Aikens is one of the most creative and talented chefs Britain has ever seen, with a restaurant empire to match.

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