Chicory root and potato

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Chicory root and potato might not be the two most obvious ingredients to throw into a dessert, but this recipe from Tommy Banks and his head chef Will Lockwood proves they work incredibly well in a sweet setting. Chicory root is powdered to form a ground coffee-like substance, which is then used to create an ice cream, a crumble and a caramel sauce, working in perfect harmony with the light potato foam.

First published in 2019

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Chicory root powder

  • 1 chicory, root only, or 25g of chicory root powder

Chicory root ice cream

  • 100g of whipping cream
  • 350g of whole milk
  • 105g of egg yolk
  • 70g of caster sugar
  • 1g of gellan gum

Chicory root caramel

Chicory root crumble

  • 67g of butter
  • 35g of dark brown sugar
  • 20g of caster sugar
  • 1/2 lemon, zested
  • 63g of plain flour
  • 4g of baking powder
  • 2g of sea salt

Potato foam

  • 150g of Charlotte potatoes
  • 150g of whole milk
  • 25g of butter, cooked into a beurre noisette
  • 37g of caster sugar
  • 1/4 gelatine leaf

Equipment

  • Blender
  • Spice grinder
  • Ice cream maker
  • Sous vide equipment
  • Small siphon gun
  • 3 siphon cartridges

Method

1
To start, make the chicory root powder – this will make more than you need, but it will keep in an airtight container. You can also buy ready-made chicory root powder, but if you can make it yourself from scratch the flavour is much better. Preheat an oven to 170°C/gas mark 2. Peel the chicory root, cut it into chunks and slice it very finely on a mandolin. Roast the chicory root for 2 hours, frequently stirring. It will turn from white, to yellow, to light brown and so on – stop when it is roughly the colour of roast coffee beans. Leave to cool to room temperature then store in an airtight container – it’s best to grind the chips to a powder in a spice grinder shortly before using them (you will need 25g of powder for this recipe). Sieve the powder before using, and avoid breathing in the dust cloud!
  • 1 chicory, root only, or 25g of chicory root powder
2
For the chicory root ice cream, combine all the ingredients in a pan along with 15g of the chicory root powder. Gently heat the mixture until it reaches 80°C, then pass through a fine sieve and churn in an ice cream maker. Store in the freezer until ready to plate
  • 100g of whipping cream
  • 350g of whole milk
  • 105g of egg yolk
  • 70g of caster sugar
  • 1g of gellan gum
3
For the chicory root caramel, place the butter in a pan and gently heat until it turns brown. Allow to cook for 5 minutes, then stir in the cream. Freeze the mixture until solid, then blitz in a blender until smooth. Transfer to a container and store in the fridge
4
To make the caramel, place 5g of chicory root powder and 100ml of water in a pan and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and allow to infuse for 10 minutes
5
Place the sugar and glucose in a pan and heat until dark and caramelised. Pour in 75ml of the chicory root-infused water to deglaze, then add the cool beurre noisette and cream mix. Season with salt and set aside until ready to serve
  • 100g of caster sugar
  • 50g of glucose
  • sea salt
6
For the crumble, cream the butter, dark brown sugar and caster sugar until light and fluffy. Add the rest of the ingredients along with a teaspoon of chicory root powder and mix into a paste, then wrap in cling film and freeze. Once solid, preheat an oven to 160°C/gas mark 3 and grate the mixture onto a paper-lined baking tray. Bake for 7 minutes, then break the crumble into pieces and return the tray to the oven for another 7 minutes. Remove and allow to cool
  • 67g of butter
  • 35g of dark brown sugar
  • 20g of caster sugar
  • 1/2 lemon, zested
  • 63g of plain flour
  • 4g of baking powder
  • 2g of sea salt
7
To prepare the potato foam, peel and very finely slice the potatoes, placing them in a bowl of water to prevent discolouration. Dry the slices then place in a vacuum bag with the milk, beurre noisette and sugar. Bring a pan of water to the boil and place the vacuum bag in it for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are fully cooked
8
Transfer the contents of the bag to a blender and blitz until smooth. Soak the gelatine leaf in cold water for 10 minutes, then squeeze to drain and add to the mixture. Blend again until the gelatine is dissolved, then transfer the mixture to a siphon gun. Charge with 3 cartridges and set aside until ready to plate
  • 1/4 gelatine leaf
9
To serve, place a tablespoon of the crumble in the bottom of the bowl. Place a scoop of the chicory root ice cream on top, then envelop them with the potato foam, forming a dome shape. Dust with a little chicory root powder on top, then pour the chicory root caramel sauce over the top at the table in front of your guests
First published in 2019

In the beautiful Yorkshire countryside, Tommy Banks utilises his family's farm to create complex, contemporary dishes that perfectly represent the local area.

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