This plate started as a question: Can you build the luxury of silken tofu without soy? Avola almonds are set into a silken “tofu” to bring dairy-like luxury, delicate in texture and naturally rich. Parsnip and celeriac are salt-baked in Durango hickory-smoked salt to concentrate sweetness and add a gentle smoke, then brought together with a lightly smoked root vegetable broth. Black parsnip finishes the dish with its sweet aniseed flavour, keeping the palate light while the dish remains rich and wintery.


Almond Milk

Soak the almonds in the water and salt overnight.


Blend in a Thermomix at 80°C until smooth (adding heat brings out the flavour more).

Pass through a Claribag and bottle until ready to use.


Enriched Avola Almond Milk

Using a hand blender, blend all ingredients.

Bottle until ready to use. 


Silken Avola Almond
Season the enriched almond milk with soy and salt
.
Bring to a simmer and whisk in the Ultragel 5 before bringing to a boil.

Ensure you have a lined mould/ ring or your bowls to set the almond in
.
Quickly add the glucono delta-lactone and pour approximately 40g of the mix into your desired serving vessel.
 
Allow to cool naturally, then place in the fridge until needed.

Silken Avola Almond with Salt-baked Parsnip plated alongside celeriac and artichoke broth

Durango Hickory Smoked Salt Dough
Mix the salt and flour thoroughly.

Add the water gradually and mix until a stiff, non-sticky dough forms.

Knead briefly until smooth and uniform.

Rest 10–15 minutes.

Roll out to 5–10 mm thickness.

Fully encase the vegetable, sealing all joins tightly.

Bake at 170 °C

. 
Time depends on the size:

Small roots: 45–60 min

Large celeriac: 90–120 min

The internal temperature of the vegetable should reach 88-90°C
.
Crack open, brush off excess salt.

Root Vegetable Broth
  • 675g celeriac
  • 16g Durango Smoked Sea Salt
  • 675g jerusalem artichoke
  • 675g parsnip
  • 1.5kg water
  • 45g smoked artichoke soy or smoke soy sauce
  • 260g Roast and Smoked Jerusalem Artichoke
  • 200g parsnip (finely sliced)
  • 50g ginger (finely sliced)
  • almond oil to finish
Blend the raw celeriac, jerusalem artichoke and 675g of parsnip with water and salt.
Put into a pan and bring to a boil.  
Simmer for 20 minutes and pass.
To the 1.8kg Liquid, add the smoked artichoke soy (or smoke soy sauce), and reduce by half.
The remaining liquid should weigh roughly 920g.
Infuse this with the Smoked Jerusalem Artichoke, finely sliced parsnip and ginger.
Pass
.
Finish with almond oil
.

Black Parsnip
  • 2kg parsnips, medium size
Wash parsnips well and dry
.
Put into the Enzyme+ machine on the black garlic setting
.
Leave for 7-8 days
.
Use fresh or dry in a Drycook Dehydrator.
Grate with a microplane to garnish.

Parsnip Chips
Wash parsnips and dry with a towel
.
Thinly slice into rounds using a mandolin
.
Place neatly on dehydrator trays
.
Dehydrate at 60 °C
.
Deep fry in a pan of hot oil
.
Remove from the hot oil onto a napkin to remove excess oil.
Season with Flavour Enhancer.

To plate
Garnish your Silken Almond with slices and layers of Salt-Baked Vegetables, Pickled Piccolo Parsnips, your Blackened Parsnip, a bit more Smoked Salt and Spice of Angels.
Finish with some Sobacha Roasted Buckwheat Crunch, Almond Oil and wafer-thin slices of Blanched Avola Almond.
Silken Avola Almond served plated with Salt-baked Parsnip and surrounded by Celeriac, Artichoke Broth