Apart from being delectable, warm potato espuma is also one of the easiest recipes you can make using a siphon. Besides, there are several ways you can pair potato espuma with your favourite soups and savoury dishes. So, are you ready to learn an all-new culinary foam recipe? Let’s get started!
What is Potato Espuma?
A potato espuma is a delicate and light topping or dish that you can prepare using a cream dispenser/siphon. The word espuma in Spanish means ‘foam.’ The potato espuma uses molecular gastronomy techniques to result in flavourful textures. The preparation of potato foam requires nitrous oxide and a cream whipper.
Ferran Adria developed this unique technique to make potato espuma. Potato espuma also calls for a fine and non-grainy potato puree. What’s more, you can use potato espuma as both topping and side dish! Keep reading to discover the best and the easiest espuma recipe.
How to Make Warm Potato Espuma?
Does molecular gastronomy scare you? But, do you also want to master the art of making espumas? Well, potato espuma is a recipe that includes molecular gastronomy yet it’s simple to prepare.
Most people who have tried making this warm potato espuma claim that despite their first attempt to espuma, the results turned out to be great! Without further ado, let’s get our kitchen utensils clanking and whipping a great espuma.
(A note of caution: you’ll fall in love with this recipe!)
General Information
- Difficulty or Expertise Level: Medium
- Cooking Time: 1 hour
- Recipe Benefits: Low in calorie count and increased output
- Yields: 1.7x
- Number of Shakes: 16 times
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Milk – 150 ml
- Butter – 25g
- Potato water – 50 ml
- Floury potatoes – 250 g
- Nutmeg – 1g
- Salt – 1g
Must-Have Tools
- Puree stick (to make the process easier)
- Siphon in good working condition with nitrous oxide chargers
- Strainer
Preparation Method
It’s time you put all your kitchen skills to test. Here’s a comprehensive recipe for making warm potato espuma:
- Step 1: Use peeled potatoes and allow them to cook in salty water until they turn tender and soft.
- Step 2: Once the potatoes are well-cooked, strain them using a filter/strainer. Also, do not puree the potatoes using any other method to spoil the texture.
- Step 3: With the strained potato puree, mix butter, potato water, and hot milk.
- Step 4: Next, season the mixture with salt and nutmeg. You can increase or decrease the quantity of seasoning according to your taste.
- Step 5: The next most important step is to pour the potato mixture into your cream whipper. While you are pouring the mixture into the siphon, be careful as the outer portion of the tool can turn hot.
- Step 6: In the next step, attach the nitrous oxide cream charger to your siphon and shake it for almost 16 times. Don’t forget to put all your effort into shaking the cream whipper vigorously.
- Step 7: Your warm potato espuma is finally ready! You can choose to serve it immediately or store the whipper at a constant warm temperature.
Some Common Dishes With Potato Espuma
The good news is that you can treat this warm potato espuma as a side dish or use it as a topping. In any case, there are practically more than a dozen ways you can get creative with potato foam. As potato blends and compliments almost every ingredient you pair it with, the foam also exhibits similar versatility.
These pairings will make sure to impress your guests. Below, we have rounded up a few rare yet delicious potato espuma pairings:
- Truffle Oil and Potato Espuma: Truffle oil and potato is one of the most mind-blowing combinations. You should also know that truffle oil is a common pairing with a potato because they complicate the flavour profiles of each other pretty well.
- Potato Foam With Crispy Onions: When in doubt, pair your warm potato espuma with crispy fresh onions! Well, you can’t go wrong with a pair like onions and potatoes. You’ll notice that the crunchy feel of onions gels well with the airiness of the potato foam.
- Shiitake Mushrooms With Brown Butter Potato Foam: Making potato foam using brown butter will elevate the overall taste of your potato foam. You can use this potato foam to round up the flavour of shiitake mushrooms. We assure, that you will love the tender texture of this pairing!
- Mushroom Soup Topped With Potato Espuma: One of the simplest potato espuma pairings is soup. The creamy potato foam creates a fantastic topping for warm mushroom soup.
- Lobster Salad With Potato Foam: You didn’t see this pairing come here, did you? It might sound like a risky pair, but the flavour profile comes out pretty well. Mind you, the recipe is only for pro-level cooks!
FAQs
Do I Need a Siphon to Make Potato Espuma?
Yes, you cannot prepare this recipe without having a siphon or a cream whipper. Additionally, you will also require nitrous oxide chargers to complete the process.
No other kitchen techniques or manual methods can yield a perfect potato foam. So, you should only proceed with the recipe if you have a siphon by your side.
Is It Easy to Prepare Potato Espuma?
Unlike the popular misconception, making espumas is not as difficult as you think. You can prepare a potato espuma with ingredients readily available in your pantry.
Moreover, if you have the fundamental knowledge of using a cream whipper, you are good to go. We can vouch that this is not a demanding and troublesome recipe.
What Other Vegetable or Ingredients Can I Use to Make Espuma?
The best part about espumas is that they are not restricted to just potatoes or citrus fruits, as we mentioned before. You can use an assortment of ingredients for the base of your espuma. Here are some unique vegetables or ingredients that you can turn into appetizing espumas:
- Fluffy sweet corn espuma
- Green asparagus espuma
- Blue cheese espuma foam
- Celery root espuma
- Carrot and beetroot foam
- Cucumber yogurt espuma
Wrap Up
Now, you no longer have to restrict the use of the siphon to desserts and sweet dishes. With the perfect warm potato espuma recipe, you can brag about your culinary skills to your family and friends.
Also, you’ll be surprised to see how versatile warm potato espuma is when you pair it with other ingredients. So, what’s holding you? Go ahead, get your kitchen gears out and give this delicious recipe a shot!