Espuma
Espuma is a light, airy foam made with a cream whipper and a gas charger.
Origin
The word is Spanish for foam. Avant-garde restaurant cooking made the technique famous: vegetable purées, soups or fruit purées turn into a delicate, intensely flavoured foam that barely fills you up.
How to
Pour a smooth, finely strained liquid without any bits into the whipper, screw on the charger and shake firmly. Spray the foam onto the plate with the whipper held upside down and serve it quickly, as foam loses volume over time. Fat or a binder such as gelatine helps the mixture hold its shape.
Common mistake
Small pieces or fibres clog the nozzle. Always pass the mixture through a fine sieve and never fill the whipper past its fill line.
Related recipes
Colorful Feast: Celery Espuma with Braised Red Cabbage Steak and Crisp Green Asparagus, White and Green Asparagus with Brown Butter Espuma – a Creative Vegetarian Starter for Spring, Two Types of Asparagus with Perfect One-Hour Egg, Wild Garlic Pancakes and Hollandaise Espuma
Related terms
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