Food foam is just that - foam. Much like what is atop a cappuccino. Some chefs have taken it further by infusing these foams with various flavours, in a bid to create a visually-appealing accent that has just that different touch to it. I have seen beet foam, sage foam and even tea foam (which was very imaginatively named "Air of Tea", I believe.) I think the success of a good foam in a dish rests in its pairing. Foams are great because you can essentially pair 2 very strong, contrasting flavours together, with the light airy texture differentiating them and preventing a culinary disaster from happening.
I must confess that good foams are made in top restaurants by using nitrogen injectors. Foams made this way are thick and frothy, like what you get with a draft beer (essentially since draft beer heads are made the same way). Unfortunately, I have to make do with whatever I have at home. My foam in this recipe is made using a hand-held milk frother which I bought from Ikea at less than $8, with cream and gelatin helping to hold it. In this recipe I've chosen to use a celery base, but essentially almost any other food item can be used. 2 things should be kept in mind though - the intensity of flavour, and colour. The foam base (cream, milk, or other products) will dilute the original flavour so you need something quite punchy to start off with; and foam on its own looks like milk foam at best, or a wad of spit in a nightmare scenario (which was my first impression upon seeing that "Air of Tea" thing. Beets are a superb choice here as they fulfill both requirements. Celery on the other hand is a little tricky, as the colour is at best a light green, easily lost in the cream base. I tried to ameliorate this a little by trying to concentrate the celery juice through evaporation, but feel free to try a variety of vegetables - you never know what you'll end up with!
Mackerel is one very lovely fish. They can be had very cheaply in frozen form (Japanese specialty stores or the general supermarket), but you will get far superior results if you use fresh. I used a pre-marinated, frozen product for this particular recipe, and it didn't turn out as well as the fresh salmon. The usual guidelines for pan-grilling fish still apply for mackerel - season them simply (salt and olive oil), cook gently on a hot but not scorching skillet, and just very slightly undercook them in the middle. Season with just that bit of sea salt, and let the freshness of the fish speak for itself.
Duet of Fish with Celery Foam and Herring Amuse-bouche
Ingredients (serves 3)
Fresh salmon fillet
Fresh mackerel fillet
Pickled Herring with dill
Celery 1 stalk
Thickened cream half cup
Gelatin 1 tablespoon
Sugar half teaspoon
Lumpfish caviar (black) 1 teaspoon
Saffron threads
Dried dill
Fleur de sel
Pat dry the fish and marinate briefly with macadamia nut oil/olive oil and rub with a generous sprinkle of dried dill. Heat a skillet over a medium flame, taking care that the skillet is only just hot enough but not smoking. Sear the fish skinless side up first until cooked halfway through. Just before turning, pat the skin side dry once more, then cook to one-third through. Leave the fillets to rest on a plate, which will allow the residual heat to cook the fish through.
For the celery foam, juice 1 stalk of celery. Bring it to a simmer in a small saucepan and allow to reduce by a third, add the sugar, cream and gelatin and stir. Allow to simmer for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Leave aside to cool. Use a hand-held cappuccino milk frother to create a thick, bubbly foam.
Prepare a suitable container for the amuse-bouche. I used a spoon-holder, but you could use anything from saucers to ornamental spoons. Carefully lay a single piece of pickled herring with the lumpfish caviar on the side, and top with a few strands of saffron threads. Present in a clean plate with the fish fillets side by side, a scoop of celery foam atop the mackerel and a good sprinkle of fleur de sel on the salmon, with some greens for colour.
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