GUAVA – NEW ZEALAND SPINACH – CHOCOLATE – CINNAMON

INGREDIENTS
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This dessert brings together some locally-grown produce – guava and New Zealand spinach. The latter has a very unusual flavour and texture. It is watery and absorbs all the properties of the Guadalupe Valley soil, resulting in leaves with a saline, herbal flavour and the very subtle touch of piquancy or bitterness that is characteristic of spinach.
The guavas are picked before they are fully ripe to retain their firmness and acidity. The sweet centres are used for the sorbet, giving several nuances and flavours to the sweetness… and the guava leaves are used to bring out the aromas. The circle of harmonies is closed with chocolate, which blends well with salt and cinnamon.

INGREDIENTS:
Guavas
15 green guavas
5 guava leaves
250 gr sugar
1 litre water
½ cinnamon stick
Guava sorbet
10 guavas
15 guava centres
250 ml guava cooking water
50 gr dextrose
30 gr powdered glucose
30 ml white rum
Plain chocolate crémeux
250 ml milk
250 ml cream
30 gr sugar
100 gr egg yolks
200 gr black couverture
Cinnamon marshmallow
85 ml water (1)
220 gr sugar
140 gr glucose
85 ml water (2)
2.5 sheets gelatine
5 sticks cinnamon
New Zealand spinach gelée
500 gr New Zealand spinach leaves
1 litre water
5 ice cubes
15 gr sugar
5 gr salt
11 gr agar agar
Guava meringue
Water
15 gr glucose
150 gr sugar
15 gr powdered egg white
130 gr guava purée
4 gr Gelespesa
PREPARATION:
Guavas: Toast the guava leaves in a frying-pan to release the oil. Place the leaves in a pan with the water and sugar and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat. Cut the guavas in half, set aside the centres for the sorbet and add the remainder to the water and sugar mixture. Cool the guavas in an inverted bain-marie and set aside.
Guava sorbet: Liquidise all the ingredients together and strain through a fine strainer. Transfer to a sorbet-maker.
Plain chocolate crémeux: Prepare a custard by whisking the egg yolks then mix them with the milk and cream and heat the mixture to 85ºC. Pour this mixture over the finely-chopped plain chocolate couverture to make a ganache. Cover with cling film and chill until firmer.
Cinnamon marshmallow: Infuse the cinnamon sticks in the two waters for 10 minutes. Soften the gelatine. Heat water number 1 with the glucose and sugar to 117ºC. Beat to cool a little. Dissolve the gelatine in water number 2 and pour into the previous mixture, stirring all the time. The marshmallow will be ready when it forms a quickly dissolving ribbon. Transfer to a piping bag and set aside at room temperature.
New Zealand spinach gelée: Prepare chlorophyll with the leaves, water and ice. Strain and make a firm agar, moistening and activating the agar with a quarter of the chlorophyll to prevent oxidation. Once the agar has jelled, beat to a gelée and chill.
Guava meringue: Heat the water with the glucose and sugar to make a syrup at 122ºC. Prepare the meringue with the guava purée and powdered egg white, and add the syrup. Sprinkle with Gelespesa. Transfer the meringue to a piping bag and pipe forming button shapes. Dehydrate in the oven at 200ºC until crisp.
TO SERVE:
*See photo