Molecular gastronomy has indeed been all the rage in the last decade. From three Michelin-starred restaurants to local bistros, molecular gastronomy has marked its unshakeable place in the culinary world. This futuristic way of cooking has astonished the world of food critics and lovers with its innovative food preparation. This astonishment is met with great reviews as chefs from around the globe can use chemistry to create such beautiful flavors while experimenting with endless possibilities of techniques and ingredients. What makes molecular gastronomy extremely fascinating is how it can challenge traditional cooking techniques and create creative dishes that are a refreshing spin from its traditional counterparts. Because of this, this way of cooking is frequently associated with avant-garde cuisine, modern cuisine, or even experimental cuisine.
A Brief History of Molecular Gastronomy
The field of molecular gastronomy is the remarkable creation of French chemist Hervé This. The inception of this creation was interesting; the story was This invited some colleagues over for dinner. He discovered a new recipe for a soufflé that said to add the eggs two at a time, but he saw the pointlessness of this and decided to add all the eggs simultaneously. Naturally, his soufflé was a catastrophe, and it was at this moment, he began to ponder why it would make a remarkable difference to add the eggs two at a time.
This and his partner, Nicolas Kurti, coined molecular gastronomy in 1988. As a team, they came up with the initial scientific purpose of this new field. Their mission was not to be chefs but to study the physics and chemistry behind the cooking. They wanted to fully dissect why mayonnaise becomes firm in texture when oil and eggs are mixed or why a soufflé puffs up when they are cooked. They believed that if they had a more profound knowledge of what happens to the food's chemistry when cooked, they could uncover new fields of innovation in the gastronomy world.
The Science Behind It All
Today, it has been acknowledged that molecular gastronomy is not merely science and technology but also contains art and love. These dishes are created with passion and intense dedication to create a flavorful burst of impact in the tasters' mouths. Although the emotional aspect of it all is more complex to describe, the science that lays the foundation of it is becoming much more straightforward to understand every day. Molecular gastronomists use unique techniques, ingredients, and cooking methods to produce specific delectable chemical reactions. These convoluted reactions, in turn, produce transcendent flavors and textures. Arguably the most celebrated modern cooking technique is cooking meat sous vide, a French term that translates to "under vacuum." The procedures are as follows: First, water is poured into a pan and heated at a low temperature. The exact temperature differs according to the cut and thickness of the meat, but it should never pass the boiling point of water. For example, the temperature for steak should be around 140 degrees F. After that, the seasoned meat is placed into a sealed plastic bag and then plunged carefully into the hot-water bath. With the sous vide method, the meat cooks slowly in the heated water and does not lose its valuable moisture. After around 30 minutes, the meat is placed into a hot frying pan. The meat is then seared briefly on each side before serving to seal the moisture in further. Many chefs use this method to create the most succulent and tender steak.
Another interesting technique that screams molecular gastronomy is spherification, which involves making liquid-filled beads, best described as an explosion in the mouth with a juicy pop. Spherification is a simple gelling reaction between calcium chloride and alginate, a gum-like substance extracted from seaweed. For instance, calcium chloride is blended with olive juice to make liquid olives. Next, alginate is mixed into water, and the mixture sits overnight to remove pesky air bubbles. Finally, a syringe or dropper carefully drops the calcium chloride/olive juice mixture into the alginate and water. The addition of the calcium chloride ions allows the long-chain alginate polymers to become cross-linked, forming a gel substance. Since the calcium chloride/olive juice mixture enters the alginate in the shape of droplets, the gel becomes beads. The possibilities with this technique are endless, and caviar, gnocchi, and ravioli can be created.
Tools of the Trade
The Smoking Gun
The Smoking Gun is quite a revolutionary device. When filled with hardwood sawdust and lit, it can produce instant smoke that can be infused into meat. For example, smoked salmon is made with ease when all that is required is to place the salmon into a vacuum bag, infuse a little smoke, seal it, and then cook. Delicious smoked salmon is made without the hassle of building a fire.
Hypodermic syringe
Syringes are extremely useful in spherification and in creating strings of frozen pureed food. They can also be used to inject liquids into meat to enhance flavor and texture and to precisely measure liquids.
Liquid nitrogen
At the frigid temperature of -321 degrees F, liquid nitrogen will flash-freeze any food it comes in contact with. This process creates a mysterious nitrogen fog that can add an eerie atmosphere and great drama to the food-serving ambiance. Sadly, liquid nitrogen must be transported in flasks and can be hazardous if it comes in contact with skin. Because of this, a safer option would be the Anti-Griddle.
Anti-Griddle
The Anti-Griddle's appearance looks like the conventional cooktop, but it doesn't heat food. It does the exact opposite by instantly freezing purées and sauces or freezing just the outer surfaces of the food while keeping a non-frozen, creamy center.
The Gastrovac
The Gastrovac has three different gadgets in one: a heating plate, a slow cooker, and a vacuum pump. At low-pressure settings, the Gastrovac cooks food quicker at lower temperatures, which helps the food retain its texture and color. When the food is done heating up, you restore the pressure, and the liquid rushes back into the food, adding intense flavors that otherwise wouldn't be present.
Along with tools and gadgets, the ingredients are paramount to the conduction of these innovative dishes. Besides alginate and calcium chloride, the two chemicals used for spherification, another vital gelling ingredient is methylcellulose, which becomes semi-solid in hot water and then becomes liquid again as it cools down. Emulsifiers are vital for retaining a uniform dispersion of one liquid in another, for instance, oil in water. Two highly used emulsifiers are soy lecithin and xanthan gum. Moreover, molecular gastronomists incorporate a lot of transglutaminase, a chemical that makes proteins stick together. Gastronomists can create innovative things with transglutaminase, like removing all the fat from a steak and gluing it back together or making noodles from shrimp meat. For example, other ingredients such as 1-octen-2-ol or benzyl trans-2-methyl butanoate give a uniquely spectacular wild mushroom/fungi taste to dishes. Also, gastronomical tricks are used not only to create unique flavors but can be used effectively to cheapen the cost of ingredients used in the kitchen. For instance, drops of vanillin solution with the "roundness" of a pricey malt are often added to an inexpensive whisky to create a more sophisticated and better taste.
A Global Takeover
While This and Kurti coined the idea of molecular gastronomy, various chefs have called this culinary method their own. In the last decade, chefs such as Wylie Dufresne, head chef of WD-50 in New York, and Heston Blumenthal, chef of the famed Fat Duck restaurant in England, have toiled over to incorporate the elements of molecular gastronomy into their art of cooking. They are utilizing this amazing science to propel food to the highest caliber possible; they are using science to make the idealistic French fry or new methods to cook any cut of meat to the coveted medium rare every time. They are also innovating with creative ways to serve traditional dishes, like creating a sandwich with mayonnaise balls and tomato molasses rather than the conventional sandwich. In Hong Kong, the famed Bo Innovation by Alvin Leung is a restaurant that utilizes molecular gastronomy elements in almost all of his dishes. Dishes such as century egg foam and savory egg cookies are spins on classic local dishes that have invited food lovers worldwide to taste these highly inspired courses.
Trying Molecular Gastronomy at Home
It is upsetting that most chefs are not willing to share their versions of these creative dishes but are only willing to divulge truncated versions of their precious recipes. However, individuals who are not professional cooks with Michelin restaurants and have gadgets worth thousands of dollars can still go to molecular gastronomy at home without spending too much money. Indeed, several molecular cuisine recipes do not require special equipment or "chemicals." With very little money, individuals can get foundational molecular gastronomy substances like soy lecithin and xanthan gum to start making spheres, airs, and gels. Molecular gastronomy, is about breaking the rules and cooking with no boundaries. There is no right or wrong in this way of cooking, and this is what exactly makes it modern-day "avant-garde cuisine."