I received a Cuisine R-Evolution Kit from Molecule-R to review and they are providing me with another kit for a giveaway (in the US only)! I received no monetary compensation for this post.
I celebrated The Flavor Bender’s first birthday with a fantastic cake the other day. But you know what else we need to keep this party going? You guessed it – Cocktails of course! This Lychee Cocktail with Raspberry Caviar (starring Molecular Gastronomy) is guaranteed to blow the socks off of your guests no matter what the occasion! It looks beyond cool and with this post you also get a chance to WIN your own Molecule-R Kit, so that you too can make food-magic happen at home!
I’m sure many of you have heard of Molecular Gastronomy before. Especially if you’re delirious about food the way I am! It used to be something that only cool kids in the food world like Heston Blumenthal (the genius behind The Fat Duck), got to play with. He is the reason why I too became familiar with it several years ago and since then I’ve been experimenting with it every chance I get. I’ve been wanting to introduce my readers to the wonders of Molecular Gastronomy for a while now. That moment has finally arrived! 🙂
So what is Molecular Gastronomy? Basically, it’s the study of chemical and physical processes that take place while cooking, how ingredients and food behave under different physical conditions such as temperature and pressure and using this knowledge to put an exciting spin on everyday food! It’s the ultimate way to play around with flavors and textures and naturally, I absolutely LOVE the idea of it and all of the possibilities that come with it!
The term Molecular Gastronomy however makes it sound intimidating and inaccessible (like Heston Blumenthal says), when it isn’t. ‘Modernist cuisine’ or ‘experimental cuisine’ also refers to basically the same idea, and if you’re someone with an adventurous streak when it comes to your food, you will no doubt love all the possibilities that this type of cuisine affords us.
I am a huge fan of Heston Blumenthal for this reason, and I know if I ever get to meet him one day, it will probably be like that moment when my sister unexpectedly bumped into David Grohl in a bar in New Zealand. That is to say, I will be slack-jawed and hyperventilating while my body is stricken with panic all over. I love his outlook on food (Blumenthal’s, not Grohl’s) – to take something regular, something you love to eat, and then make you look at it in a completely different way. I would love to know how he thinks, how he works, but mostly just learn from the dude. If you want to see some food-magic though, check out some of Blumenthal’s videos on YouTube.
I first started playing around with molecular gastronomy when I used to live in Australia, where the resources to get the additives required were quite limited in Lismore, where I used to live.
But here in the USA, there are several places where you can get all of these additives and one such place is Molecule-R! They were super awesome in sending me one of their kits to play with and also offered another kit for a giveaway that one of my dear readers from the US (that could be YOU), can win!
For the Giveaway just scroll to the bottom! (open to US residents only) Giveaway has ended.
You can check out all of their kits online, on their website. These are the PERFECT, easy to use kits for those of you who have never tried Molecular Gastronomy before!
Here’s why you should probably start with a Molecule-R kit,
They have all kinds of kits for different purposes (Cuisine R-Evolution, Cocktail R-Evolution and many more!).
Each kit comes with specific recipes that you can use the additives for, PLUS it also teaches you how they work, so you can become creative with them too! (The kit comes with all the additives, the tools you need, a booklet & a DVD).
The beginners Cuisine R-Evolution kit that I’m using here, gives you almost EVERYTHING you need to create beautiful, imaginative creations. (Note – you do need to have an immersion blender or a GOOD high powered blender to mix some of the additives into the solutions, PLUS I also used Xanthan gum for some of my recipes, which is an additive that you should easily be able to find in the gluten-free section at your local supermarket/grocery store, or specialty stores that sell gluten-free ingredients). Xanthan requires powerful shearing action to be blended into a liquid properly – An immersion blender or a good high powered blender will do the trick!.
Since the additives come in individual packets, you don’t have to measure out anything. You just measure out the liquid, rip the packet of the additive you require and just add it. It’s really quite brilliant and fool-proof, you will end up making a fairly large amount of caviar. So go ahead and invite your friends and family over to join in the fun! I can tell you this much, Mr K and I had the BEST TIME making these!
The one downside with these kits is that they are a little pricier than buying individual bags for different additives. That is to be expected though, because if you buy individual bags for separate additives you will have to measure things out which means you will also have to invest in a small digital scale (like a chemical scale – I have one which I bought in Australia, and it’s ONLY used for weights up to 1lb with a 0.1g accuracy). With these kits though, you don’t need to measure things out because they have all been PRE-WEIGHED for your convenience.
Let’s go over some specifics now. 🙂
With this Lychee Cocktail with Raspberry Caviar, I’m going to show you just how cool and impressive your cocktails can look and be! This is a delicious Lychee Vodka suspension that holds little Raspberry caviar pearls that burst in your mouth and flood it with raspberry flavour as you sip your cocktail! I was inspired by this Molecular Cocktail – Cuba Libre by Molecule-R to make this one.
For this cocktail, you will be using two molecular gastronomy techniques.
1) Thickening of the lychee cocktail suspension using Xanthan Gum.
2) Basic Spherification (Sodium Alginate and Calcium Lactate) to make the raspberry caviar.
Giveaway has ended and a winner has been chosen! Thank you for entering 🙂
So go ahead and sign up for the giveaway (unfortunately this is open to only US residents at this time), if you’d like to transform a mundane cocktail into something spectacular! I’ll be sharing with your two more, even better recipes next week, so don’t miss out on this AMAZING chance! (You can find the link for the giveaway at the bottom of this page, below the recipe).
Before I get to the recipe, just a few tips on Basic Spherification first.
For the recipe and giveaway scroll to the bottom of the post.
Spherification is caused by the reaction between Calcium molecules and Sodium alginate molecules. Calcium molecules get trapped between the Sodium alginate molecules forming a “gel layer”. There are two main types of spherification – Basic and Reverse.
In Basic Spherification,
A flavoured base with sodium alginate is dropped into a calcium lactate bath. The sodium alginate reacts with the calcium to form a gel layer.
It forms a thin membrane that bursts readily in your mouth (when served as soon as it’s prepared, or at least within 15 minutes).
The longer it’s kept without being eaten, the liquid center of these spheres becomes smaller and smaller because the gelling process continues towards the center, making it more like a chewy gel, rather than a delicate sphere that bursts in your mouth (I call this process inward gelification, to make it easier to remember). So ideally, the spheres/caviar need to consumed within 15 minutes of preparation.
This is not too time consuming, since the bath and solution are ready to be used in an hour. Reverse spherification on the other hand requires a 24 hour resting time.
This method DOES NOT WORK with acidic solutions (very low pH solutions). This can be rectified by adding another additive to neutralize the acidity (Sodium Citrate), but this is not included in the kit.
Sodium alginate is a thickener. It will thicken the solution that it’s added to. But since it’s not too soluble, it requires agitation (by means of a blender or immersion blender) to disperse and dissolve. As a result of this agitation, air bubbles will form, so you need to let it rest a little bit before being used.
It is important to use DISTILLED water, tap water may (most-likely) have free-floating Ca ions. If there is calcium in the solution that you are using to dissolve Sodium Alginate, that solution will gelify!
If you want to store the caviar, you can store it in the same solution that it was made in minus the sodium alginate. If you keep it in water, the flavour will dilute (as a result of osmosis).
Here are some info-graphics to help you understand the method.
Looking for more recipes?Sign up for my free recipe newsletter to get new recipes in your inbox each week! Find me sharing more inspiration on Pinterest and Instagram.
Ingredients:
Lychee Cocktail Suspension
- 2 cans of lychee you need 400mL / 13.5 fl oz of lychee syrup
- 300 mL Vodka
- ¼ tsp Xanthan gum
- Extra sugar syrup or caster sugar, if needed
Raspberry solution
- 340 g /12 oz of Raspberries fresh or frozen (that have been thawed)
- 4 - 6 tbsp white sugar
- 100 ml /3.3 fl oz DISTILLED water
- 1 packet of Sodium Alginate 2g
Calcium Lactate bath
- 4 cups of DISTILLED water
- 1 packet of Calcium Lactate 5g
Instructions:
Lychee cocktail suspension (prepare this a day ahead)
- Drain the Lychee from the lychee can. Set the lychees aside to garnish the drink later.
- Measure 400mL / 13.5 fl oz of the lychee syrup and mix it with the vodka.
- Sprinkle in the Xanthan gum, and using a blender or immersion blender, blend the mix until the Xanthan gum has completely dissolved and thickened the drink. Blend it in pulses for about 3 minutes. Pour into a bottle or jug, cover and chill overnight.
To make the Raspberry Caviar solution
- Pulse the raspberrries (using blender or immersion blender) with 6 tbsp of sugar until it's liquefied. Strain the liquid to remove the seeds.
- Measure 150mL / 5.1 floz of the raspberry puree and mix it with 100mL / 3.3 floz of distilled water.
- Sprinkle 1 packet of Sodium Alginate and blend it for about 10 minutes (intermittently) to completely dissolve the additive. You can use your (dry) blender or (dry) immersion blender to do this. Sodium Alginate requires agitation to dissolve, therefore the longer you go, the better it will dissolve and disperse.
- Cover the solution and let it rest for about an hour in the fridge till you’re ready to use.
Calcium Bath
- In 4 cups (about 1 liter) of distilled water, sprinkle in 1 packet of Calcium Lactate and stir to dissolve. Calcium lactate is water soluble, so it can be stirred to dissolve completely.
- Set aside for about 15 minutes (or more), covered, till you’re ready to use.
Assembly
- Set up two bowls - One for the Calcium bath and another for clean distilled water.
- Stir the raspberry solution gently just before use, and then use the pipette (from the kit) to drop the solution into the calcium bath, one small drop at a time. Drop the solution from a height of about an inch from the surface of the calcium bath. The droplets should sink to the bottom. You can use the strainer spoon to swirl the caviar in the bath. Leave it for about 1 minute.
- Strain the caviar out of the calcium bath (using the supplied spoon) and transfer to the water bath. Then from the water bath to the glasses that you will be serving the cocktail.
- The caviar can be stored for about 15 minutes, after which it will completely gelify and will no longer have a liquid center.
- Once you have about 1 - 2 tbsp of caviar in each of the glasses (1 tbsp for shot glasses), top it with the lychee cocktail suspension.
- Serve immediately with a lychee and raspberry garnish!
Tips & Tricks
Make the lychee cocktail suspension with Xanthan Gum.
Place about 1 tbsp of the frozen drupelets in a shot glass and top up with lychee suspension and serve immediately.
“This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.”
And what’s the verdict on the Lychee cocktail? I LOVED it! 🙂 And I’m sure you will too! I was afraid the suspension could be a little thick – but it was NOT! It tasted very smooth, and with the raspberry caviar you get these intense pockets of flavour, when they burst in your mouth. It’s not just a cocktail, it truly is an experience.
Imagine how bowled over your guests would be when you serve these?? Best way to get the better of those hard-to-impress, grouchy guests that we all have to deal with at some point or the other! 😀
You can get a lot more information about the Cuisine R-Evolution Kit here, or if you want to check out more of what Molecule-R has to offer, click here. It’s the perfect gift for a beginner or a seasoned Molecular Gastronomy enthusiast!
And GOOD LUCK TO YOU FOR THE GIVEAWAY! I hope you’re as excited as I am for it! REMEMBER, I will ask a new question with every blog post next week to maximise your chances to win! 🙂 So don’t forget to subscribe to (FREE) new posts via email, and keep checking back in. (Subscription box in the sidebar)
You can find the SECOND recipe I made using this kit – White Chocolate & Coconut Pana cotta with Hibiscus Syrup Spheres right here.
And the THIRD recipe – Black Pepper infused Spicy Margarita Spheres recipe.
You can find me on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM, PINTEREST and GOOGLE-PLUS too.
Marnie G (Derrick Todd) says
I have never done Molecular Gastronomy myself but am fascinated by it. I’ve seen a couple really neat applications on the Food Network that I would love to try.
wen budro says
I have not yet had the opportunity to try this yet but I want to for sure. I might try blueberries and the lychee cocktail looks amazing too.
Madeline says
My brother-in-law has tried Molecular Gastronomy (I haven’t) and it looks really fun. Might be time-consuming though. Something to do on the weekends.
Collin says
What a beautiful cocktail! Is it a bit like eating Dippin Dots ice cream?
Jennifer Finn says
I have not tried it yet but the raspberries look AMAZING
Erin Hussman says
This looks amazing, I have never heard of this. I am going to be doing some research now you have totally peeked my interest!!!
Jennifer A Stewart says
I have always wanted to try to make olive spheres like I had a bistro near my mom’s house. I hope I win so I can!!
Dini says
Yes!! That would be awesome! I make another cocktail this week (and just shared a dessert recipe!) I hope you win too 🙂
Helen @ Scrummy Lane says
This cocktail is SO cool, Dini! I just love those little pearls! They really give the drink a very luxurious feel … and especially with the lychees!
Dini says
Thank you Helen!! 🙂 Those pearls were so much fun to make! I like reverse spherification more than basic spherification but you’re absolutely right… the pearls made it all look and feel luxurious! 🙂
Sara | Belly Rumbles says
Love lychee in cocktails, but I love a little molecular gastronomy too!
Dini says
Me too Sara! 🙂
swayam says
I have always wanted to try molecular gastronomy!! This kit sounds soo easy…and super duper fun! I would probably lose myself with it… Gorgeous stuff D!! Wish you could send a pack to me in India 🙁
lili says
Very interesting post Dini! Thanks for sharing all the info… looks like a lot of fun! And yummy of course! 🙂
Of Goats and Greens says
I’ve never tried my hand at Molecular Gastronomy, but if any dish (or beverage) can twist my arm, this one looks like it could be it! Raspberries! Looks delish!
Judi Graber says
Your posts always amaze me Dini as you come up with such fantastic recipes using new ideas/products. Molecular gastronomy is very new to me but how fascinating. I am a big fan of America’s Test Kitchen and their scientific ways of explaining “why”. Being a teacher/librarian I frequently experiment and do research on many of my posts – Happy FF 🙂
Nagi@RecipeTinEats says
Lychees make the best cocktails! I am yet to have a lychee cocktail I didn’t love 🙂 So I have to share this!!
Angie says
Oh, oh, oh…pick me, pick me! I live in the US and I want to be cool, too! 😀 This is like science and art combined, in a very delicious way. Très cool, Dini!
Sam @ SugarSpunRun says
Woah, this is so neat! Looks like a lot of fun! 🙂
Justine says
Such a cool concept! I’ve never tried molecular gastronomy before, but it definitely all the rage now.
Anisha Anand says
I love to play with my food and would love to have this!! Amazing!!
Caroline | carolinescooking says
I’ve been meaning to take a look at this post ever since I saw your photo on facebook as it looks amazing, and reading the description it also sounds kind of fun to make! Fantastic flavors and I love the sound of that raspberry caviar. When I lived in the UK, watching Heston’s programs was always fun, he has some great ideas that really mess with your senses but in a fun way. I can see why you’d want to meet him (I would too!) . Happy FF – a great drink to start the weekend 🙂
Sarah says
Yum, this cocktail looks out of this world! I’ll be using the cheats version 🙂 I’ve learned a lot in this post, thanks so much for sharing!
Julie is Hostess At Heart says
Dini, this is making my brain hurt. You are so darned talented. I don’t know what you can’t do. This cocktail is just beautiful and perfect for FF!
Kaila (GF Life 24/7) says
WOW! The kit looks so cool. Such a neat combination of science and delicious looking treats. Thank you for bringing this to Fiesta Friday too, and have a wonderful weekend! 😀
Dini says
Thank you Kaila! 🙂 You have a chance of winning this kit to make so many cool stuff like this too, if you wanted! This post is a giveaway for one of those kits!
Lily Lau says
What an innovative cocktail, need to try it ASAP 😀
Dini says
Thank you Lily! 🙂 You can still try the “cheat’s” version until you get a Molecular gastronmy kit!
mila furman says
Dini this is insane! I have never played around with molecular gastronomy! It almost seems too daunting! But your explanations and diagrams make it seem just a tad bit more possible…maybe. 🙂 Regardless this is one of my fave flavor combos!
Dini says
Thank you Mila! 🙂 I had alot of fun with this! I have a few more coming up next week too! I have used additives before, and have the small scale just for that purpose, but having them pre measured and pre packed in little sachets – makes it so much more easier! So it was more fun in the end too 🙂
Alison H. says
I haven’t tried molecular gastronomy yet, but this is so cool. I now have a new project 🙂
Dini says
Yes! It is definitely a great project to take on! I felt like a crazy kid set free in a laboratory with no supervision! 😀
Christine says
Totally geeking out. I’ve never tried it (or heard of it!) but I am all over it. Bookmarking so I can come back and spend more time. It’s like a class!
Jenni says
This is a very cool cocktail! I must admit that I’m not usually a fan of hard core molecular gastronomy, but tiny spheres of raspberry delight bursting into the lychee emulsion? Now that molecular gastronomy of a different color! Lovely cocktail!
Naina says
That looks beyond cool Dini! I’m sure i would have the same reaction to meeting Heston 😀 Have you seen some of his Christmas episodes with the edible xmas ornaments and the gingerbread houses? Out of this world! Its gonna be a very lucky reader who wins this. Too bad I’m in Europe 🙁
Dini says
Thank you Naina! I HAVE seen that episode! I absolutely LOVED it! That christmas episode is so inspiring and I’m so bummed he is in Australia now (where I used to live!)
I will have to find a way to do another giveaway to Europe!!
Michelle @ Giraffes Can Bake says
This is SO COOL! oh my gosh! It looks delicious too, l love the flavour combo!
Just a shame I live in the UK 😉
Dini says
Thank you Michelle!! I wish I could do a giveaway to the UK as well 🙁 maybe sometime in the future!
Playing with these was so much fun! I know you would love it 😉
Michelle @ Giraffes Can Bake says
I’ve never had a very good head for science, but would love to experiment with it all – will have to check it out soon!
Anne Marie says
FUN!! I haven’t tried Molecular Gastronomy yet, but I have always been a HUGE fan (thanks Top Chef!). I would love to be able to give this a try. I wonder if I could get my kids to eat something green if I made it with science? 😉
Dini says
I think you absolutely can!! 😀 They have these plastic tubes to make Agar agar speghetti! Think “green spaghetti!!” I know I would have had it if I was a kid!