The iSi Gourmet Whip: More Than Just Whipped Cream
Now that we’ve covered all you need to know on making fresh whipped cream in your iSi Whippers, let’s explore some other inspirational techniques that will take you beyond traditional whipped cream. It’s time to experiment and have some fun – if you can dream it up, you can whip it up!
Important: We only endorse using the iSi Gourmet Whip for these techniques, because it’s the most versatile product we offer, and it’s specially designed to handle all of the “beyond whipped cream” applications we’ll talk about today.
Flavor Injections – iSi Injector Tips
You already know and love your iSi Gourmet Whip. You’ve tried endless recipes for foams, espumas, batters, and just need that extra “umph” to take your culinary creations to the next level. iSi Injector Tips are an inexpensive attachment for your iSi Gourmet Whip which multiply the versatility of this already marvelous tool. Just attach an Injector tip in place of the decorator tip, and you’ve opened up a whole new world of possibilities.
Quickly inject flavor, brines or marinades into proteins like chicken, turkey or pork. The pressure from the iSi cream charger will do all the work.
To satisfy your sweet-tooth, use the iSi Injector Tip attachment to fill pastries like donut holes or muffins with flavored cream – or even “espesso” (espresso-flavored foam created by the great Ferran Adrià)!
Use the shorter Tips to decorate donuts with a mouthwatering chocolate drizzle, or when you’re working with strong flavors that just need a “touch” of iSi magic. Chef Louisa Chu of Chicago recently created a zesty Chive Emulsion – just a few small drops brought the perfect bit of “bite” to top off Roasted Potato Foam on a Roast Beef Crostini.
Made of 100% stainless steel, iSi Injector Tips are a great addition to a product you already have in your kitchen – or, if you don’t already own an iSi Gourmet Whip, maybe they’ll inspire you to add one to your toolkit just so you can inject, decorate, and stuff away! Plus, they’re dishwasher-safe. Just be sure to clean them between uses.
Here’s a great recipe for Tabasco-Maple Brined Fried Chicken from our friend Chef Chris Cosentino of Incanto in San Francisco. It’s also featured in our cookbook: A Culinary Journey.
Tabasco-Maple Brine:
Ingredients for 1/2 pint (.25 liter) iSi Gourmet Whip using an iSi Injector Tip
1 iSi cream charger
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup Tabasco or other hot sauce
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoons kosher salt
Fried Chicken:
4 chicken legs
Tabasco-Maple Brine (see recipe above)
Buttermilk, for soaking
Seasoned flour, for dredging
Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
Combine all ingredients for brine until dissolved. Transfer 1 cup of the brine to a 1/2 pint iSi Gourmet Whip. Charge with one iSi cream charger and shake well. Screw on a long iSi Injector Tip needle. Hold Whipper with Tip pointed downward and inject chicken with brine. When complete, place chicken in a bowl and cover with buttermilk. Refrigerate overnight.
In a deep, heavy bottomed skillet or electric fryer, heat oil to 350°F, using a thermometer to keep track of the temperature.
Drain chicken and dredge in seasoned flour, shaking off the excess.
Working in small batches (to avoid a drastic temperature fluctuations in preheated oil), fry chicken until golden brown, about 10 to 12 minutes per side. The internal temperature of the chicken should reach at least 180°F.
Drain chicken on a rack placed over a sheet pan. Cover loosely with foil to keep the skin crisp while keeping the chicken warm.
Carbonation – iSi Soda Chargers (CO2)
Did you know that your iSi Gourmet Whip can also carbonate water (or, any liquid) – and also create fizzy fruits? The same (CO2) iSi soda chargers that you use in your iSi Soda Siphon can be used interchangeably in the iSi Gourmet Whip. Just be careful not to carbonate anything cream or milk-based (carbonation and cream don’t mix) – but anything else is yours to bubble up!
Carbonation adds zing and zip, and lightens flavors on the palate. Fizz up pure green teas or seasonal fruit juices. Or add all-natural Monin or homemade syrups to water to create your own artisanal, hand-made soda. Add a bit of bubbly to cocktails and wine. While it’s still cold outside, try sparkling mulled hard cider! We like Jill Houk’s newly released Complete Soda Making Book, featuring 100 all-natural handmade soda recipes – right now, we’re stuck on the homemade root beer, but we’ll leave the experimenting up to you.
To take your carbonation experiments to the next level, consider carbonating fruit in your iSi Gourmet Whip. Imagine orange slices, watermelon chunks, strawberries, raspberries, grapes, or even cucumber with a fizzy “love at first bite”. Why carbonate fruits? Why not! Imagine the difference between a glass of still water and soda water on your tastebuds. Soda water is more crisp, refreshing, and leaves a tingling sensation in your mouth. Plus it’s unique, fun, and an easy way to add some pizzazz to your next dinner party (and, of course – impress your guests with your modern cuisine skills)!
For best results, select fresh, juicy seasonal fruits (or, even vegetables). Ingredients with high water content work best (remember, it’s the water in the fruit that’s actually carbonating to make the crispy bubbles). Juicy pears, grapes, pomegranate seeds and ripe strawberries are some of our favorite ingredients for this technique.
Make sure to peel your fruit first and cut it into bite-sized pieces. If you’re using pomegranates, carbonate only the seeds.
For this technique, fill your Gourmet Whip bottle with the ingredient you want to carbonate. Screw on the head securely, and then charge with one iSi soda charger. Rotate/shake the bottle around a bit to mix the gas into the fruit. This process literally happens overnight – so make sure to chill in the fridge overnight for best results.
When you’re ready to serve, press the lever down to release all the gas from the bottle. Now the Whipper is de-pressurized, so you can unscrew the head. It’s important to serve your fizzy fruit immediately. This makes for a simple and fun garnish – drop into cocktails for an unexpected little surprise, or enjoy the twinkle of carbonated grapes one by one.
Batters – iSi Soda Chargers (CO2)
Whether you’re making pancakes or crispy tempura, using your iSi Gourmet Whip to aerate the batter makes it better. In the case of pancakes or waffles, you’ll see that they’re noticeably lighter and fluffier than a traditional preparation – and, as an added benefit you’ll get more yield from your batter since the tiny bubbles that are fluffing your food up take up extra space in the batter mixture.
In the case of tempura, you’ll notice an undeniably crispier, crunchier crust. We recently attended a cooking demonstration with Chef Richard Blais and the James Beard Foundation at Sur la Table in Chicago, where Chef Blais said he uses iSi soda chargers to aerate batter for his famously delicious onion rings in all of his restaurants – because they don’t get soggy as quickly, and have a crispier crust. Take it from us, or from the pros – this is a technique to try.
The trick to great tempura is keeping the batter chilled and carbonated, both which create a final dish that’s delicate and crisp -not doughy. With your iSi Gourmet Whip, you’ll make tempura like a master in no time. Here’s a simple tempura recipe to start with, although you can aerate any of your favorite batters (just make sure to run the batter through a fine mesh sieve – or the iSi Funnel & Sieve to avoid any particles getting stuck in the nozzle of your Whipper).
Tempura Batter Recipe
Ingredients for a 1 Pint iSi Gourmet Whip:
1 cup cold water
1 cup all-purpose or rice flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
Preparation:
1) Pour water into a large bowl. In another bowl whisk together flour and salt. Sprinkle flour mixture over water then barely whisk the batter. There will be lumps – don’t worry, this is normal!
2) Strain through a fine mesh sieve, or the iSi Funnel & Sieve
3) Pour the smooth batter into your iSi Gourmet Whip up to the indicated fill line
4) Screw on one iSi soda charger. Shake vigorously about 5 times
Test your batter. It should look like fizzy, soft whipped cream. Dip lightly floured pieces of seafood, veggies or tofu immediately, or you can let the batter chill in your fridge until you’re ready to fry.
Preheat your oil to 375°F and fry battered pieces until they are a light golden color. Sprinkle with salt while still hot – serve and enjoy immediately.
Welcome to light & crispy tempura – made the iSi way!
Now, let’s talk about fluffy pancakes (and waffles, too!)
1) Prepare your favorite pancake/waffle recipe, or pre-packaged mixture. Pour the batter through a fine sieve (or iSi Funnel & Sieve) into your Gourmet Whip, up to the indicated fill line
2) Screw on the iSi Whipper head, and charge with an iSi soda charger
3) Dispense batter directly onto hot griddle until golden brown
Voila! Fluffy pancakes/waffles served!
Tip: you can keep any unused batter in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Thanks for joining us in exploring some fun techniques beyond whipped cream! Remember, we also have a wealth of recipes in our online database: http://bit.ly/1exNQTa
Next week, we’ll get into the science behind foams and infusions using iSi Whippers, so stay tuned!
Post and photo by iSi North America | PUBLISHED: January 29, 2014
