 | Black Tea–Poached PeachesChef Mike Godlewski of EYV | Pittsburgh, PA |
The original idea came about in the summer as a riff on Southern-style peach tea with lemon. The next thought was, ‘Okay, what is lemon, besides lemon?’ That question led me down a rabbit hole to lemongrass, and eventually to Yuzu. The tea aspect leans into Japanese influence. I love herbs in desserts—we had some delicious lemon verbena from be.wilder.farm here in Pittsburgh and doubled down on my lemon notes.
Ingredients for Yuzu Tapioca Pudding Base:
• 600 g. coconut milk
• 200 g. sugar
• 8 g. agar agar
• 1 g. xanthan gum
• 3 g. salt
• 250 g. The Perfect Purée Yuzu Luxe Sour blend, thawed
Ingredients for Yuzu Tapioca Pudding:
• 200 g. tapioca pearls
• as needed Yuzu Tapioca Pudding Base
Ingredients for Puffed Tapioca Pearls:
• 50 g. tapioca pearls
Ingredients for Tea-Peach Poaching Liquid:
• 1000 g. white wine
• 500 g. sugar
• ½ vanilla bean, split and seeded
• 5 black peppercorns
• 4 g. coriander seed
• 15 g. ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
• 4 black tea bags
• 30 g. lemongrass, bruised
• 1 star anise
• 3 green cardamom pods
• as needed peaches, peeled and cut into wedges
To Assemble and Serve:
• 3 wedges poached peach
• 2 quenelles Yuzu Tapioca Pudding
• 3 lemon verbena leaves
• 3 dime-sized puffed tapioca pearls
• reserved poaching liquid, as needed
Method for Yuzu Tapioca Pudding Base:
Combine coconut milk, sugar, agar agar, salt, and Perfect Purée Yuzu Puree in a saucepan and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Transfer to a blender and blend for 30 seconds. Pour into a hotel pan and chill until set. Break into chunks and blend with xanthan gum until smooth. Transfer to a hotel pan and use a cryo-vac machine to remove air bubbles until the mixture expands to the rim of the pan. Remove and refrigerate until needed.
Method for Yuzu Tapioca Pudding:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add tapioca pearls and cook until soft. Drain well and transfer to a mixing bowl. Add Yuzu Tapioca Pudding Base until the mixture is creamy but not runny. Transfer to quenelle molds and freeze. Unmold as needed and thaw in the cooler before service.
Method for Puffed Tapioca Pearls:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add tapioca pearls and cook until very soft. Drain and spread evenly on a greased Silpat-lined sheet tray. Dry for 12 hours at 165°F. Once dried, store in an airtight container. Heat oil to 400°F and fry until puffed, taking care not to brown. Drain on paper towels and store in an airtight container with a silica packet.
Method for Tea-Peach Poaching Liquid:
In a saucepan, combine white wine, sugar, and vanilla bean with seeds. Toast peppercorns, coriander seed, star anise, and cardamom pods until fragrant. Wrap toasted spices, tea bags, and lemongrass in cheesecloth and add to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to maintain 185°F. Add peaches and poach until tender with minimal resistance when pierced. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Discard sachet and store peaches in poaching liquid under refrigeration.
To Assemble and Serve:
In a chilled bowl, alternate three peach wedges and two quenelles of Yuzu Tapioca Pudding. Glaze the peaches and pudding with reserved poaching liquid. Garnish with lemon verbena leaves and puffed tapioca pearls in an alternating pattern. Serve immediately.