 | Pineapple PavlovaPastry Chef Korinna Mahan of Sunday Vinyl | Denver, CO |
I chose Soursop Puree for my dish. I’ve never worked with soursop before, so I was excited to branch out and experiment with a new ingredient. Recently, I made a big career change after four and a half years — moving from a European/French-focused restaurant to a Vietnamese restaurant — so it felt fitting to take on something new and unfamiliar for this project as well. For this plated dessert, I chose pavlova because it’s such a wonderful blank canvas. I wanted to use that base to highlight the bright acidity of soursop alongside pineapple, balanced by the creaminess of cashew and brown butter. The addition of pandan helps round out the sweetness, adding subtle bitter and grassy notes. Perfect Purée products are always so consistent, which makes it easy to explore endless flavor combinations without the extra work of breaking down fresh fruit!
Ingredients for Pavlova:
Yield: 17 at 35 grams each
• 225 g. egg whites
• 370 g. granulated sugar
• 15 g. cornstarch
• 10 g. white vinegar
Ingredients for Pineapple–Soursop Jam:
Yield: 1 quart
• 400 g. The Perfect Purée Soursop Puree, thawed
• 300 g. The Perfect Purée Carmelized Pineapple Concentrate, thawed
• 300 g. granulated sugar, divided
• 15 g. lemon juice
• 15 g. lime juice
• ½ tsp. salt
• 10 g. pectin
• 10 g. Plantaray rum
• 5 g. vanilla extract
Ingredients for Brown Butter–Pandan Diplomat Cream:
Yield: 1 quart
• 375 g. milk
• 80 g. egg yolks
• 100 g. brown sugar
• 25 g. cornstarch
• pinch salt
• 100 g. room-temperature brown butter
Ingredients for Stabilized Whip:
Yield: 1 batch
• 470 g. heavy cream
• 40 g. pandan leaves
• 4.5 g. gelatin
Ingredients for Compressed Pineapple:
Yield: 1 batch
• 400 g. water
• 300 g. granulated sugar
• 5 star anise
• 15 grams vanilla paste
• 1 whole pineapple, trimmed
• zest of 1 lime
Ingredients for Pineapple Sherbet:
Yield: 1 batch
• 900 g. milk
• 600 g. heavy cream
• 450 g. granulated sugar
• 375 g. glucose
• 15 g. citric acid
• 15 g. sorbet stabilizer
• 300 g. buttermilk
• 750 g. The Perfect Purée Soursop Puree, thawed
• 37.5 g. trimoline
• 17.5 g. Plantaray rum
Ingredients for Coconut–Cashew Crumb:
Yield: 1 batch
• 450 g. cashews
• 50 g. coconut flakes
• 150 g. brown sugar simple syrup
• ⅛ tsp. ground star anise/clove mix
• salt, to taste
• zest of 1 lime
Method for Pavlova:
Heat oven to 275°F. Prepare two sheet trays lined with Silpats. Ensure egg whites are at least 75°F. In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks form, resembling cappuccino foam (about 10 minutes). Add sugar gradually, 1 spoonful at a time, allowing several seconds between each addition. Scrape down sides as needed. Once all sugar is added, increase speed to medium-high and whisk until sugar has dissolved (about 30 minutes). Check by rubbing a small amount between fingers—if grainy, continue whisking. Once smooth, add vinegar and cornstarch and whisk 5 more minutes on medium-high. Pipe 35-gram portions of meringue onto trays in “snowman” shapes, 6 to 8 per tray, then indent centers with the back of a spoon. Reduce oven temperature to 212°F and bake 90 minutes. Turn off oven and let pavlovas cool inside for at least 2 hours before removing. Store covered at room temperature.
Method for Pineapple-Soursop Jam:
In a large saucepan, combine purees and 250 grams sugar. Bring to a simmer and whisk in lemon and lime juices. Combine remaining sugar with pectin and salt, then whisk into the simmering mixture. Cook until thickened and reaches 220°F. Remove from heat and stir in rum and vanilla. Cool and refrigerate.
Method for Brown Butter-Pandan Diplomat Cream:
In a small pot, warm milk. In a separate bowl, whisk together yolks, brown sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Temper hot milk into the yolk mixture, then return to pot. Cook, whisking constantly, until thickened. Transfer to a stand mixer with paddle attachment and mix until slightly cooled. Add butter in small amounts until fully incorporated. Cover with plastic wrap pressed to surface and chill over an ice bath.
Method for Stabilized Whip:
Bloom gelatin in ice water. In a pot, bring cream and pandan leaves to a simmer. Steep 15 minutes, then remove leaves and whisk in gelatin. Chill over an ice bath until set. Whisk stabilized cream until medium-stiff peaks form. Fold in Brown Butter-Pandan Pastry Cream and whisk until fully combined. Store in pastry bags and rewhip as needed.
Method for Compressed Pineapple:
Trim and slice pineapple into ½-inch-thick planks. Grill until lightly charred, then cool and dice into ¼-inch cubes. Divide pineapple into small vacuum bags. In a pot, bring water, sugar, star anise, vanilla, and lime zest to a boil. Pour hot syrup over pineapple, seal, and cool. Store refrigerated.
Method for Pineapple Sherbet:
In a large pot, combine milk, cream, sugar, glucose, and trimoline. Heat to 140°F, then whisk in citric acid and stabilizer. Continue to 183°F, then strain into a bain and cool over an ice bath. Mature overnight. Before spinning, blend in buttermilk, Soursop Puree, and rum with an immersion blender. Freeze according to machine instructions.
Method for Coconut-Cashew Crumb:
In a bowl, combine all ingredients and season with salt to taste. Spread evenly on a Silpat-lined tray and bake at 325°F for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden brown. Cool, then pulse in a food processor until coarse. Store in airtight containers.
To Assemble and Serve:
Pipe 50 grams Brown Butter-Pandan Diplomat Cream onto the center of a plate. Place one Pavlova on top, pressing slightly so cream extends outward. Pipe Pineapple-Soursop Jam into the center, then top with Compressed Pineapple to create a nest. Scoop Pineapple Sherbet into the nest with a 2-ounce scoop. Sprinkle 10 to 15 grams Coconut-Cashew Crumb around the base and finish with a Tastecraft dried pineapple tuile.