As is the norm for me, I am constantly doing research for either my classes or just to feed my addiction of learning new techniques to make things. A few weeks ago, I was looking for a fun cooking activity, something that was different from the norm. Unlike most weeks, I wasn’t just looking for a different flavor profile or something that was just aesthetically pleasing, I wanted something that was different. While I did not know what I wanted exactly, I decided to let my gut guide me as usual.
After days of searching, I am not sure what brought me to it but I came across food illusion and finally to #ChefBenChurchill. He is the food illusionist king. Look him up to see some of the fabulous things he does. Anyway, I happened to catch his Sunny Side Up Egg on Toast illusion and thought the kiddos would love it.
Without an actual tutorial or recipes, I did what I do best: experimentation. It actually turned out to be easier than my initial thought. I had made two components of the dish: mango curd (although technically had not made mango curd, I had made other types of curd) and pound cake. The Panna Cotta was brand new to me.
Since it takes the Panna Cotta longer to set, it only made sense to start with this part of the dish. First off, I add the gelatin to the water and set it aside.
In another pot, combine the milk and cream. Add the sugar and bring just to a boil. Add the gelatin and vanilla and mix well. Allow to cool to room temp then pour into a mold or a 9″ x 12″ baking tray and place in fridge until set.
Every time I made this dish for class, I let the panna cotta set overnight.
Make the mango curd as directed.
Press the curd through a strainer then put in a piping bag and place in the fridge to cool.
Make the cake batter …
And pour into the buttered and floured baking tins.
Once cooked, allow to cool briefly in the pan then place on a cooling rack.
Now the next steps are putting the three components together.
Slice the lemon pound cake into half inch wide slices.
Optional: place face side up on a tray and place under the broiler to get a toasted look. You can also use a kitchen torch to get the toasted look. I personally didn’t like the overall look of using the torch but I see it as a personal aesthetics rather than anything else.
Once the slices have been toasted to your liking remove and allow to cool to rom temp.
Meanwhile, use a cookie cutter to cut the panna cotta just a tad less in width than the face of the cake slices. Set aside until the cake slices cool.
Once the cakes have cooled, place one panna cotta circle on top of each slice. Then pipe the mango curd on top of the panna cotta. Pipe the curd in a way that keeps is as circular as possible and with a slight dome on top.
All done. A perfect egg on toast.
Wait a sec, I gotta take a bite. Yum!
Vanilla Panna Cotta
Ingredients
- 1 envelope unflavored gelatin
- 2 tablespoons cold water
- 1 cup Heavy cream
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 3 tablespoon sugar
- 3/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a small pot, add water and then sprinkle gelatin over it, mix briskly with a spoon and then let stand about 1 minute to soften.
- Heat gelatin mixture over low heat until gelatin is dissolved and remove pot from heat.
- In a medium pot bring cream, milk and sugar just to a boil over moderately high heat, stirring.
- Remove pot from heat and stir in gelatin mixture and vanilla.
- Allow to cool to room temperature then pour into a Saran Wrap lined baking tray (12” x 9” or similar size). Cover and refrigerate for 3+ hours until set
Lemon Pound Cake = "Toast"
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter plus 1 tablespoon, softened, for greasing pan
- 3/4 cup cake flour plus 1 tablespoon for dusting pan
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest plus 1 tablespoon juice
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease 9 by 5-inch loaf pan (or a 5.5 x 2.75 inch) with 1 tablespoon softened butter; dust with 1 tablespoon cake flour, tapping out excess.
- In medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
- In glass measuring cup or microwave-safe bowl, microwave butter, covered with plastic wrap, at full power until melted, 1 to 2 minutes. (Alternatively, melt butter in small saucepan over medium heat.)
- Whisk melted butter thoroughly to re-incorporate any separated milk solids.
- In a food processor, process sugar and zest until combined, about five 1-second pulses.
- Add lemon juice, eggs, and vanilla; process until combined, about 5 seconds.
- With machine running, add melted butter through feed tube in steady stream (this should take about 20 seconds).
- Transfer mixture to large bowl.
- Sift flour mixture over eggs in three steps, whisking gently after each addition until just combined.
- Pour batter into prepared pans and bake 15 minutes.
- Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees and continue to bake until deep golden brown and skewer inserted in center comes out clean, about 35 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking time.
- Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn onto wire rack.
- Once cooled, slice cake into half inch slices.
- Place the cake slices under a broiler until “toasted”. Remove and set aside to cool.
- Use a cookie cutter just smaller than the sliced cake and cut out a circle of the panna cotta. Once the cakes have cooled, place the panna cotta on top.
- Cut out a medium size tip on the mango curd piping bag. Pipe a round mound of the mango on top and centered on the panna cotta.
- Voila, your egg on toast is ready.
- Serve and enjoy!
Mango Curd = "Egg Yolk"
Ingredients
- 10 oz frozen mango chunks thawed
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 to 2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- Pinch of salt
- 3 large egg yolks
- 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter cut into small pieces
Instructions
- Place the mango chunks and the ginger in blender and puree. Pour into a pot.
- Add sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch and salt to the mango and ginger and mix well.
- Whisk in the egg yolks.
- Cook the mixture over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it’s thick like pudding, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter a few pieces at a time until incorporated.
- Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl, pushing it through with a rubber spatula.
- Place into a piping bag and refrigerate.