BBQ has consisted of cooking meat over fire for thousands of years. While BBQ can be very traditional, it can also be incorporated into other styles of cooking, creating a fusion approach. While traditionalists will scoff and mock this, or downright thrashing this on social media in some cases, I embrace EVERYTHING food. True foodies who have an open mind, enjoy creativity that goes beyond the bounds of traditional bbq guidelines. Just about everything in BBQ has already been done. However the one thing that I have not seen done often is the incorporation of molecular gastronomy with bbq food. This is a wide open world of new exploration that has not been done for thousands or hundreds of years and is rapidly being used by top chefs around the world.
What Is Molecular Gastronomy?
Molecular Gastronomy BBQ (I am creating) combines the science of molecular gastronomy with bbq. This is not a normal barbecue technique, but a complex mixture of hundreds of ingredients, combinations and various chemistry items such as Nitrogen Oxide. It produces appetizers, main courses and side dishes to produce new BBQ fusion and flavours and aromas.
Molecular gastronomy is a branch of food science that focuses on the physical and chemical processes that arise when cooking. These processes and interactions are explored and manipulated to yield flavorful, functional, and artistic results. While molecular gastronomy has been exploding with chefs in fine dining restaurants you don’t need special special equipment such as many have for everything. The world of molecular gastronomy is actually in reach for everyone devoted to a little reading and picking up some necessary supplies to get started.
WHAT DO YOU NEED?
These are some Molecular Gastronomy Essentials
- Food Thickeners.
- Garnishing Kits.
- Pipettes and Shot Tops.
- Wood and Charcoal.
- Gourmet Salt.
- Cocktail Shakers.
- Basters and Injectors.
- Cream Dispensers & Chargers
The Mushroom Sponge is my first.
The mushroom sponge is done through creating a thick mushroom cream using various ingredients injected with NO2 or Nitrogen Oxide and then super heating it quickly in a microwave which transforms a thick nitrogen oxide injected cream into an incredibly light and fluffy sponge. Watching it evolve was very exciting. It looks exactly like a sponge! I was giddy when it turned out. I obtained this base recipe from Chef Giorgia Pafumi of Milan, Italy. I already modified the recipe using Bralas’ Best Garlic Whip https://bralasbest.com as my garlic replacement for raw garlic and also use it on the toasted pieces to add a bit more flavor to the mild sponge.
The great thing about a sponge is I can think of dozens ways to incorporate this into my bbq as you see with my Kansas City Burnt Ends on Garlic Butter Mushroom toasts (pictured above).
You can see the full recipe and watch the video on my website here: https://ukulelejaybbq.com/mushroom-sponge
My goal in 2023 is to break out of what is expected in BBQ and deliver a new experience incorporating molecular gastronomy and carving my own road which is certainly the one less traveled.
Are you interested in molecular gastronomy? Sign up for my blog and get notified on new posts which will most definitely contain molecular gastronomy in the BBQ Food section of my blog.
Have a happy New Year 2023!
