Cooking with blossom! 7 recipes & techniques

• First sort some hackberry blossoms from the blanches and leaves. It doesn’t need to be 100% clean, but the cleaner the better.
• Now transfer it into a bowl and weigh the total amount. I had 150 grams of cleaned blossom.
• Then transfer it into a preserving jar and add 10 times the amount of neutral oil. So in this case 1500 grams of sunflower oil to 150 grams of the hackberry blossom.
• Now close the lid, label the jar and let the oil infuse overnight at room temperature.
• The next day you need to steam it at 40 °C for 30 minutes. You can also do this sous-vide. Then let it rest for an hour.
• After that drain the oil. Let it drain for at least 30 minutes so you don’t waste a single drop.
• Now clarify it by passing it through a fine sieve that’s lined with a kitchen paper. 

• Mix the egg white with the blossom vinegar, the ice cubes, the salt and the blossom oil.
• Now blend this till it’s completely emulsified.
• Once thickened transfer it into a piping bottle and let it set in your fridge. It’s great to serve with vegetable dishes or seafood. I love serving it with a beautiful crab salad.

The castric

• Pour the white wine into a big pan and also add the white wine vinegar, the black pepper grains, the coriander seeds and the tarragon.
• Then cut the shallots in half and clean them. Now cut them. Add them to the pan and then reduce it for 80%.
• Meanwhile remove the stem from the magnolia flowers. These have a delicious fresh and aromatic flavor.
• Once the liquid has reduced enough turn off the heat and add the flowers. Mix it well and then transfer everything into a bowl. Now cover this well with some foil and let it cool down in your fridge. I always leave it overnight.
• Once it has cooled down pass it through a fine sieve and use a ladle to make it a bit easier.

The magnolia beurre blanc

• Pour the magnolia castric into a saucepan and also add the cream and the salt. Bring this to a boil.
• Once it’s boiling turn down the heat and slowly while stirring add the cold cubes of butter.
• Normally there’s no cream in a beurre blanc, but I add it to stabilize the sauce making it more foolproof when you need to reheat it. 

• Start by removing the magnolia peddles from the flowers. You’ll need quite a lot, but the end result is so good!
• Once that’s done wash the peddles to remove any bugs. After a couple of minutes drain the water and dry the peddles using a salad spinner.
• Then let them dry for 30 minutes in your oven or heat draw with just the fan on to remove as must access water as possible.
• After that weigh the magnolia and add a gram of sugar for every gram of magnolia paddles. First add a layer of sugar on the bottom of a preserving jar and then add a layer of magnolia.
• Now continue till you end up with a thick layer of sugar on top. Then press it down using a glass weight or just a regular glass.
• Now close it up and keep it in your fridge for two weeks.
• After the two weeks all the sugar has dissolved, and it turned into a beautiful thick and rich syrup.
• When that has happened drain the syrup and use a spoon to press out all the syrup so you don’t waste a single drop. Now you can keep it in your fridge for many weeks. 

• First remove the blossoms from the stems and weigh the total amount. Then add 15% of salt and gently mix it not to bruise the flowers.
• Now press it down with a bowl and let it brine in your fridge for two days.
• After that submerge the blossoms with cold water and gently mix it for a couple of seconds. Then drain as much water as possible.
• Once that’s done submerge it with some sushi vinegar. Now cover it, press it down and let it pickle in your fridge for two days as well.
• After the two days the vinegar has turned beautifully pink and you can drain it by passing it through a fine sieve. It’s great for vinaigrettes, seasoning and much more.
• Then gently pick the blossoms apart from each other and transfer them on some kitchen paper.
• Now put another layer on top and press it down to dry them. Then lay them on a silicon sheet and dry them at 40 °C till completely crispy.
• The blossoms have a beautiful flavor and it’s great for a garnish. 
  
• Now take some melted white chocolate that’s 45 degrees Celsius and add a ¼ of white chocolate nibs. Then mix it well to cool down the chocolate and temper it. In the end the chocolate needs to be 30 degrees Celsius.
• Once that’s done pour some on a plastic sheet and spread it. Then directly lay the dried blossoms on top. You’ll need to work fast, because the chocolate will set and then the blossoms won’t stick.
• Now cover it with another sheet of foil and add a flat board or a tray. Then let it set for at least 30 minutes.
• Once it’s set remove the top layer and portion it with the desired cutter. These are perfect to decorate desserts and bring them to the next level!