Recently, I’ve become infatuated with bubbles and carbonation, and I’ve been on a mission to find ways to introduce bubbles as a texture in desserts. So adding a soda to the menu was a natural. With the help of David Arnold, Director of Culinary Technology at the French Culinary Institute, I’ve built a carbonation rig for the pastry kitchen at Jean Georges. Don’t let that scare you from trying this recipe, though. All you need at home is a soda siphon. Using a half-size hotel pan and perforated hotel pan (which you can buy online from BigTray) ensures that the strawberry water freezes and defrosts evenly during the clarification process.

　　

Ingredients

serves 6 on it¿s own or 12 as part of fourplay

　　

For the Soda

17 ounces (500g) fresh strawberries, hulled

　　2 cups plus 1 tablespoon (500 g) water

　　1/2 cup (100g) sugar

　　1 1/4 teaspoons powdered gelatin (or 5.5g sheet gelatin; see page 276)

　　(makes about 3 cups)

　　

For the Birch Beer Cream

1/2 cup (120g) heavy cream

　　2 teaspoons (6g) confectioners’ sugar

　　1/2 teaspoon (2.5g) birch beer extract (see Note) or vanilla extract

　　

To Serve

Diced fresh strawberries

　　

For the Soda

Step 1

Put the strawberries, water, and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and puree with an immersion blender.

　　

Step 2

Ladle out about 3/4 cup of the strawberry puree into a small heatproof bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin over the surface and let sit for about 1 minute. Microwave for 45 seconds or heat gently in a saucepan until melted. Stir the gelatin into the rest of the strawberries and pour into a half-size hotel pan. Let cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze overnight.

　　

Step 3

Line a perforated hotel pan with several layers of cheesecloth and turn the frozen puree out into it. Wash the hotel pan, set the perforated pan into it, and refrigerate to drain for 2 days.

　　

Step 4

Discard the solids. Load the strawberry water into a soda siphon and charge with a CO2 charger. Shake vigorously for 1 minute. Refrigerate until you’re ready to serve or for up to 3 days.

　　

For the Birch Beer Cream

Step 5

Put the cream in a chilled bowl with the sugar and birch beer extract and whip to soft peaks.

　　

To Serve

Step 6

Put a few diced strawberries in the bottom of each glass and fill with the soda. Top with a dollop of the birch beer cream.

　　Cooks' Note

　　Birch beer extract is available online from Terra Spice Company.

　　Reprinted with permission from Dessert Fourplay: Sweet Quartets from a Four-Star Pastry Chef by Johnny Iuzzini and Roy Finamore. Copyright © 2008 by Johnny Iuzzini and Roy Finamore. Published by Crown Publishing. All Rights Reserved.Johnny Iuzzini,, executive pastry chef of the world-renowned Jean Georges restaurant in New York City, won the award for Outstanding Pastry Chef from the James Beard Foundation in 2006. This is his first book.Roy Finamore, a publishing veteran of more than thirty years, has worked with many bestselling cookbook authors. He is the author of three books: One Potato, Two Potato; Tasty, which won a James Beard Foundation award; and Fish Without a Doubt.__