Cold-Infused Lemon Verbena Cream with Charred Grapefruit & Salted Pine Nut Crunch

Instructions

1. 1

   Gently bruise 15 g fresh lemon verbena leaves between your palms to release their aromatic oils. Pour 300 g heavy cream and 150 g whole milk into a medium glass container, submerge the bruised leaves, cover tightly, and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.

   10 min

   Tip: Cold steeping extracts pure, bright citrus notes without extracting the harsh bitterness that comes from heating herbal greens.

2. 2

   Submerge 4 g sheet gelatin in a bowl of ice water and let it bloom until soft and pliable.

   5 min

   Tip: Always bloom gelatin in ice-cold water so it hydrates evenly without dissolving prematurely.

3. 3

   Strain the cold verbena infusion through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl, pressing lightly on the leaves with a spatula to extract maximum oil, then discard the leaves. Strain 100 g heavy cream of the cold infused cream mixture into a small saucepan with 45 g granulated sugar and heat gently over low heat until the sugar dissolves and the cream registers 60°C (140°F).

   5 min

   Tip: We only warm a fraction of the liquid to dissolve the gelatin, preserving the raw freshness of the rest of the cold cream.

4. 4

   Squeeze excess water from the softened 4 g sheet gelatin, whisk it into the warm cream mixture until fully melted, then pour this back into the remaining cold verbena cream and stir thoroughly. Divide evenly among 4 shallow dessert bowls and refrigerate until set.

   180 min

   Tip: Shallow bowls allow for faster, more uniform cooling and set a cleaner line for plating.

5. 5

   In a small skillet over medium heat, toast 45 g pine nuts dry until light golden brown. Sprinkle with 20 g granulated sugar and 1 g flaky sea salt, stirring constantly until the sugar melts and coats the nuts in a dark amber caramel. Transfer onto parchment paper, cool completely, and chop coarsely.

   10 min

   Tip: Keep the nuts moving constantly; pine nuts burn in seconds once caramelization starts.

6. 6

   Place the segments from 2 large pink grapefruit on a paper-towel-lined plate and pat completely dry. Heat an ungreased cast-iron skillet over high heat until smoking, then lay the grapefruit segments flat for 30 seconds until lightly charred on one side. Transfer immediately to a cold plate.

   5 min

   Tip: Drying the grapefruit surface is essential for a quick, clean char without mushiness.

7. 7

   To serve, arrange the charred grapefruit segments over each chilled verbena cream bowl, sprinkle with the chopped pine nut crunch, drizzle with 15 g fruity extra virgin olive oil, and finish with the remaining 1 g flaky sea salt.

   5 min

   Tip: Assemble right before serving so the pine nut crunch retains its snap against the silky cream.