Campfire and marshmallows

Ingredients

• 1 vanilla pod. split and seeds reserved
• 375ml of cream
• 150ml of full-fat milk
• 2 gelatine leaves. silver strength
• 200g of egg yolk
• 75g of caster sugar
• 2g of agar agar
• 100g of fresh raspberries
• 50g of caster sugar
• 50ml of water
• 100g of egg white
• 100g of caster sugar
• 85g of icing sugar
• 1 pinch of salt
• 40g of freeze-dried strawberries. crushed
• 10g of cocoa powder. extra for dusting
• 285g of pasta flour
• 15g of rye flour
• 135g of chocolate beer
• 2 tsp gravy browning
• 4g of salt
• vegetable oil. for deep frying
• 20 marshmallows
• caster sugar for dusting
• 98% proof burning alcohol

Instructions

1. To make the chocolate sticks. place all the ingredients into a food processor and mix until smooth dough forms
2. Knead and mix the dough for 5 minutes and then divide into quarters. Wrap in cling film and place into the fridge to rest for 1 hour
3. Remove the dough from the fridge and allow to come to room temperature. Dust lightly with flour and roll out to a thickness of 1cm. Roll the dough through a pasta machine and take the dough to a thickness of 2mm
4. Heat a deep fat fryer to 180˚C. Coat the dough with a little more flour to avoid any sticking. Cut strips of a 1cm thickness off the dough and shape until they resemble branches
5. Place the sticks into the fryer and cook them out until the sticks have stopped bubbling. Remove from the fryer. drain well. then place in a very low oven at 65˚C to dry out for a further 2-3 hours
6. Allow to cool and keep them in an air tight container until needed. Dust with cocoa powder just before use
7. For the meringues sticks. whisk the egg white and salt. slowly adding the sugars until firm peaks form. Place into a piping bag with a 1cm nozzle and pipe on to a non-stick mat. Cover with strawberry crisps or freeze-dried strawberries and dry out in a low oven at 70˚C until crispy. This will take up to 2 hours
8. To make the raspberry compote. heat the sugar and water to a soft boil - about 116˚C - and pour over the fresh raspberries. Mix well and cook the mixture for a further 5 minutes until thick
9. Pour the mixture into a blender and blitz until smooth. Pass through a fine strainer and store in a suitable container to cool in the fridge
10. For the vanilla cream. place the cream. milk. vanilla. sugar. egg yolks and agar agar into a thermomix and bring up to 81˚C. Once the mixture has come to temperature. soak the silver leaf gelatine in cold water to soften for 2 minutes before adding to the thermomix to combine
11. Alternatively. if you do not have a thermomix. combine the cream. milk and vanilla in a pan and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat. Whisk together the yolks and sugar until pale and slowly pour in the hot cream mix - whisk to combine
12. Add back to the pan and bring to 81˚C while constantly stirring. or until the mixture coats the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat and add the softened silver gelatine and agar agar. Pass through a fine strainer and into a pouring jug
13. Arrange 4 serving glasses on a suitable tray. Divide the raspberry compote evenly between them and slowly pour over the vanilla cream. Transfer to the fridge to set. this will take at least 6 hours
14. Remove the glasses from the fridge and sprinkle with a thin layer of caster sugar. Spray the 98% proof alcohol on top of the sugar. Place a glass in the middle of each plate. and scatter the chocolate sticks and meringue around the plate
15. Before serving. light the alcohol soaked sugar and do not blow out the flame. Use the marshmallows. chocolate sticks and meringue to dip into the vanilla cream