'Royal Jelly', Bees & Honey

Blanch & Shock were commissioned to create canapés for a fashion networking event at the amazing Castle Gibson in Stoke Newington. The food and drinks were centred on the theme of 'Bees and Honey', giving us a chance to experiment with a some new techniques and cooking with Honey, one of our favourite things...

The morning's offerings at Franklin's Farm Shop

Infusing Wildflower Honey with Alderwood Smoke with our Smoking Gun for a Pork Belly Glaze

Grated Frozen Bacon, about to be dehydrated to garnish Quail's Eggs

Mike with our epitomic soft-boiled egg. We tried three different Delia Smith recipes, all of which resulted in dry, overcooked yolks. Two minutes, forty-five seconds and an icy water bath proved perfect.

Soft-Boiled Quail's Egg with Dehydrated Bacon Powder, Maldon Salt, Black Pepper and Crumiel Freeze-Dried Honey.

Poaching Strawberries with Black Pepper and Wildflower Honey. We used the resulting juice to marinate hulled Dwarf Strawberries under vacuum.

For the 'Royal Jelly', we set Marinated Dwarf Strawberries into layers of Elderflower Jelly.

Marinated Strawberry, Elderflower Jelly, Bee Pollen

Due to the sudden proliferation of Elderflower in our garden, it made sense to use it to make the Jelly, which we did. Here are Elderflowers infusing in water with Lemon Peel, Sugar, Citric Acid and DH Perkins' West Dulwich Honey (see Foraging post)

Washing the Rhubarb before Juicing it for the cocktail.

After searching everywhere we could for a decent Brioche with no luck - apparently the freak hot weather makes brioche loaves go rancid too quickly, due to the butter. I can't see why they think eating an entire brioche is an insurmountable goal...After some brilliant last-minute help from Tim Franklin, who provided a Joël Robuchon recipe, 20 grams of fresh yeast, and some invaluable advice, we set about making our first loaves of bread,  eliminating one more shop-bought item from our minds...

Proving one tall and two wide Brioche Loaves

Fin

Mike showing Honey Glass, made by melting Crumiel and stretching it as it cools.

The Event

The first course, which was not photographed, was of Asparagus with Hollandaise Sauce and Apple Balsamic Vinegar Reduction.

 Next was Woolesy Cheese, Damson Paste, Thyme and Onions Lyonnaise on Rough Oatcakes

Quail's Egg on Brioche Crouton with dehydrated Speck Ham (Dust of Speck) and Honey Glass.

Pork-Belly, cooked en sous-vide with Thyme and Garlic, then pan-fried with Smoked Honey and Butter, and topped with Radish Disks and Borage Flowers

Amy preparing to serve the 'Royal Jellies'

(Strawberry-Compressed) Strawberries in Elderflower Jelly with Bee Pollen

The drinks, of which we sadly failed to get pictures were:

+ Rhubarb Juice, West Dulwich Honey, Krupnik Honey Vodka, Lemon Juice, Edible Flowers

+ Juices of Bramley and Jonagold Apples and Mulberry with Fresh Mint Bubbles