Spherification, a groundbreaking technique popularized by molecular gastronomy pioneers Ferran and Albert Adrià at their restaurant, El Bulli, has revolutionized how we experience food. This technique combines sodium alginate, a natural gelling agent, with a calcium-rich solution. This simple process allows chefs to encapsulate virtually any liquid ingredient into spherical pearls with visually stunning results.
This innovative process has been applied to the traditional Canarian sauce, mojo. Combining alginated red or green mojo with a calcium solution triggers a reaction that forms a thin, edible membrane around the liquid. The result is visually stunning caviar-like spheres filled with liquid mojo, perfect for lending a modern twist to traditional dishes.
These tiny orbs of concentrated flavour can elevate a variety of dishes. They work well as a topping for salads, canapés, fish or meat carpaccio, and pizzas, as well as for raw, roasted or fried fish and meat, seafood, and smoked and marinated dishes. Their unique texture provides an ideal way to add small bursts of intense flavour. They need refrigeration at 0 – 5°C and freeze well.
If you’re not ready to experiment with molecular gastronomy at home, companies like Singularities offer a range of ready-made flavoured spheres.
Molecular gastronomy: Mojo spheres
