• Profile photo of Beatriz Torija

      Beatriz Torija posted an update

      a year ago (edited)

      Level: level 4 executive chef 2 Executive Chef

      Apple with roasted almond with EVOO, smoked sour cream, burnt chive oil and caviar substitute

      #PlatingChallenge

      Amateur profile

      Ingredients: Granny Smith apples, raw almonds, chives, caviar (substitute) milk, cream, salt, extra virgin olive oil, sherry vinegar, apple juice, beech wood chunks.

      Until very recently it was a great unknown to me. Scandinavian cuisine. I am discovering it now and I am crazy about it. They employ smoking techniques and use fire in a way… that literally makes my head explode.

      In this case I smoked the cream with beech wood chunks. And the chives are burned directly on the fire, literally. And an oil is made from it. The result is amazing, with deep aromas and an incredible flavor.

      I have taken the courses ‘Nordic Cooking: techniques with fire’ by Niklas Ekstedt and ‘Scandinavian Cooking Techniques’ by Christopher Lai… and they are fabulous. I’m looking forward to digging deeper.

      All this regarding the dish and the techniques used itself. And regarding the plating, it seemed to me that bringing the countryside to the plate, for such a natural cuisine, was perfect. I have fallen in love with this option, but I would like to point out that I picked the moss without leaving my house. I live in a very humid area, a few meters from a river and there are areas of the garden where a lot of moss grows (for those of you who are from abroad, I’ll let you know because in Spain it is forbidden to collect moss in the bush, I don’t know if it will be the same in other countries).

      ah! I would have loved to use a good Iranian caviar… but I am afraid that for the moment I am content with this substitute which is very tasty. However, I found the final result of the recipe so delicious that I do not rule out making this dish on a special occasion. And then, yes, with caviar.

      Translated from Spanish
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      Lana Mihajlović, Mercedes Minaya Palacios and 4 others
      12 Comments
      • Level: level 4 executive chef 2 Executive Chef

        It can’t be more original. I love Beatriz😍

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        Translated from Spanish
        a year ago
      • Level: favicon spaced Scoolinary Team

        what an original and well thought out proposal, Beatriz! 🍏🔥 I really liked how you connected your discovery of Scandinavian cuisine with this dish so visual and full of little details.

        The combination of apple, almond and smoked cream sounds very special, and that burnt chive oil gives it a twist that must surprise from the first bite. And not to mention the presentation on moss! It gives it a magical air 🧚🏻‍♀️, as if taken from the forest. Very well achieved that link with nature.

        And a question that got me thinking: how was your experience working with the smoking of the cream? Did you have to adjust the time or the intensity of the smoke several times?
        congratulations on exploring new cultures from the kitchen! It’s a delicious way to travel ✈️ without leaving home. ✨

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        Translated from Spanish
        a year ago
        • Level: level 4 executive chef 2 Executive Chef

          @undefined traveling is wonderful no matter how, packing your bags and taking a plane… or cooking!!!!

          Thank you for your words, you don’t know how I appreciate it.

          Regarding the smoking, I burned more wood than I later used. In order not to overdo it, I preferred to go little by little and try it out.

          Translated from Spanish
          a year ago
          • Level: favicon spaced Scoolinary Team

            @undefined ¡Qué linda respuesta, Beatriz! 🌟 Me encanta esa sensación de que cocinar puede ser como un viaje, ¡y es cierto! Cada receta es una aventura por descubrir. 🛫🍴

            Es genial cómo manejaste el proceso de ahumado, ir poco a poco y probar es una forma muy sabia de asegurarse de que todo quede en su punto exacto. ¡Esa paciencia y atención al detalle se nota en el resultado final! 👏🔥

            Además, me parece increíble que encuentres formas de “viajar” a través de la cocina. Es una forma tan única y enriquecedora de explorar nuevas culturas. ¡Sigue así, porque tienes una gran capacidad para transformar la cocina en algo mágico! 🌍✨

            Gracias por compartir tu experiencia con nosotros, y sigue sorprendiendo con tus propuestas. ¡No puedo esperar a ver qué más nos traes! 🙌

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        • Level: favicon spaced Scoolinary Team

          My eyes are deeply grateful to you.
          This plating is a direct trip to the forest, a scene that conveys nature, freshness and elegance in its purest form. The apple as a container, on that bed of moss, is simply poetic. The whole set breathes coherence, respect for the product and very, very good taste.
          The contrast of colors is captivating, and the play between the smoky cream, the burnt chive oil and the crunchiness of the almond is pure sophistication. You have taken the Nordic inspiration to a very high level. This is not just cooking, this is a sensory experience. Bravo.

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          Translated from Spanish
          a year ago
          • Level: level 4 executive chef 2 Executive Chef

            @undefined wow, Sol, thank you for your words, from the bottom of my heart, I don’t even know what to say. For a good laugh I’ll tell you that the morning I started cooking the dish this weekend my husband was about to call the loony bin. First he sees me setting fire to a bunch of chives. Then I fired up the barbecue to burn some wood chips and smoke some cream. “Ah, but are we having barbecue today?” I wondered. “No, I’m making an apple,” I reply, and he looked at me stranger and stranger. And the final touch is when he sees me going out to the garden with a shovel to pick moss… and he asks me if I was going to leave the dish half done, to start fixing the garden. When I told him it was for the dish, I think he was afraid I was going to cook with moss 🤣🤣🤣🤣

            Translated from Spanish
            a year ago
          • Level: level 4 executive chef 2 Executive Chef

            I’m looking forward to making this dish, I thought it was very cool and that it can be very tasty.

            The caviar is the difficult thing that is worth a lot of money.

            But everything is replaceable

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            Translated from Spanish
            a year ago
            • Level: level 4 executive chef 2 Executive Chef

              @undefined Mercedes, do not hesitate, go for it, because the result is brutally delicious. Yes, the caviar can be replaced, either by flying fish roe, which is more affordable, or by substitute like the one I used, which is not the same, but it is very tasty. Of course, do not skip the step of smoking the cream and burning the chives, because I think they are the differential points 🥰.

              Translated from Spanish
              a year ago
            • Level: level 3 sous 3 Sous Chef

              This dish is an absolute ode to the senses and a stunning tribute to the soul of Scandinavian cuisine. The way you’ve embraced fire—through the beech wood–smoked sour cream and literally burned chive oil—shows a deep respect for elemental techniques, the kind that tap into something primal and yet incredibly refined. 🔥🌿 And yes, someday this absolutely deserves real Iranian caviar—but even without it, the dish already sings with complexity. I hope you do make it again for a special occasion… It sounds like something unforgettable. ✨

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              • Level: level 4 executive chef 2 Executive Chef

                @lanamihajlovic thank you for your words, Lana, which exude as much affection, as the dish 😍. I didn’t know anything about Nordic cuisine and I’m fascinated. It’s wonderful to look at the world with curiosity and discover new things, and have people around you to help you do so 🥰🥰🥰🥰

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                Translated from Spanish
                a year ago

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