New Age Cranberry Crema Catalana

Ingredients for Cranberry-thyme relish:

• 150 gms of dried US cranberry
• 300 ml cranberry juice
• 2 tbsp caster sugar
• 1 sprig of fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dry thyme
• 1 tsp lemon
• ½ tsp lemon zest

Ingredients for Crema Catalana
• 500 ml whole milk
• 5 cms cinnamon stick
• zest of 1 orange
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 7 egg yolks
• 100 gms of caster sugar
• 10 gms of cornstarch
• Mixed with 50 ml water

Ingredients for Finishing & Garnish
• 100 ml double cream
• 4 tsp toasted pistachio crushed
• A few chocolate shards
• A few edible flowers
• A few thyme sprigs
• 2 tbsp dried US cranberries (optional)

Directions : For Cranberry -Thyme Relish:

In a saucepan bring the cranberry juice to boil.
Reduce the heat to medium, add dried cranberry, together with sugar and thyme and cook for 5 minutes over medium heat while stirring from time to time.
Reduce heat to simmer, add lemon juice and zest and simmer for a couple of minutes more. Remove from heat and set aside

Crema Catalana:
Pre-heat oven to 160°C Place milk, orange zest and cinnamon in a saucepan and gently bring to the boil.
Remove from the heat and allow to infuse for 10-15 minutes. In a mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks with caster sugar, vanilla extract and cornstarch until pale and fluffy.
Pass the milk through a sieve, return to heat and bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer and add a few spoons of the hot milk into the egg yolk mixture to temper it. Now gradually add the egg mixture into the simmering milk whisking continuously. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Pour into a baking dish and bake in the oven on a water bath for 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and refrigerate for 2-4 hours.

Assembling and Finishing:
Mix together the custard and double cream with a balloon whisk to make a smooth mixture. Pour mixture into an espuma gun or cream whippet and charge with 1 or 2 nitrous oxide chargers and shake well.
In individual martini glasses, spoon in some cranberry relish. Pipe in the espuma, top with some liquid from the relish. Sprinkle with some crushed toasted pistachio and garnish with chocolate shards, edible flower, thyme sprigs and a few dried cranberries.

Chocolate Shards:
Cut the dark chocolate into small pieces, place in a glass bowl and melt over a pan of simmering water or in short blasts in the microwave, stirring frequently. Pour it onto a tray lined with silicone mat or parchment paper. Spread uniformly with a bend palate knife into a thin layer. Place in a refrigerator to set and break or cut into shards.