Delight in Spring with Uchi Miami’s Floral Jasmine Cream Dessert
Japanese for “home,” Uchi is Hai Hospitality’s award-winning flagship restaurant, named after the little red house where Chef Tyson Cole introduced his nontraditional take on elevated Japanese cuisine to Austin, Texas, in 2003. Uchi strikes a delicate balance between elevated food and impeccable service alongside a welcoming and homey atmosphere. The Wynwood location, which opened in 2021, features a range of textures, flavors and warmth inspired by Miami’s vibrant culture and energy.
Indulge in the floral, decadent Jasmine Cream dessert from the culinary mind of Hai Hospitality’s Executive Pastry Chef Ariana Quant.
The Jasmine Cream dessert from the culinary mind of Hai Hospitality’s Executive Pastry Chef Ariana Quant will wow any guest with its lovely presentation. The jasmine tea-infused dessert is topped with cilantro granita, juicy pineapple and garnished with a single jasmine flower to make a visually stunning floral treat.
Uchi Miami, 252 NE 25th St., Miami, FL 33127; 305.995.0915; https://uchi.uchirestaurants.com/location/miami/
Recipe: Yields 6 – 8 Portions
Jasmine Cream Ingredients:
- 2 ½ cups cream
- ¾ cup milk
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 tbsp jasmine tea
- 1 envelope gelatin
Jasmine Cream Method:
In a small bowl, add milk and sprinkle gelatin to start blooming. Set aside to bloom. In a small saucepan, scald cream together with sugar. Add jasmine tea and allow to steep for 8 min. Add bloomed gelatin and stir to dissolve. Pass through the strainer and pour into the container. Allow it to sit overnight to set. Next day, whip jasmine cream in kitchenaid on medium low speed with whisk attachment until medium peaks. Set aside until ready to use.
Cilantro Granita Ingredients:
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup lemon juice
- 1 cup orange juice
- ½ cup ice
- 1 cup cilantro
- 1 ½ cup cold water
Cilantro Granita Method:
In a small saucepan, warm together lemon juice and sugar until sugar is dissolved. Set aside and allow to fully cool down. In a blender, combine orange juice, ice and cilantro. Blend until well blended with no large pieces of herb and ice is crushed. Pass through the strainer and skim off any foam. Add cold water and lemon syrup. Stir to combine. Pour into a small glass container and set in the freezer. Freeze overnight.
When ready to enjoy, use a fork to gently scrape layers of the granita. Separation is possible, so you may need a light stir to combine.
Honey Tuile Ingredients:
- 12 tbsp butter
- ½ cup honey
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- Pinch of salt
Honey Tuile method:
In a small saucepan, warm together butter, honey and sugar until melted. Off heat, slowly add flour and salt in small increments using whisk to combine. Make sure that all the flour has been incorporated before adding the next addition. Pour into a heat proof container and allow to cool down and set up slightly for ease of scooping. When cool enough to scoop, set up a sheet tray lined with parchment. Drop teaspoon size scoops of tuile mix onto tray, 4″ apart to allow for spreading. Bake at 350f for 10-15 minutes depending on your oven. Rotate halfway through bake time. Bake until uniformly golden brown and delicious. Any lighter spots will be chewy and will not crush nicely. Allow to cool down before crushing. To crush tuile, pulse baked tuile in food processor until uniform in texture. Alternatively, put baked tuile in a ziploc bag and use a rolling pin to crush. Store in an airtight container until ready to enjoy.
Pro tip: any leftover tuile can be scooped and frozen like cookies. Thaw before baking.
Assembly:
In a serving vessel, put two spoonfuls of crushed honey tuile in the bottom. Using a serving spoon, add one large spoonful of jasmine cream on top. For cleaner assembly, you can use a piping bag to dispense cream into the vessel if you’d like. Alternatively, snipping the corner of a ziploc bag will achieve the same results. Layer granita on top of jasmine cream. Be sure to stir lightly and fluff granita before spooning on top. finish with small chunks of fresh pineapple. Enjoy!
