Nuno Mendes creates a zingy, refreshing dessert of green apple and the spiky Japanese herb, shiso, with a creamy maple syrup panna cotta and meringue. Time to dust off the sous-vide equipment for this exciting recipe!
For the dried meringue, bring the sugar and water to the boil and heat to 212°C
500g of caster sugar
250ml of water
2
In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites to soft peaks. Slowly pour the syrup into the egg whites while still beating and allow to cool down and stiffen
Freeze the mixture but remove from the freezer every 20 minutes and whisk until you get a granita consistency
12
To plate, place 1 teaspoon of apple brunoise in each bowl, add a scoop of panna cotta and pour 1 tablespoon of granita on top. Finish with some crushed dried meringue
For a chef, having mentors like Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Ferran Adrià must be akin to taking music classes with Chopin and Brahms. Nuno Mendes' London restaurant demonstrates the qualities of ambition that most good protégés possess.
