Lemon caviar: direct spherification of a peel infusion

This recipe starts with an infusion of peel, rather than pure lemon juice. The distinction matters: acidity and composition affect alginate behaviour, so the liquids cannot simply be interchanged.

Ingredients

• Edible zest from 4 lemons, without white pith
• 1 litre low-calcium drinking water
• 200 g sugar
• 5 g alginate for 500 g finished aromatic syrup
• For the bath: 400 g drinking water and 8 g calcium lactate
• Separate drinking water for rinsing

Prepare the base

Heat water with zest and sugar to extract the aroma, then strain. Concentrate the syrup and weigh exactly 500 g finished base for the specified dose. Allow to cool.

Disperse alginate while mixing and rest to reduce bubbles. Do not use technical “denatured” water: the water must be intended for drinking.

Form the pearls

Dissolve lactate in the bath water. Dispense small drops of base using a suitable tool. Initially test approximately 30 seconds of immersion, then retrieve and rinse; check the membrane before continuing.

Direct spherification continues changing the structure over time: prepare pearls for service and taste after rinsing. Distinguish this method from an acidic-juice formula and from reverse spherification.

For dispensing many small drops, read the spherification bottle guide.