Coconut Bubbles, Gruyere and Candied Apricot

A delicious amuse bouche to start a meal. The crispy and salty Gruyere tuille pairs perfectly with the sweet candied apricots and coconut bubbles. What a great combination and presentation!

The coconut bubbles are larger and lighter than what we call "airs". The bubbles are made using the fish tank air pump technique.

Ingredients for Coconut Bubbles

- 500 g (18 oz) coconut water

- 25 g (0.9 oz) sugar

- 2 g salt

- 2 g egg white powder (or 1.4 g Versawhip)

- 1.3 g Xanthan gum

Other Ingredients

- Candied apricots

- 300 g (11 oz) Gruyere cheese

Preparation

Coconut Bubbles

1- Mix the water, sugar, salt and egg white powder with an immersion blender.

2- Add the Xanthan gum and mix again with immersion blender until completely dissolved.

3- Connect a clean PVC hose to a fish tank air pump and insert the other end in the mix.

4- Turn the pump on and let bubbles collect for about 20 minutes.

Gruyere Tuilles

1- Shred the Gruyere cheese.

2- Heat a non-stick pan at medium-high heat.

3- Once the pan is hot, place a 2 inch ring mold in center of pan and carefully sprinkle some shredded Gruyere cheese until you have a full circle.

4- Remove the mold and with a spatula work the edges to fix any imperfections until you have a perfect disk.

5- Wait for a couple of minutes or until the bottom of the cheese has a gold color. Using a spatula, carefully flip the cheese tuille. Most likely, the tuille will get wrinkled in the process so make sure you straight it again with the help of another spatula or spoon.

6- Wait until the other side gets a gold color, remove it with a spatula and place it on a paper towel.

7- Wait 10 seconds and with one finger in the middle of the disk, lift two opposite sides to form a U shape. Hold it for a few seconds until it gets cold enough to maintain its shape.

8- Repeat the process for each serving. Once the tuilles are cold, serve soon or store in a dry place so they keep their crispiness.

Assemble and Serve

1- Julienne cut the candied apricots.

2- Place a few pieces of candied apricot in each Gruyere tuille.

3- Right before serving, scoop some coconut bubbles using a perforated spoon and gently place them over the candied apricot inside the Gruyere tuille.

4- Serve immediately and enjoy!