Charcoal, Ashes and a 64º Egg

This deliciously strange dish will have the whole table talking. Simple and creative, the edible charcoal made from cassava was inspired by 2-Michelin star Chef Andoni Luis Aduriz of Mugaritz in Spain. The ashes are made with truffle oil powder and the egg is perfectly cooked using sous vide set at 64ºC.

Cassava, also called yuca in spanish, is a woody shrub native to South America. It is extensively cultivated as an annual crop in tropical and subtropical regions for its edible starchy tuberous root, a major source of carbohydrates.

Cassava is a major staple food in the developing world, providing a basic diet for over half a billion people. It is one of the most drought-tolerant crops, capable of growing on marginal soils.

To make the edible charcoal we simply boil cassava in water with black powder until tender. When the cassava is cooked and tender, it resembles charcoal. That easy!

Ingredients

Edible Charcoal

- 1lb cassava (yuca), trimmed

- 1 g black powdered color

- 1/2 Tbsp salt

- 4 cups of water to boil the cassava

Edible Ashes

- 40 g (2.8 oz) truffle oil

- 15 g (0.9 oz) Tapioca Maltodextrin or as needed

- 1.5 g salt

- black powdered color as needed

64º Egg

- 4 eggs

- truffle salt

Preparation

Edible Charcoal

1- Cut the top and bottom ends off the cassava. Then cut it into 2 inch sections.

2- Stand each piece on its side and slice the skin off from top to bottom using a sharp knife.

3- Place the cassava sections in a pot with water, salt and black powder. Bring to a boil over high heat.

4- Reduce the heat to medium and cook at a gentle boil until they are fork-tender (about 30 min). Check the cassava while it is boiling, if it isn't soft enough but needs more water, add more.

5- Drain and remove the spindles in the core.

Edible Ashes

1- In a small bowl mix Tapioca Maltodextrin, salt and black powder until you obtain a homogeneous grey color.

2- Whisk in the truffle oil until it converts to a powder. Add more Tapioca Maltodextrin if necessary.

3- To make it fluffier pass it through a tamis and reserve in a sealed container until needed.

64º Egg

1- Set the sous vide bath at 64ºC.

2- Place the eggs in the bath and let them cook for 45min but not more than 1.5 hours.

Assemble and Serve

1- Place a section of cooked cassava root that resembles charcoal on the plate.

2- Carefully crack one egg and place it next to the cassava.

3- Sprinkle some edible ashes around the cassava "charcoal".

4- Season with truffle salt and truffle oil.

Optional: you can add crispy prosciutto or jamon