Chicken Skewer with Spicy Yogurt dipping Sphere

Spherification is one of the most “wow” techniques in modernist cuisine or molecular gastronomy. In the previous post, I’ve used this technique to make caviars. This time, I’m going to talk about yogurt sphere, which is much bigger than caviars. The form of sphere looks and works exactly like egg yolk. It has a membrane that protects and seals liquid. Once you break the membrane, the liquid will flow out of it like a river. How did it happen? Basically, the membrane will start to set when calcium meets sodium in a bath setting.

There are two types of spherification. The first one is direct spherification, the technique that I used in making caviar the other day. In this technique, the flavoured liquid mixed with sodium alginate and dropped in calcium bath. After 1-3 minutes, the sphere should be taken out of the bath, rinsed off in water bath. The spheres produced through this method should be consumer immediately as the membrane continues to gel until it becomes solid.

I used the second spherification method to create this yogurt sphere, which is reverse spherification. It is the other way around of the first one. The membrane will start to gel/set when a flavoured liquid mixed with calcium and dropped in sodium bath. In this case, I didn’t add any calcium to the yogurt because it is already high in calcium. After few minutes, rinse off the spheres in water bath and ready to be served.

This recipe is very simple and easy to make. It is also great for BBQ for this upcoming summer. The funny thing is when I was trying to take a photo of complete spheres and skewer, the spheres kept sliding down and sticking to each other so I had to separate and rush taking the picture.

For marinade:

- Olive oil

-Salt & pepper

-3tbs Hot Cajun chicken powder

Ingredients:

-500gr chicken thigh, diced

-2 lemon, sliced

-1 green capsicum, diced

-1 red capsicum, diced

Sphere yogurt:

-Greek plain yogurt

-Hot paprika powder

-Garlic powder
-Salt & Pepper

Sodium water bath:

-2gr sodium alginate

-500ml water

-Water bath to rinse

Tools:

-Skewer

-Measuring spoon

-2 Flat bottom containers

-Hand blender

-Spherification spoon

Steps:

1.  Combine the chicken with marinade ingredients overnight

2. Mix the sodium with water using hand blender and let it rest in the fridge overnight
3. Soak skewers for 10 minutes in water
4. Preheat the grill
5. Thread (in order) chicken, capsicum, chicken, capsicum, lemon and chicken onto skewer
6. Spray skewer with oil and grill until cooked

    Yogurt Sphere:

  1. Combine all ingredients

  2. Scoop the mixture and slowly and closely pour it into the sodium bath. Leave for 30 second and stir slowly so the sphere is coated evenly. 

  3. After 1-2 minutes, remove the sphere using spherification spoon, tap off the excess and rinse in water bath

  

     Spheres could be stored in water bath and fridge for several hours. If you have any problem in getting the right shape, freeze the yogurt before hand using spherification mold. I found it is a little bit challenging in getting the perfect shapes. I don't have any spherification mold as it is very expensive here in Australia (almost 50 bucks for a small mold, crazy right!). However, there are some tricks to help you getting the perfect sphere such as:

- Use flat bottom containers

- Place the spoon as close as possible to the water bath before pouring

- Pour slowly

- Use half round measuring spoon to scoop the mixture

- Don't forget to stir the sphere

- Tap off the excess is compulsory

Good luck and happy cooking :)