Michael Laiskonis, the executive pastry chef at Manhattan’s Le Bernardin, is a technical wizard with a playful spirit. He is also a devoted Vermont Butter & Cheese fan whose desserts, like the “Egg”—a magical combination of milk chocolate crême brulée, caramel and maple syrup—are famous for their intricacy and beauty. We were understandably thrilled when he told us that he had devised yet another dessert using one of our products—the Creamy Goat Cheese.
Laiskonis says that he has been working for some time on a method known as alginate spherification. This is a science-geek way of describing a pretty straightforward process in which a calcium-enriched liquid (such as goat cheese) is immersed in a bath of sodium alginate, which transforms the cheese into neat balls with a delicate skin. Think bocconcini, but with a semi-liquid center the texture of just-set custard. “It’s possible to add purified calcium to any liquid substance,” says Laiskonis. “But I like the idea of exploiting the natural calcium in dairy products. This dish was born, in part, to showcase the Creamy Goat Cheese, which has just the right texture and workability for this application.” 
The dish, a pre-dessert on one of the restaurant’s tasting menus, combines the spheres, which Laiskonis stores in a light sugar syrup, with pearls of Concord grape juice, thickened grape puree, a sprinkling of black pepper and crushed candied walnuts. It’s ingenious in its seeming simplicity and layers of flavor—there is tart and creamy from the goat cheese, candy-like sweetness from the Concord grape and flinty bite from the pepper for balance. We cannot think of a better way to transition from dinner to dessert.
More info www.michael-laiskonis.com
