“Emmentaler Cheese” with white asparagus and lemon thyme

Paco Morales

For 4 people

200 g of flour
2 whole eggs
2 egg yolks
fine salt

150 g of Emmentaler cheese
80 ml of 35% fat cream 1
80 ml of 35 % fat cream 2
4 g of gelatine sheets
20 drops of smoked oil
fine salt
4 white asparagus spears
4 sprigs of lemon thyme
salt

 

Faux Emmentaler
Make a small crater with flour, whole eggs and yolks. Mix for 10 minutes. Leave to rest for 12 hours. Cut and roll out as much as possible (8.5x8.5 cm). Cook for 90 seconds. Make five holes, so that it looks like a piece of Emmentaler. Set to one side.

Emmentaler Mousse
Whip the cream and set to one side. Place the second portion of cream in a pan with the Emmentaler, melt and add the gelatine previously rehydrated in water/ice. Off the heat, at a temperature of 50 °C, mix the whipped cream, add the smoked oil and the fine salt.
Place it to rest for at least 3 hours in an icing bag. Place in the fridge. Cut the Emmentaler into 3 cm gnocchi (5 per person).

White asparagus
Peel the asparagus, separating the tips from the rest. Slice into 2 mm thick and 6 cm long slices using a mandoline slicer. Use a sharp knife to cut them into very fine strips. Set to one side in 9 gram bundles.

Lemon thyme
Store in the fridge between two damp cloths.

Finish and presentation
Place the white asparagus in a bowl and top with 10 lemon thyme leaves. Scald the Emmentaler gnocchi in water with extra virgin olive oil and coarse salt for 10 second, then place on the asparagus. Place a portion of pasta at the top of each plate.