Pear Kanten with Pecan Crunch
A kanten dessert is the Japanese equivalent of Jell-O, and its consistency can be adjusted by adding more or less liquid. This version is soft in texture, and the mellow flavor of pears is set off by the rich, spiced crunch topping. It’s important to blend the kanten after it cools in order to achieve a smooth, creamy texture. If you can’t find agar-agar (see page 102) in powder form, simply grind the flakes in a coffee grinder for 1 minute.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 4
Ingredients
Crunch Topping
Kanten
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 325°F and grease a baking sheet.
Step 2
Combine all the ingredients for the crunch topping in a bowl and mix well. Spread evenly on the baking sheet and bake for 4 minutes. Toss the ingredients and bake for 4 minutes more, or until the topping is dry. Let cool.
Step 3
Pour the pear juice into a saucepan. Add the cinnamon. Sprinkle the agar-agar powder over the juice and let soak for 15 minutes. Whisk the juice to remove any agar-agar that has gathered on the bottom of the pot. Bring to a boil, whisking occasionally, then decrease the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes, continuing to whisk every few minutes.
Step 4
Turn off the heat and let cool to room temperature.
Step 5
Pour the mixture into a blender and add the orange juice, zest, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and salt, and blend for 1 minute. Pour equal amounts of the liquid into 4 wineglasses or martini glasses and chill for 1 hour.
Step 6
To serve, scatter a generous spoonful of the crunch topping over the kanten.
agar-agar: seaweed for dessert
Step 7
Widely available in health food stores, agar-agar, also known as kanten or simply agar, is a seaweed that acts like gelatin. It is used throughout Southeast Asia to make candies, puddings, and other desserts. In Japan, it has recently been reinvented as a diet food because it contains no fat.
Step 8
Gelatin, often used in sweets like cheesecake, ice cream, jams, and jellies, is made from cattle bones and hides—by-products of factory farms—that are treated with chemicals before the collagen within is extracted. It’s an energy-intensive procedure that conjures some unpleasant images. Making gel from seaweed, however, has a low environmental impact. Cooking with agar-agar takes getting used to, but you’ll find that it’s adaptable to any flavor and fun to experiment with. Use 30 percent more agar-agar when working with an acidic ingredient like orange juice.
