Chive Rocks

This has become my favorite garnish for consomme. They actually look like little rocks sitting in the bottom of a pond. I use the cold oil method to make them. 1# of chives are blanched and shocked. They are then placed in a blender with a little water, honey and salt. I add a small amount of xantham to help keep the mixture emulsified. I then use a ration of .45% agar to the the weight of the puree. I then cook the mixture until it comes to a boil

We then place a bowl of oil over a bowl of liquid nitrogen. This will get the oil cold enough to set the shape of the rocks

The chive puree gets dropped into the frozen oil using a squeeze bottle with most of the top removed. I let the puree sit for about 30 seconds. I will then gently push the side of the bowl giving me a rock like shape instead of a sphere. The rocks keep the flavor and color for up to 5 days when they are submerged in oil. They will be rinsed in hot water before being place in the consomme bowl