How to Make Culinary Foam at Home: 5 recipes to try

Culinary foams have become a little naff, but actually, a well-made and flavoured foam can add an interesting element and texture to a dish. They’ve been around in the kitchen for a long time in versions such as whipped cream or mousse, but have recently been swept up in the molecular gastronomy trend and are often found in savoury versions to decorate dishes or add an extra layer of flavour.

They’re pretty easy to make at home too if you have the right ingredients and equipment: the first thing you need to buy is a siphon.

The six great video recipes below will guide you step by step to how to make culinary foam at home, while ahead of that the first video explains a little about the science behind culinary foams.

Take a look below

Video 1 – Super-Classy Culinary Foam

A whipping siphon, liquid such as juice and the secret ingredient of gelatine are all you need to make culinary foam at home.
The more gelatine, the more protein and the thicker your foam.
Heat the liquid, add the sheets of gelatine and stir until they dissolve.
Chill over an ice bath and pour into your whipping siphon.
Charge the siphon and give it a good shake to create the perfect foam.

Video 2 – Lemon Foam

Ingredients: water, sugar, gelatine, egg white and fresh lemon juice.
Heat the water before dissolving the sugar and silver leaf gelatine into it.
Chill the syrup.
Add the egg white and lemon juice to the cold syrup and blend thoroughly.
Add the mixture to a siphon and charge.
Keep cool and spray away.

Video 3 – Carrot Air with Tangerine Granita

Pour chilled carrot juice into a container and sprinkle in soy lecithin powder before partially covering with plastic wrap.
Blend with a hand blender to create foam.
Scoop off the foam and plate up with the tangerine granita, adding a pinch of cardamom and thyme leaves.

Video 4 – Frozen Parmesan Foam

You will need water, grated parmesan and soy lecithin. Mix well with a hand blender.
Bring to a boil while stirring.
Leave to rest for 10 minutes.
Blend to create foam before scooping it off and freezing for an hour. Serve.

Video 5 – Sweet Milk Foam

Add sugar to glucose, followed by milk and sheets of gelatine soaked in water.
Heat over a medium heat until dissolved before cooling over iced water.
Add chilled ingredients to egg white in a different bowl then strain into a siphon.
Chill for 10 minutes, charge the siphon and get foamy.

Video 6 – Beetroot Foam

Make the beetroot juice in a hand blender and strain through cheesecloth.
Add soy lecithin and blend with a hand blender to create the foam. It’s that easy.