In celebration of the launch of our three new fragrances—collectively titled Othertopias—we collaborated with Steinbeisser, a Dutch experimental gastronomy collective, to develop three unique dishes: one for each fragrance; one for each imagined landscape. Miraceti evokes a battered boat hull wreathed in seaweed; Karst the glimpses of life among the rockpools and cliffs of the shoreline; and Erémia the slivers of wilderness reclaiming a forgotten city. Bold and unorthodox, these recipes deliver a complex, multisensory dining experience befitting their namesake fragrances. Bon appétit.
Othertopias on a plate
This dish evokes the atmosphere of a boat at sea for many years. A sense of the rough, handcrafted and time-worn is evinced through ingredients including whisky, barrel-aged balsamic vinegar and burned cinnamon. The finished product recalls a timber plank, used but still serviceable, covered in paint and resin—the emulsion of root vegetable and grape seed oil—and seaweed.
Ingredients
In spring or summer: 200g chard (if not available use spring cabbage or spinach) In autumn or winter: 200g black cabbage or red kale 50g dulse seaweed (available at seafood markets or online) 40g crema di balsamico 5g fine mustard 2g sea salt 2g ground cinnamon 20mL water 10mL whiskey or scotch 40mL grape seed oil 20mL olive oil 20g salted capers spirulina powder (available at seafood markets, pharmacies or health food stores)
Soak the dulse in fresh water for two hours. Blanch in boiling water until soft, then cool in iced water before draining on a dishcloth. Salt lightly.
Wash the chards; remove hard stalks and cut bigger leaves into halves if necessary. In a mixing bowl, whisk together crema di balsamico, mustard, salt, cinnamon, water and whisky. Add oils slowly but steadily, stirring constantly to form an emulsion.
Drain moisture from capers. Heat the oil to 160°C and deep fry capers until they lose all moisture, then degrease on paper towel.
Prepare a pot for the chard; steam briefly to soften while ensuring they retain their natural shape.
In a pan, heat some oil in a pan on high and fry the dulse in it quickly, just to crisp up the outer surface, then remove from heat.
Pour the emulsion in the centre of a plate or bowl. Mix the still-warm chards and the dulse and season lightly with salt. Serve on top of the emulsion. Dust lightly with the spirulina and garnish with the fried capers.
This dish is inspired by the small signs of life between rocks on the shoreline. Bold mineral ingredients—juniper, pepper and lemon; oyster leaves and salicon—combined with salty foam represent the first gulp of briny sea air on arrival, while aloe vera slices wave like jellyfish or seaweed, offering a pleasingly textural base.
Ingredients
In spring or summer: 500g white or green asparagus In autumn or winter: 500g salsify or palm heart (canned or fresh) 500mg aloe vera 750g sugar 500mL water 10mL apple vinegar 2g salt 2g sugar 3g fresh rosemary 30mL olive oil 50mL water 100g aquafaba from canned white beans 4g salt 50g salicornia, agretti, or oyster leaves 1 sprig juniper Pinch black pepper
Wash the aloe vera. Slice the sides off the leaves and cut them into 8cm pieces, then wash off the slimy liquid. Dry the pieces, then remove the outer layer with a knife, and cut them into long strips about 1cm thick. Wash the aloe vera once more in clear water. Continue to wash the aloe vera, replacing the water as needed, until no longer slimy. You should be left with about 150mL aloe vera gel.
Bring the sugar, vinegar and water to the boil and remove from heat. Add the aloe vera pieces and then replace on the stovetop. Boil gently, then simmer for 10 minutes on high heat. Cool liquid in refrigerator.
If using spring/summer vegetables: peel the asparagus (for green asparagus just peel the bottom half of each stalk). Cut in half lengthwise; salt and sugar them lightly.
If using autumn/winter vegetables: peel the salsify and place in acidulated water to prevent oxidation (this is not necessary if using palm hearts). Cut the salsify in half lengthwise—or, for palm hearts, cut into 1cm slices.
Prepare the rosemary oil by mixing the rosemary leaves and olive oil using a mortar and pestle. Grind the needles until a paste forms. Strain the oil through a fine sieve.
Mix together the water, aquafaba and salt in a measuring cup, and mix with a stick blender at high speed. Position the blender at the liquid’s surface and move it up and down slightly to create a foamy mixture. Allow to rest for a minute before spooning the foam from the top.
Select and wash the greens.
Add pepper and diced juniper.
If using asparagus, steam for about four minutes, or until it reaches your preferred texture. If using salsify or palm hearts, steam for about eight minutes. At the last minute, add the aloe vera strings just to warm them through.
Place the salsify, palm hearts or asparagus on a plate with the aloe, and season with juniper and black pepper. Cover with greens, then drizzle with lemon juice and rosemary oil. Finish with a spoonful of the salty foam—you can use the stick blender to froth once more just prior to serving if needed.
Moving inland beneath a hot blue sky, passing signs of civilisation and forgotten places until you find an oasis: this is the narrative that inspired our third recipe. Fragrant, summery microgreens and blossoms sit atop a hidden source of hydration—lemon granita and basil oil—like a mirage in a desert.
Ingredients
200g lemon (whole) 100g sugar 5g basil 30mL olive oil 250g unripe or white strawberries (or 500g honey melon or galia melon) ginger juice matcha tea powder edible blossoms and wild herbs
Wash the lemons and cut into very thin slices, removing the seeds. Cover in cold water and bring to boil in a non-stick pot or pan. Cook until soft, adding extra water if needed. Add the sugar and let it dissolve, then cook for another 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool. There should be about 500mL of lemon mixture: pour into a flat container and place in the freezer for 30–40 minutes or until frozen.
Prepare the basil oil by mixing the basil leaves and olive oil using a mortar and pestle. Grind leaves until a paste forms. Strain the oil through a fine sieve.
Cut the strawberries in half (if using melon, peel the skin, discard the seeds, and cut the flesh into irregular 2cm cubes).
Transfer fruit to serving plate or bowl, and add the basil oil and ginger juice to taste. Dust with some matcha tea powder and enough granita to cover. Garnish with blossoms and wild herbs to serve.
