Recipes from an Islandmix. Chef José Rojano. Gran Canaria.

This is how ice cream “egg” ‘trompe-l’oeil’ with manga “chips” and strawberry “ketchup”, by José Rojano, is made

FIRST STEPS
Ingredients to serve 4 people

2 mangas
Valsequillo strawberry puré
Yoghourt ice-cream

Egg, chips and ketchup trompe-l’oeil dessert

COOKING METHOD

Peel the mangas and make 4 semicircles with the aid of a hole puncher and place to one side. Cut up the rest of the manga in the shape of chips.

With a mould make four circles to simulate egg white.

Cut up the strawberries and blend with a food mixer to make a pulp.

To put everything together, place the yoghourt ice cream onto a dish and the semi-sphere moulds of the manga as if it were the egg yolk. We add the manga chips and pour on the strawberry puré ketchup all over.

Download recipe [PDF - 359 KB]

THE CHEF’S INSPIRATION

Chef José Rojano gets his inspiration from manga fruits from Mogán and strawberries from Valsequillo to present us with this highly visually attractive dessert, using the creative technique of the ‘trompe-l’oeil’, or optical illusion.

A ‘trompe-l’oeil’ is made to play with the diner’s visual interpretation, making it look like something it is not. The aim of the chef by using this culinary technique is to have fun and provide a surprise, but not deceive, his client, using maximum creativity in his recipe.

Who is José Rojano?

José Rojano Carrillo, a chef from Elgoibar, Guipuzcoa, studied cooking at the Escuela de Hostelería de Vitoria and, after training at different restaurants on the mainland, he made the leap to Gran Canaria.

On his journey around the island, he ran the kitchens at a series of restaurants including La Rotonda, Atlántico, La Casita, Madrás and the Maspalomas Golf Club restaurant, before becoming executive chef at La Terraza restaurant in the emblematic Hotel Santa Catalina.

While directing the hotel's kitchens, José received recognition from the Repsol Guide, being nominated for three Suns. In addition, following his many years of experience, he set up his own project, Alma Catering, offering high quality cuisine services.

At the same time as he was maintaining his catering services at the Hacienda del Buen Suceso and Jardín de la Marquesa, in Arucas, where he worked as Executive Chef, José took over the kitchen management of the Bodegón del Pueblo Canario, a historic and emblematic restaurant in the capital of Gran Canaria, which reopened its doors in September 2019.

Our 11th 'dish-enhancing' secret ingredient

The region of Valsequillo is the star-studded capital of the strawberry in the Canary Islands. The municipality organizes its ‘Strawberry Day' every year, attracting many sweet-tooth enthusiasts and pastry makers along to this sensational product. There are 10 plantations alone in Valsequillo dedicated to the painstaking process of strawberry production. The end product is small in size, and is high quality and has a great taste thanks to the climatic conditions here. Further information at the Valsequillo Tourism website

The making of 'Islandmix' also features the collaboration of Gran Canarian potter Gustavo García Cruz.
You can learn all about his work on this fanpage plus his INusuall brand and his comtemporary pottery pieces.

Further information about local craftsmen and women can be found on the FEDAC official website.