Recipe: Alinea’s Smoked Paprika Taffy

The Decider’s Emily Withrow attempts to make a single recipe from the Alinea cookbook, Smoked Paprika Taffy, which is one of nine subrecipes in the Kuroge Wagyu dish (ten, if you count plating as a recipe, which we’re tempted to do because it calls for the additional ingredient of: salt). She gets stymied on the acquisition of glucose, resulting in “Total prep time: 5 hours; Total cooking time: 0 minutes.”

If you think you can succeed where Emily didn’t (and trust us, she gave it one hell of a valiant effort), try it yourself:

Smoked Paprika Taffy
From the Alinea cookbook. All rights reserved.

6 red bell peppers
1000 g (2 lb 3.3 oz) canola oil
250 g (8.8 oz) raw pumpkin seeds
kosher salt
15 g (.5 oz) smoked paprika
35 g (1.2 oz) glycerin
40 g (1.4 oz) glucose
200 g (7.1 oz) sugar
200 g (7.1 oz) isomalt
10 g (.4 oz) kosher salt
75 g (2.6 oz) butter

Core and seed peppers and cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) pieces. Juice pepper pieces in juicer. Strain through chinois. Weigh 600 g (1 lb 5.2 oz) juice and reserve.

Pour oil into medium saucepan and heat to 400°F (200°C). Fry pumpkin seeds for about 45 seconds, or until puffed and golden brown. Drain on several layers of paper towels. Season with salt.

Line sheet tray with silicone mat. In saucepan, combine 600 g (1 lb 5.2 oz) red pepper juice, paprika, glycerin, glucose, sugar, isomalt, and 10 g (.4 oz) salt over medium heat and heat to 235°F (113°C). Remove from heat and stir in butter. Pour onto tray and cool for 5 minutes. Add fried pumpkin seeds, coating surface, and press into taffy. Cool to room temperature. Cut into twenty-four 1-inch (2.5-cm) squares. Reserve in covered container.

Oh, and glucose? Plan ahead: we found it on Amazon, under “Health and Personal Care.” Alternately,l just go eat at the restaurant.

Alinea’s cookbook is impossible [The Decider]
The Alinea Cookbook: Reviewed [previously]
Alinea [MenuPages]
Alinea [Official Site]

[Photo: We’re not necessarily saying your kitchen will end up like this, but… via bloo’s Flickr]

Recipe: Alinea’s Smoked Paprika Taffy