Crispy Tapioca Buttermilk Tuile

If a picture says a thousand words, then the following pictures are self explanatory. As with grandma's type recipes, technique is more important than proportions. Here are a few tips.

A crispy tuile usually relies on a high saturated fat content such as butter or lard. To produce a crispy low fat tuile, a high starch, glutten-free flour, namely tapioca starch, is used. Egg white is added to bind the starch in place of gluten found in wheat flour.



The batter for the tuile is a simple slurry of buttermilk, egg white and tapioca starch, mixed together with a fork.



Buttermilk commonly comes in a thickened cultured form, in which case, add water or milk to create a pouring consistency. There is no need to whisk the egg white, as clever control of steam bubbles can make a puffy or less puffy, crispy tuile.



Pour about 3 teaspoon of the slurry into an unheated waffle iron. As the waffle iron heats up, wait for the slurry to go translucent jelly-like and then opaque white before closing the lid. By doing so, the tuile retains its shape better without the steam bubbles puffing it out of shape. If required, remove the tuile half way through cooking for shaping, in which case complete cooking in an oven. For mille feuille, make the sheets with a crepe maker or a press.



For a serving suggestion, try Noodle Cook's honey glazed baked apple and poached date Paper Chef #7 creation.