Lychee Cocktail with Raspberry Caviar (Caviar Cocktail)

Lychee cocktail suspension (prepare this a day ahead)

1. Drain the Lychee from the lychee can. Set the lychees aside to garnish the drink later.
2. Measure 400mL / 13.5 fl oz of the lychee syrup and mix it with the vodka.
3. Sprinkle in the Xanthan gum, and using a blender or immersion blender, blend the mix until the Xanthan gum has completely dissolved and thickened the drink. Blend it in pulses for about 3 minutes. Pour into a bottle or jug, cover and chill overnight.

To make the Raspberry Caviar solution

1. Pulse the raspberrries (using blender or immersion blender) with 6 tbsp of sugar until it's liquefied. Strain the liquid to remove the seeds.
2. Measure 150mL / 5.1 floz of the raspberry puree and mix it with 100mL / 3.3 floz of distilled water.
3. Sprinkle 1 packet of Sodium Alginate and blend it for about 10 minutes (intermittently) to completely dissolve the additive. You can use your (dry) blender or (dry) immersion blender to do this. Sodium Alginate requires agitation to dissolve, therefore the longer you go, the better it will dissolve and disperse.
4. Cover the solution and let it rest for about an hour in the fridge till you’re ready to use.

Calcium Bath

1. In 4 cups (about 1 liter) of distilled water, sprinkle in 1 packet of Calcium Lactate and stir to dissolve. Calcium lactate is water soluble, so it can be stirred to dissolve completely.
2. Set aside for about 15 minutes (or more), covered, till you’re ready to use.

Assembly

1. Set up two bowls - One for the Calcium bath and another for clean distilled water.
2. Stir the raspberry solution gently just before use, and then use the pipette (from the kit) to drop the solution into the calcium bath, one small drop at a time. Drop the solution from a height of about an inch from the surface of the calcium bath. The droplets should sink to the bottom. You can use the strainer spoon to swirl the caviar in the bath. Leave it for about 1 minute.
3. Strain the caviar out of the calcium bath (using the supplied spoon) and transfer to the water bath. Then from the water bath to the glasses that you will be serving the cocktail.
4. The caviar can be stored for about 15 minutes, after which it will completely gelify and will no longer have a liquid center.
5. Once you have about 1 - 2 tbsp of caviar in each of the glasses (1 tbsp for shot glasses), top it with the lychee cocktail suspension.
6. Serve immediately with a lychee and raspberry garnish!