While it might seem like molecular gastronomy has been a technique that is relatively new, this is actually far from the truth. A dish that has been seen since the early 1700s that utilizes molecular gastronomy is actually the french egg dish, soufflée. While that dish utilizes molecular gastronomy, I would not call it odd. I think the most interesting or oddest dish that utilizes molecular gastronomy would have to be vegan egg yolks. While I do not think the dish is particularly odd in its creation, the concept in of itself is an interesting way to not only make a vegan substitute but also provide additional flavors to the dish it is accompanying.
Eggs themselves have such unique qualities that really are not found in foods outside of them. Their spherical shape and membrane have made it difficult to recreate until molecular gastronomy became more popularized. The taste of eggs is so unique, so in the recreation you want to focus on the richness of the yolk because the whites have little flavor of themselves. When using molecular gastronomy to remake egg yolks, you will need vegetable purée, sodium alginate and calcium salt. This particular process is called spherification. First confit your veggies, then make your purée using your choice of vegan milk ,spices, and calcium salt. Combine sodium alginate and water and let sit overnight. Place your purée in a spoon and dip it into your sodium alginate solution , and wow you have vegan egg yolks.
The process of spherification is one that is quite common among chefs that use molecular gastronomy. What I think is so interesting is the options that come with the creation of the purée. As long as you use veggies that would result in an orangish color, you can experiment with the different flavors. They could use butternut squash and make butternut squash carbonara, or they could use tomato confit for bruschetta. I’m really interested in the ways that molecular gastronomy can transform standard foods into something really unique.