PART A — TARRAGON OIL (MAKE FIRST; NEEDS TO COOL)
1. Blanch the tarragon: Bring a small pot of salted water to a full boil. Drop in the tarragon leaves and blanch for exactly 15 seconds. Immediately transfer to an ice bath. Drain and squeeze thoroughly in a clean kitchen towel to remove as much water as possible. Blanching kills the enzymes that cause the oil to turn brown, preserving the vivid green colour.
2. Blend: Combine the dry blanched tarragon with the neutral oil and salt in a high-powered blender. Blend on the highest setting for 1 full minute until the oil is vibrantly green and warm to the touch.
3. Strain and chill: Pass through a fine-mesh sieve lined with a coffee filter or muslin cloth. Do not press — let gravity do the work for a clear, brilliant oil. Transfer to a squeeze bottle and refrigerate. Can be made up to 3 days ahead.

PART B — GINGER SYRUP
4. Combine and simmer: In a small saucepan, combine sliced ginger, water, sugar, and pandan (if using). Bring to a gentle boil, stirring until sugar dissolves, then reduce to a low simmer. Cook for 20–25 minutes until the syrup is lightly fragrant, ginger-forward, and reduced by roughly a third. The colour should be pale gold.
5. Finish and cool: Remove from heat. Add lemon juice. Strain through a fine sieve, pressing the ginger lightly. Cool completely before serving. Syrup can be made 1 week ahead; refrigerate in a sealed jar.

PART C — NORTON SWEET POTATO FILLING
6. Cook the sweet potato: Peel and cut into large chunks. For the most precise result, cook sous vide at 185°F / 85°C for 45–60 minutes until completely tender. Home alternative: wrap whole in foil and roast at 400°F / 200°C for 50–60 minutes until very soft throughout. Sous vide preserves more natural sweetness and controls moisture precisely, which is important for the Norton variety's drier flesh.
7. Rice and season: Pass the cooked sweet potato through a potato ricer or fine-mesh sieve while still warm — this gives the smoothest filling texture. Stir in butter, brown sugar, salt, white pepper, and grated ginger. Taste: the filling should be gently sweet with a warm, earthy depth. Adjust seasoning carefully.
8. Portion and chill: Roll the filling into balls approximately ¾ inch / 2 cm in diameter — roughly 1½ teaspoons each. You will need one ball per mochi. Place on a parchment-lined tray and freeze for at least 30 minutes until firm. Frozen filling is dramatically easier to encase in mochi dough without breaking through.

PART D — PANDAN MOCHI DOUGH
9. Make pandan liquid: If using fresh pandan leaves, blend 3–4 leaves with 6 tablespoons of water, then strain through a fine sieve to yield vibrant green pandan juice. If using extract, combine 1 teaspoon extract with 6 tablespoons cold water. The colour should be a clear jade green. This liquid forms the base of the dough; additional cold water (up to a further 2 tablespoons) is added as needed in the next step to reach the correct consistency.
10. Mix the dough: In a medium bowl, whisk together glutinous rice flour, sugar, and salt. Add the pandan liquid a tablespoon at a time, mixing with a fork, until the dough comes together into a smooth, soft, pliable consistency similar to Play-Doh. It should not be sticky or crumbly. If it cracks when folded, add water 1 teaspoon at a time; if it sticks to your hands, dust lightly with cornstarch.
11. Steam the dough: Place the dough in a heatproof bowl or divide into a flat disc on a parchment-lined steamer tray. Steam over medium-high heat for 15–18 minutes until the dough is fully cooked through, translucent in colour, and springs back lightly when pressed. Remove from heat and allow to cool until just safe to handle — warm dough is much more pliable and easier to shape than cold.

PART E — SHAPING THE MOCHI
12. Dust your surface: Generously dust a clean work surface and your hands with cornstarch. Divide the steamed dough into equal portions, one per mochi ball, approximately 35–40g each.
13. Flatten and fill: Press each dough portion into a flat disc about 3 inches / 7.5 cm across and at least 4–5mm thick. Place a frozen sweet potato ball in the centre. Gather the edges of the dough up around the filling, pinching to seal completely. Roll gently between your palms into a smooth sphere. Set aside seam-side down on a cornstarch-dusted tray.
14. Keep warm or rest: Shaped mochi are best served within an hour of making. They can be held at room temperature, covered with a damp cloth, for up to 2 hours. Do not refrigerate at this stage — the dough becomes rubbery and loses its silky texture when chilled.

PART F — COCONUT CREAM
15. Season and adjust: Whisk the chilled coconut cream with salt and sugar until smooth and pourable. It should be slightly thinner than whipped cream but still have body. If too thick, add 1–2 teaspoons of warm water and whisk. Keep refrigerated until service.

PART G — ASSEMBLY AND PLATING
16. Warm the syrup: Gently reheat the ginger syrup in a small saucepan until steaming but not boiling.
17. Plate the dish: In each deep bowl or rimmed plate, ladle 2–3 tablespoons of warm ginger syrup to create a shallow pool. Set 1–2 mochi into the syrup. Spoon a generous arc of coconut cream alongside the mochi — not on top, but next to it, so the two components remain visually distinct.
18. Finish with tarragon oil: Using a squeeze bottle or small spoon, dot the tarragon oil around the plate — 5–8 drops of vivid green against the cream and amber syrup. The oil should sit on the surface rather than sink in, creating a scattered-drop pattern. Add fleur de sel, micro tarragon leaves, and optional sliced pandan for garnish.
19. Serve immediately. The contrast between the warm syrup, room-temperature mochi, cold coconut cream, and cool tarragon oil is a deliberate temperature play. Do not let the dish sit before reaching the table.