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Chocolate de Passion
- Steps
- Ingredients
Ingredients
Strawberry Sorbet
Almond Sponge
Passionfruit Cremeux
Chocolate and Hazelnut Mousse
Raspberry Puree
Passionfruit Puree
Chocolate Spray
Chocolate Curl
Garnishes
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Steps
- Set the blast chiller to -30°C and set the ice cream machine to pre-chill.
- Set the water bath to 35°C.
- Preheat the oven 175°C fan-forced.
- For the Strawberry Sorbet, combine water, sugar and dextrose in a small saucepan. Place saucepan over high heat and bring to a simmer. Remove saucepan from the heat, add the sorbet stabiliser and strawberry liquor and whisk well to combine.
- Transfer the sorbet mixture to a medium bowl and place in blast chiller until mixture reaches 5°C.
- For the Almond Sponge, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat yolks and whole egg to a thick sabayon consistency. Continue whisking, gradually adding the icing sugar on high speed until batter doubles in volume.
- Meanwhile, grease a baking tray (37.5 cm x 25.5cm x 1cm) and line with baking paper. Liberally dust extra icing sugar evenly over the paper-lined tray.
- Sift the almond meal and flour into a medium bowl.
- In the clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites to soft frothy peaks. Whilst whisking, gradually sprinkle the caster sugar in. Beat until soft glossy peaks form.
- Carefully fold the almond mixture into the yolk mixture until just combined. Add one third of meringue to the yolk/almond mixture and fold through. Add the remaining meringue and gently fold until just combined.
- Pour batter onto the prepared tray and spread with an offset palette knife across two thirds of the tray to approximately 1cm thick. Dust the surface of the batter with extra icing sugar.
- Bake at 175°C for 7-9 minutes or until sponge bounces back when gently pressed. Using the baking paper, flip sponge over onto the same tray and carefully remove the baking paper. Gently transfer the sponge to a wire rack, crusty side down and cool at room temperature.
- For the Strawberry Sorbet, measure ½ cup of the sorbet syrup. Combine sorbet syrup and strawberry puree in a small bowl and mix to combine.
- Transfer sorbet mixture to an ice cream machine. Churn until soft serve texture is reached. Remove paddle and place sorbet in the freezer until required.
- For the Passionfruit Cremeux, place the passionfruit puree in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Do not boil.
- Meanwhile, place the gelatine in a medium bowl and cover with water.
- Combine the whole egg, yolks and icing sugar in a medium bowl and whisk by hand until combined. Gradually add the passionfruit puree to the egg/sugar mixture whilst whisking.
- Return the passionfruit mixture to the same saucepan, place over low heat and warm to 85°C or ribbon stage. Pass the passionfruit mixture through a fine sieve into a medium bowl.
- Remove softened gelatine from the water and use your hands to squeeze any excess water out. Add gelatine to the passionfruit mixture and use a stick blender to process through.
- Set the passionfruit mixture aside to cool to 50°C.
- Still using the stick blender, gradually add the butter to passionfruit mixture, processing until mixture is thick, smooth and glossy. Transfer passionfruit mixture to a jug.
- Place 8 x 3cm rectangle silicon moulds on a tray, ensuring the moulds sit flat. Half fill each mould with the Passionfruit Cremeux. Gently tap the tray on the bench to remove large air pockets. Place moulds into the blast chiller until set.
- For the Chocolate and Hazelnut Mousse, place the gelatine in a medium bowl, cover with iced water and set aside to soften.
- Place the milk in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over high heat.
- Combine the egg yolk and caster sugar in a medium bowl and whisk by hand to combine. Add the warm milk and whisk through.
- Transfer the raw anglaise to a small saucepan. Place the saucepan over medium heat and warm to 85°C, occasionally stirring with a spatula.
- Meanwhile, place thickened cream in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Semi whip the cream to very soft peaks or until cream begins to get a little body.
- Transfer ¼ cup of whipped cream to a small bowl and whisk by hand until soft peaks hold their shape. Transfer this cream to a piping bag fitted with a round nozzle, size 12. Set piping bag aside in the fridge until ready to serve.
- Remove the saucepan of cooked anglaise from the heat. Add gelatine and mix through. Add the chocolate and hazelnut paste to the saucepan of anglaise and mix through until melted and smooth. If needed, return the saucepan to low heat and gently warm mixture until the chocolate melts. Transfer chocolate/anglaise mixture to a medium bowl and set aside at room temperature.
- Meanwhile, for the Almond Sponge, cut sponge into 70mm x 25mm rectangle pieces. Generously spoon Grand Marnier over the sponge.
- For the Chocolate and Hazelnut Mousse, ensure chocolate/anglaise mixture is cool. Carefully fold one third of the whipped cream into the chocolate/anglaise mixture. Add the remaining whipped cream and use a spatula to gently fold mixture from the outside edges of the bowl to the inside until just combined.
- Transfer mousse to a piping bag. Remove the rectangle moulds from the blast chiller. Pipe mousse on top of the passionfruit cremeux to almost fill each mould.
- Place 1 sponge rectangle into each mould, gently pressing into the mousse until sponge is flush with the top edge of the mould. Use a large palette knife to scrape excess mousse across the sponge and remove, filling any gaps as needed.
- Gently tap the tray on the bench to remove large air pockets from the mould. Place mould in the blast chiller until set.
- For the Raspberry Puree, combine puree, sugar syrup and agar agar in a small saucepan and bring to the boil over high heat. Reduce the saucepan to medium heat and simmer for 30 seconds, constantly whisking. Transfer puree to a small bowl and cool in the blast chiller until set.
- For the Passionfruit Puree, combine puree, sugar syrup and agar agar in a small saucepan and bring to the boil over high heat. Reduce the saucepan to medium heat and simmer for 1 minute, constantly whisking. Transfer puree to a small bowl and place in the blast chiller until set.
- Meanwhile, for the Chocolate Spray, combine cocoa butter and dark chocolate in a medium bowl. Place the bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water and stir occasionally until melted.
- Transfer the Chocolate Spray into a spray gun. Hang the trigger portion of the gun off the edge of the sous vide machine and place the base into the water to hold at 35°C.
- In a small bowl, combine sliced strawberries, icing sugar and lime zest.
- For the Raspberry Puree, when set, roughly dice and transfer to a small food processor. Blend until smooth, adding a little hot water if needed. Transfer puree to a piping bag and set aside in the fridge until ready to serve.
- For the Passionfruit Puree, when set, roughly dice and transfer to a small food processor. Blend until smooth, adding a little hot water if needed. Transfer puree to a piping bag and set aside in the fridge until ready to serve.
- For the Chocolate Curl, working quickly, pour a small amount of chocolate onto an acetate sheet (9.5cm wide, 20cm long) and use an offset palette knife to spread a thin, even layer. Move the sheet to a clean surface.
- Use a toothed pastry scraper to comb along the chocolate lengthways to create long even lines of chocolate. When the chocolate is beginning to set and has a matte look, with the chocolate on the inside, roll the acetate at a 45°C angle around a large tube of PVC pipe, securing each end with sticky tape. Carefully place wrapped tube on a tea towel lined tray in the fridge to set.
- Place 2 tablespoons of tempered chocolate in a small piping bag. Pipe a large cross on the serving plate.
- Turn the set mousse bars out of the silicon moulds. Use a sharp knife to trim the edges if needed.
- One at a time, place in a spray box on a small wire cake rack. Stir the chocolate spray mixture to make sure all is incorporated. Use the spray gun, held 45cm from the bar, to coat all sides evenly. Place the bar straight onto the serving plate.
- Pipe dollops of each puree onto the serving plate. Pipe small dollops of the reserved cream on top of the bar in a straight line down the centre.
- Arrange three slices of strawberry on the serving plate. Garnish the dish with a few small lemon balm sprigs.
- Remove chocolate curls from the fridge. With careful handling, use a knife to cut the sticky tape. Carefully move the set chocolate down the length of the tube and onto the tea towel. With minimal handling of the chocolate, remove the acetate sheet and gently separate the chocolate curls.
- Scoop the strawberry sorbet and place on top of the strawberries. Place one chocolate curl on the plate.
Notes
To make the Sugar Syrup, combine 120g caster sugar and 120g water in a medium saucepan and simmer over medium heat until sugar has dissolved. Remove saucepan from the heat and set aside to cool. Store for up to 1 month in a sterilised bottle or jar. To temper chocolate, place 150g of finely chopped Valrhona Manjari dark chocolate into a medium metal bowl and place over a saucepan of simmering water. Melt to 40°C. The chocolate should be smooth. Add an additional 50g of finely chopped dark chocolate to the melted chocolate and stir with a spatula to bring the temperature down to 30°C. All chocolate pieces should be melted.