• Prechill blast freezer to -40°C.
• Preheat oven to 160°C fan-forced.
• Preheat dehydrator to 35°C.

Almond Praline Parfait

• For the Almond Praline Parfait, place a medium saucepan ½ filled with water on medium heat to boil.
• Bloom gelatine in a bowl of iced water then squeeze out and set aside in a small bowl. Reserve iced water.
• Crush cardamom pods with the flat blade of a knife.
• In a small microwave proof bowl, melt dark chocolate in 30 second increments, stirring between each.
• In a saucepan, gently heat cream (A), crushed cardamom and salt.
• Remove cream from heat, add bloomed gelatine leaves, and whisk.
• Strain cream mixture over melted chocolate and whisk until emulsified.
• Add the praline and stir through to combine.
• In a medium metal bowl, whisk together the egg whites and sugar. Set over the saucepan of boiling water. Heat to 40C, whilst whisking.
• Transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk on high to create a stiff Swiss meringue.
• ⅓ at a time, with a spatula, fold the meringue into the chocolate mixture.
• In another bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip cream (B) to soft peaks and fold through chocolate meringue mixture. Then gently fold through crushed roasted almonds.
• Transfer to large piping bag and snip the end.
• Line a large baking tray with baking paper then set the 5cm cube mould on top. Pipe to fill each cube mould, then flatten the top with an offset palette knife.
• Transfer to blast freezer for approximately 40 minutes.

Chocolate Tower Biscuit

• In a microwave proof bowl, melt P125 chocolate in 30 second increments.
• Transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and combine with butter.
• Sieve icing sugar and salt and mix through, then with the motor still running add whisked egg to combine.
• Add plain flour (A) and mix through.
• Then add plain flour (B), scraping down the bowl if required and bring together into a ball.
• Divide dough in two, then place one portion of dough between two sheets of baking paper, and using a rolling pin, roll out to 2mm thick. Discard remaining.
• Transfer to a 40cm x 30cm flat tray, blast freeze for 5 minutes. Then transfer to the fridge.

Milk Chocolate Caramel Mousse

• For the Milk Chocolate Caramel Mousse, prepare a 7cm donut mould on a flat lined baking tray.
• Bloom gelatine in iced water then squeeze out and set aside in a small bowl.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, briefly whip cream (A) to the consistency of thickened cream and set aside in the fridge.
• In a small saucepan over low heat, heat cream (B) with vanilla seeds and pod until just simmering. Strain back into a saucepan with a lid and keep warm on the bench.
• Make a dry caramel with caster sugar by sprinkling the caster sugar evenly over the base of a small saucepan and placing over low heat to caramelize. When the edges start to caramelize, bring them towards the middle of the saucepan with a spatula and then continue stirring to encourage the sugar crystals to dissolve. When the caramel is an even, light, amber colour, remove from the heat.
• Whilst whisking, add warm vanilla infused cream to caramel and combine until smooth. Place saucepan over ice bath to cool mixture slightly.
• Add yolks to a medium bowl, then whilst whisking, slowly pour caramel over yolks. Transfer back to a small saucepan and cook over medium heat to 82°C.
• Add bloomed gelatine and whisk to melt through.
• Meanwhile, roughly chop milk chocolate. Melt in the microwave until half melted, in 30 second increments, stirring in between.
• Pour hot caramel mixture over chocolate and whisk to make an emulsion. Add a touch of semi-whipped cream (A) to stabilise. Place saucepan over ice bath to cool mixture slightly.
• Ensure temperature of mixture is below 45°C, then fold through the rest of semi-whipped cream (A).
• Transfer to a large piping bag, then snip end and fill each round of the 7cm donut mould with the chocolate caramel mousse, ensuring the donut hole is covered and the surface is flattened with a small offset palette knife.
• Transfer to the blast freezer to freeze.

Chocolate Tower Biscuit (Contd.)

• To finish the Chocolate Tower Biscuit, line a 30cm x 40cm flat baking tray with a perforated silicon mat.
• Remove rested dough from fridge, then using a 7cm ring cutter, cut at least 4 circles from the dough and transfer to the lined tray.
• Add the remaining rolled dough offcuts to the tray, lay flat and cover tray with another perforated mat and bake at 160°C for 8 minutes.
• Remove and allow to cool at room temperature.

Parfait Meteor

• Line a small pizza tray with baking paper.
• To form the Parfait Meteor, with gloved hands, remove a Frozen Almond Praline Parfait from mould and using a paring knife, trim off 7 edges of the cube, reserving the edges.
• Then, stick the edges back on in irregular places to create an organic rocky meteor shape. Use the Parisian scoop or paring knife to create divots and crevices in the Parfait Meteor, then smooth the shape over by hand.
• The finished shape should be no wider than 7cm across and no higher than 7cm high. One parfait meteor is required.
• Return parfait meteor on lined tray to the blast freezer until required.

Chocolate Balloon

• For the Chocolate Balloon, line a medium baking tray with baking paper and place 3 heavy metal rings standing upright on top.
• Blow up and tie at least 3 balloons to 11cm in diameter. Set aside on lined tray.
• In a small mortar and pestle, crush the reserved biscuit offcuts and set aside in a small metal bowl.
• Prepare a marble slab on the coolest section of the bench.
• Use the tabling process to temper the chocolate for the Chocolate Balloon. First place the dark chocolate in a large microwave safe bowl and microwave in 30 second increments to melt and reach 45°C, stirring between each.
• Pour approximately two thirds of the chocolate onto the marble slab and set the remaining chocolate aside. With a large offset palette knife and a chocolate scraper, spread the chocolate across the marble and scrape it back together. Continue moving chocolate around until the temperature reaches 26°C.
• Transfer this chocolate, avoiding any firmly set chocolate along the edges of the marble, back into the reserved bowl of chocolate and mix until uniform in consistency. The combined chocolate should be 31°C and tempered. If not, repeat the tabling process until the temperature drops. If the overall temperature of chocolate exceeds 35°C then warm to 45°C and start the tempering process again.
• Pour the tempered chocolate into a medium microwave safe bowl.
• Using gloved hands and holding a blown-up balloon by the tie, dip into the tempered chocolate, bouncing the balloon up and down until covered completely up to the tie.
• Quickly sit the chocolate balloon, tie end down, on a heavy metal ring to set, allowing the chocolate to drip down over the ring.
• Then use gloved hands to roughen the texture of the chocolate balloon and patch any immediately visible thin parts or holes.
• Add 50g tempered chocolate to the crushed biscuit crumbs, mix through then, avoiding the top of the chocolate balloon, rub some of the mixture over the middle section to create texture to the surface. Repeat with other balloons.
• Carefully transfer tray of dipped chocolate balloons to the fridge to set.
• Once the chocolate balloons have just begun to set, gently heat a 4mm ring cutter with the heat gun, dip the rolled circular edge into some tempered chocolate and use the circle to imprint a light crater into the surface of each chocolate balloon.
• The chocolate balloons require at least 10 minutes in the fridge to set.

Parfait Dip

• For the Parfait Dip, place white chocolate and cocoa butter in the cannister of a stick blender and melt in the microwave in 30 second increments until mostly melted, then blend with a stick blender to melt the cocoa butter completely.
• In a small glass bowl, weigh out the white colour powder on the microscales, then add the measure of black colour powder.
• Add to the cocoa butter mixture and emulsify with stick blender. The dip should be 35°C.
• With gloved hands, place a skewer into the tip of the frozen Parfait Meteor, then submerge into the dip. Remove skewer and use gloved hands to roughen the texture of the meteor. Transfer back on lined tray to the freezer.

Chocolate Balloon (Contd.)

• Line a tray with baking paper. Place an orange silicon 7cm dome mould on the tray and set aside.
• Once chocolate has set, to remove the heavy metal ring and pop the balloon, heat an 8mm metal ring cutter with a heat gun.
• Supporting the balloon upright in one hand, lift the ring cutter up and over the other ring with your other hand, making contact with the base of the chocolate balloon and twisting carefully to cut through the chocolate and balloon. The balloon should pop and retract inside the balloon, separating from the chocolate. One chocolate balloon is required for plating.
• Still supporting the chocolate balloon in one hand, remove the rings and the cut-away part.
• Ensure the cut edges of the chocolate balloon are set before placing it cut-side down on the silicon dome-lined tray. Repeat with the other chocolate balloons if required.

Cherry Compote

• For the Cherry Compote, dice cherries into medium dice and set aside.
• In a small saucepan over medium low heat, heat cherry purée, glucose, salt and scraped vanilla seeds.
• In a small bowl, whisk together caster sugar and pectin. Add to heated purée and bring to boil whilst whisking.
• Add diced cherry and stir gently until cherries begin to release their juice and are just cooked. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside in the fridge to cool.

Silver Lustre Spray

• Combine the silver metallic powder and food grade ethanol in a small jug and keep a spoon in the jug for re-stirring.
• Transfer parfait meteor on lined tray to turntable at spray booth.
• Remove clean IWATA airbrush from warmer, pour metallic mix into the chamber of airbrush.
• Spray highlights to the rocky edges of the parfait meteor then transfer on lined tray to freezer.
• Return IAWATA airbrush to warmer.

Coloured Cocoa Butter

• Place cocoa butter in the cannister of a stick blender and melt in the microwave in 30 second increments until mostly melted, then blend with a stick blender to melt the cocoa butter completely.
• For the White Cocoa Butter, place 100g melted cocoa butter in the cannister of a stick blender, add white colour and emulsify together with stick blender. Set aside.
• For the Black Cocoa Butter Spray, place 100g melted cocoa butter in the cannister of a stick blender, add black colour and emulsify together with stick blender. The colour mixture should be 35C when sprayed.
• For the Red Cocoa Butter Spray, place 100g melted cocoa butter in the cannister of a stick blender, add red colour and emulsify together with stick blender. The colour mixture should be 35C when sprayed. Use heat gun to warm if required.
• Line a pizza tray with baking paper. Place the chocolate balloon onto the paper lined pizza tray and transfer to the spray station with the black and red cocoa butter sprays.
• Fill the chamber of an IAWATA airbrush with the black cocoa butter spray. Place the tray holding the chocolate balloon on the turntable and make abstract vertical lines and highlights with the spray. Tip out remainder of spray back into cannister.
• Fill the same chamber of the IAWATA airbrush with the red cocoa butter spray. Place the tray holding the chocolate balloon on the turntable and make abstract highlights with the spray around the middle and top of the chocolate balloon. Tip out remainder of liquid back into cannister.
• Re-attach IWATA airbrush used for silver lustre spray, pour silver lustre mix into the chamber of airbrush.
• Spray subtle silver highlights around the chocolate balloon.
• Empty out remainder of liquid back into jug.
• Return airbrushes to tray in dehydrator.
• Return chocolate balloon to bench and pour a small amount of white cocoa butter into a small glass bowl. Use a sponge to add white meteor-like highlights to finish the chocolate balloon.
• Transfer sprayed chocolate balloon back to bench until required.

To begin Assembly

• Unmould frozen chocolate mousse ring, add chocolate tower biscuit round to flat side, then flip over. Transfer to the middle of the serving plate.
• Weigh 30g whiskey into small flambé pot and set aside.
• Place a heaped teaspoon of the cherry compote into the chocolate mousse ring.
• Place the parfait meteor on top of the cherry compote.
• Top with the sprayed chocolate balloon.
• To serve, over low heat in a small silver flambé pot, gently heat the whiskey.
• Using a barbeque gas lighter, flame the whiskey in the pot, then pour slowly over the top of the plated Chocolate Meteor.