Most `assiette of chocolate` or multiple chocolate preparations on one plate offer a heavy-dense feeling whilst you are eating and tends to be too rich, this preparation however offers a light subtle approach to each of the textures and flavours allowing the diner to move all the flavours around and enjoy each one in its entirety.
Components
Chocolate crunch
Hot chocolate e’spuma
Basil ice cream
Chocolate and pinenut brownie
Chocolate sauce
Chocolate ganache
Milk chocolate caramel
Basil oil
Chocolate spiral
Chocolate and pinenut brownie
320g egg
420g sugar
400g butter
250g Valrhona Manjari dark chocolate or their Le noir 68%
200g soft flour
275g pinenuts
Whip the butter until soft, melt the chocolate and add to the butter, whisk the eggs and the sugar together but not aerated, mix the pinenuts with the flour. Add the butter and chocolate mix to the egg and sugar then gold in the flour. Bake in the bread tins for 30 minutes at 190ºC, checking after 20 minutes.
Chocolate crunch
150g flour
50g cocoa powder
140g butter
120g sugar
2g salt
6g baking powder
30g almond ground
25g egg
Rub the flour and butter together and add the rest of the ingredients. Mix to a dough. Rest, roll and bake at 180 ºC for 10 minutes. Crumb should harden once cooled.
Hot chocolate e’spuma
300g Milk chocolate
200g hot water
50g Dark chocolate
100g White chocolate
Mel the three chocolates gently over a bain marie. Add the water and mix quickly and thoroughly. Pour the liquid into an e’spuma gun and charge with two C02 cartridges. Place the e’spuma gun in hot water 45 minutes prior to using.
Chocolate Ganache
500g cream
500g milk
250g sugar
400g egg yolks
460g Milk chocolate
4 leaves of gelatine – soaked in cold water
Bring the cream and milk to the boil. Whisk the sugar and egg yolks until light and fluffy. Pour the hot liquid over the eggs/sugar, mix well and return to a gentle heat. Cook until the anglaise thickens (82 ºC) then add the chocolate and gelatine leaves. Allow to set in the fridge overnight before using.
Milk Chocolate Caramel
200g glucose
300g fondant
200g milk chocolate
Mix the glucose and fondant together and take to 155 ºC. Be careful – very hot!! Add the chocolate and mix well off the heat. Spread thinly between two silpats or baking paper and allow to cool before breaking into rustic shards.
Basil ice cream
500g double cream
500g milk
250g sugar
300g egg yolk
1 bunch of basil
Bring the cream and milk to the boil. Whisk the sugar and yolks until light and fluffy. Pour the hot milk and cream over the egg yolks, mix well and return to a gentle heat. Cook until mixture thickens 82 ºC. Pass the anglaise and cool on ice. Allow to mature for 24 hours.
Blitz the picked basil leaves with the anglaise and pass through a sieve. Churn immediately to avoid discolouration. Allow to set in the freezer for at least 2 hours before serving.
Basil Oil
80g basil leaves
150ml vegetable oil
Blanch the basil in boiling water for 30 seconds then plunge into an ice bath to cool immediately. Drain and pat dry the basil leaves before blitzing with the vegetable oil. Hang the mixture in muslin cloth to obtain a clear, green oil.
The Vineyard at Stockcross
Stockcross
Newbury
Berkshire
RG20 8JU
England
