Daintree Chocolate Melting Moment - Chef Recipe by Andrew Wilcox

Ingredients

Chocolate mousse:

600 g (Daintree) chocolate - chopped
10 egg yolks
4 whole eggs
500 g caster sugar
165 mL water
1L double cream

Caramel centre:

500 g caster sugar
300 g butter
200 g brown sugar
1.5L cream

Eucalyptus centre:

2L milk
750mL sugar syrup
300 g washed and picked eucalyptus leaves (squeeze and bruise them just before adding to mix)
Xantham gum (approximately 3-4 tsp )

Milk sorbet:

2L milk
1L sugar syrup
450mL glucose

Method

Notes before starting:

It is essential to have the centres made and chilled in the blast freezer before making your mousse.

To build these, you will need to have your mould lined with cling film so you can immediately assemble when mixes are made.

Notes before making chocolate mousse:

Half portion each mould with mousse and tap down moulds (you only want your particular moulds full 3/4 maximum when complete).
Add filling and push in, just. Blast freeze for 5 minutes (only). Take out and fill the rest evenly and gently tap down again.

Put straight in fridge. These have to be made at least a day before, but they will last well for at least 5 days if covered properly.

Chocolate mousse:

Place the finely chopped chocolate in a stainless-steel bowl and melt it in a double boiler. Remove the chocolate and allow it to cool.

In an electric mixer with the whisk attachment beat the 5 egg yolks and 2 whole eggs until they form the ribbon stage. You need to place a bowl of hot water under the mixing bowl to create the right volume of sabayon. As the sabayon is rising in volume you need to combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan and bring it to the boil till it reaches the thread stage of 120 C.

Once the sugar has reached 120 C,the sabayon should be reaching its peak. Carefully and not to quick, pour the boiling sugar into mixer and beat at high speed for 10 minutes.

When pouring in the sugar make sure that you run it down the inside of the bowl (not hitting the bowl itself) so that it avoids hitting the top of the whisk, otherwise the cooked sugar will spray the inside of the mixing bowl and you won't achieve the required volume you need when folding in the chocolate and cream.

In a stainless-steel bowl beat the double cream until soft peaks form. Make sure not to over whip the cream, you need nice soft peaks and the cream should not be too cold. Carefully fold the melted chocolate into half of the sabayon and then combine the rest of the sabayon mix.

You have to make sure that the melted chocolate is neither too cold nor too hot as this will affect the volume of the base. The chocolate should be at room temperature and it's best to dip your finger into the melted chocolate to test it.

When the chocolate and sabayon are combined, fold in the lightly whipped cream until mixture is fully combined. Pour the pave onto the genoise base and allow to set in the fridge overnight.

Caramel centre:

Caramelise caster sugar slowly, do not allow to crystallise.

When you have a dark caramel add the butter and brown sugar.

Stir and boil then slowly add cream and vanilla and cook out for 5 minutes. Pass and cool.

This is now ready to blast freeze in moulds.

Eucalyptus centre:

Cold infuse the milk with the eucalyptus leaves (for at least 24 hours but no longer than 48 hours) then pass through a fine cloth and mix with sugar syrup and blend with xantham.

Start with 3/4 of the xantham and blend, leave for 10 minutes before deciding on texture as xantham takes at least 10 minutes to hydrate. Get it to the desired ooze then freeze in a mould in freezer.

Milk sorbet:

Melt glucose into sugar syrup by boiling and allow to cool completely before adding to the milk.

Mix well and churn.

Note prior to serving:

Unwrap and place on dish, microplane chocolate all around covering evenly. You will need to get a small pallet and bring some of the fallen chocolate around the sides to stick. Transfer to your a serving plate.

If you get the chance to leave this at room temp for 5-10 minutes before serving, it is even better. To finish, serve with a beautiful elegant quenelle of fresh milk sorbet. Remember to have labelled trays for different flavours.

Recipe provided by Park & Cove