Tonka bean panna cotta, dark chocolate & salted caramel foam
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1hr 10
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
For thepanna cotta
-350ml double cream
-75g caster sugar
-½ tonka bean, finely grated
-1 gelatine leaf (bronze)
For the Amaretto gel
-100ml Amaretto
-1 gelatine leaf
-Juice ½ lemon
-25g caster sugar
For the dark chocolate mousse
-62.5g caster sugar
-30g water
-1 egg yolk
-1 egg
-75g dark chocolate (at least 68%)
-125g double cream
-5g cocoa nibs, to garnish
For the cocoa soil
-25g caster sugar
-25g ground almonds
-15g plain flour
-12.5g cocoa powder
-17.5g unsalted butter, melted
For the salted caramel foam
-200g caster sugar
-2-3g fine sea salt
-200ml water
-2g lecithin
For the almond tuile
-150g caster sugar
-50g blanched almonds
METHOD
- For the panna cotta, soak the gelatine leaf in cold water until softened. In a pan, combine the sugar, cream and Tonka bean in a pan and bring up to the boil. Squeeze any excess water from the gelatine leaf, add to the cream mix and combine until completely dissolved. Pass through a fine sieve and carefully pour into serving bowls. Set in the fridge.
- For the Amaretto gel, soak the gelatine in ice water until softened. In a pan warm through the Amaretto, sugar and lemon juice. Squeeze any excess water from the gelatine and add to the pan and stir until it has completely dissolved. Pass the mix through a fine sieve and set in a small glass bowl in a fridge for an hour.
- For the dark chocolate mousse, break the chocolate into pieces and melt over a bainmarie. Mix the water and sugar together in a pan and bring to the boil. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolk and eggand then gradually pour over the sugar syrup whisking continuously until the egg mixture is warm. Pour in the melted chocolate and fold through until well combined. Set in the fridge for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a clean bowl, whisk the cream until thick but not holding peaks. Fold this through the chilled chocolate mix until complete mixed through. Transfer to a small glass bowl and set in the fridge for at least half an hour.
- For the cocoa soil, preheat the oven to 140˚C.Using a kitchen aid, mix all the dry ingredients until evenly distributed and then pour over the melted butter and mix until thoroughly combined. Spread the soil onto a baking tray and bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool on the tray.
- For the salted caramel foam, heat the sugar in a pan until it caramelises and is a light golden brown. Add the water and salt and stir until thoroughly combined. Add the lecithin and blitz with a bamix to emulsify. Pass through a fine sieve and reserve in a metal jug/ small saucepan.
- For the almond tuile, caramelise the sugar in a saucepan until golden brown. Add the almonds and cook for 2 minutes. Spread onto a silicon mat and leave to cool for 20 minutes. Blitz in a Thermomix and then sieve the mix onto a silicon lined baking sheet and cook in a preheated oven at 160˚C for approximately 6 minutes or until melted.
- To plate, place the panna cotta on the centre of the plate. Using a hot spoon, scoop/ take a roche of the chocolate mousse and place just off centre. Spoon the cocoa soil over the mousse and panna cotta. Finish the mousse with ½ teaspoon of cocoa nibs sprinkled over and finally add 5 teaspoons of the Amaretto jelly randomly around the plate.