Friday, March 05, 2004
Le recette de chocolat
or, The Recipe of the famous and most talked about Chocolate Dessert this side of Paris. I'm talking about Bittersweet Chocolate Marquise with Orange Creme Anglaise. The original recipe was by Emeril Lagasse, you know who he is. Mine is slightly modified for your tasting pleasure. This is a make-ahead dessert, that chills in the refrigerator overnight. Music provided by the Turtle Island String Quartet. Officially sanctioned by the women of the Bellingham High School Class of '73 Reunion Committee and my sister-in-law.
The Bittersweet Chocolate Marquise
Ingredients:
1 pound bittersweet chocolate, chopped
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces (do NOT use salted butter!)
1 cup chopped, toasted pistachios
1 cup cold heavy cream (8 oz)
Orange Creme Anglaise, recipe follows
Candied almond slivers, recipe follows
Lightly oil a 6-cup loaf pan and line it with plastic wrap. Set aside.
In the top of a double boiler or in a metal bowl set over a pan of simmering water, combine the chocolate and butter. Melt until smooth, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and fold in the pistachios. Set aside and let cool.
Using an electric mixer in a bowl, beat the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Whisk about 1/3 of the cream into the cooled chocolate, then gently fold in the remaining whipped cream. Pour the chocolate mixture into the loaf pan, smoothing the top with a rubber spatula. Cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight.
To serve, unwrap the pan, invert onto a serving platter and shake gently to release. Remove the plastic wrap from the top and let sit at room temperature about 15 minutes or so to soften. Slice into 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch slices and serve with the Orange Creme Anglaise on the side, and garnish with the candied almond slivers.
Orange Creme Anglaise
Ingredients:
2 cups half-and-half (16 oz)
1 1/2 teaspoons fine Vanilla extract (I use Madagascar vanilla)
1 teaspoon fresh grated orange zest
6 large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons orange-flavored liquor (I used Grand Marnier)
In a medium saucepan, bring the half-and-half, vanilla and orange zest to a simmer over medium-high heat. Remove from heat.
In a medium bowl, whish together the egg yolks and sugar until thick and strands or ribbons form, about 3-4 minutes. Gradually whisk in about 3/4 cup of the hot half-and-half and whisk until well incorporated. Add the egg mixture to the saucepan with the remaining half-and-half and cook, stirring, over medium heat until it forms a thick custard, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and strain into a clean bowl set into an ice bath to cool it quickly. Add the orange liquor and stir to combine.
Cover with plastic wrap, pushing down on the surface to prevent a skin from forming, and refrigerate overnight. This yields about 2 1/2 cups.
Candied Almond Slivers
Ingredients:
1/2 cup almond slivers
1/2 cup sugar
Heat a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the almonds and lightly toast, stirring. Add the sugar and cook, stirring until the sugar melts and the almonds are evenly coated. Transfer to a foil-lined baking sheet, stirring to separate the nuts. Let cool.
So, there you have it, and the results are spectacular for an elegant chocolate dessert. Let me know how you served it. Good luck.
Bon Appetit!
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The Bittersweet Chocolate Marquise
Ingredients:
1 pound bittersweet chocolate, chopped
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces (do NOT use salted butter!)
1 cup chopped, toasted pistachios
1 cup cold heavy cream (8 oz)
Orange Creme Anglaise, recipe follows
Candied almond slivers, recipe follows
Lightly oil a 6-cup loaf pan and line it with plastic wrap. Set aside.
In the top of a double boiler or in a metal bowl set over a pan of simmering water, combine the chocolate and butter. Melt until smooth, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and fold in the pistachios. Set aside and let cool.
Using an electric mixer in a bowl, beat the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Whisk about 1/3 of the cream into the cooled chocolate, then gently fold in the remaining whipped cream. Pour the chocolate mixture into the loaf pan, smoothing the top with a rubber spatula. Cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight.
To serve, unwrap the pan, invert onto a serving platter and shake gently to release. Remove the plastic wrap from the top and let sit at room temperature about 15 minutes or so to soften. Slice into 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch slices and serve with the Orange Creme Anglaise on the side, and garnish with the candied almond slivers.
Orange Creme Anglaise
Ingredients:
2 cups half-and-half (16 oz)
1 1/2 teaspoons fine Vanilla extract (I use Madagascar vanilla)
1 teaspoon fresh grated orange zest
6 large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons orange-flavored liquor (I used Grand Marnier)
In a medium saucepan, bring the half-and-half, vanilla and orange zest to a simmer over medium-high heat. Remove from heat.
In a medium bowl, whish together the egg yolks and sugar until thick and strands or ribbons form, about 3-4 minutes. Gradually whisk in about 3/4 cup of the hot half-and-half and whisk until well incorporated. Add the egg mixture to the saucepan with the remaining half-and-half and cook, stirring, over medium heat until it forms a thick custard, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and strain into a clean bowl set into an ice bath to cool it quickly. Add the orange liquor and stir to combine.
Cover with plastic wrap, pushing down on the surface to prevent a skin from forming, and refrigerate overnight. This yields about 2 1/2 cups.
Candied Almond Slivers
Ingredients:
1/2 cup almond slivers
1/2 cup sugar
Heat a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the almonds and lightly toast, stirring. Add the sugar and cook, stirring until the sugar melts and the almonds are evenly coated. Transfer to a foil-lined baking sheet, stirring to separate the nuts. Let cool.
So, there you have it, and the results are spectacular for an elegant chocolate dessert. Let me know how you served it. Good luck.
Bon Appetit!
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