CAPRESE BONBON

What do you do when you have leftovers in the kitchen?! Make chocolate of course. When there are spaghetti staff meal leftovers (basil stems, parmesan rinds, tomato passata) and bits of broken crostini used for cheese plates why not use them up! As presented during my Hands-On Demo at the last year’s Star Chef’s International Chef’s Congress in New York.

Tomato Pâte de Fruit

53 g sugar, granulated

11 g pectin, yellow

400 g tomato, purée

132 g tomato, juice

440 g sugar, granulated

105 g glucose, liquid, DE60

12 g citric acid, liquid (1:1 acid:water)

Q.S. pepper, espelette, ground

Q.S. pepper, black, ground

1. Mix the yellow pectin with the 53 g of sugar.

2. Slowly heat the purée, juice, both peppers to taste, and the 440 g sugar.

3. At around 50 oC whisk the pectin sugar mixture into the fruit mixture and bring to the boil.

4. Continue cooking this mixture until it measures 75 oBrix on a refractometer or 107 oC.

5. Immediately remove from heat and mix in the citric acid solution.

6. Pour immediately into a 4 mm deep x 34 cm x 34 cm frame set on top of a silicone mat. Set aside to Cool

Basil, Parmesan, and EVOO Ganache

10 g basil, fresh

25 g Parmeggiano Reggiano, rind

Q.S. salt, kosher

280 g cream, 35% (plus more as needed)

25 g extra virgin olive oil (Arbequina or something grassy/green and bold)

45 g glucose, liquid, DE60

450 g white chocolate, Valrhona Opalys, meltedGra

45 g cacao butter

1. Bring the cream, basil, parmesan, and salt just to a boil. Cover and let infuse at least 30 minutes. Overnight is best to extract as much flavour as possible.

2. Melt the chocolate, cocoa butter, and olive oil to 40 oC.

3. Strain out the solids and add enough cream back to the infused liquid to bring the weight back up to 280 g total. Add a pinch of salt and bring just to a boil.

4. Gradually add the hot infused cream to the melted chocolate mixture. Mix from the center with a rubber spatula to create a shiny and elastic core. This texture must be maintained throughout. The mixture’s temperature must always be above 34.5 oC to achieve proper emulsion. Use an immersion blender to complete the emulsion being careful not the incorporate air into the mixture. Set aside to cool.

5. When the mixture reaches 30 oC pour the ganache on top of the cooled pâte de fruit layer into a second 4 mm deep x 34 cm x 34 cm frame.

6. Leave to crystallize for at least 24 hrs at room temeprature.

Finishing

Q.S. sourdough crostini pieces

Q.S. white chocolate, Valrhona Opalys, tempered

Q.S. dark chocolate, Valrhona Equatoriale, tempered

Q.S. balsamic sea salt

1. Pre-coat both the top and bottom of the slab with a thiny layer of tempered white chocolate (will not splinter like dark chocolate).

2. Cut the slabe into 22.5 mm x 22.5 mm squares (or whatever size is required) using a guitar cutter or very carefully with a chef’s knife and ruler.

3. Separate the squares and adhere a small piece of sourdough on the top with a dot of tempered white chocolate. Let the squares rest at room temperature at least 2 hours before dipping (overnight is best) sot hat they form a crust to help maintain their shape and sharp edges.

4. Dip the squares into the dark chocolate (or run through enrobing line).

5. Decorate the tops directly with a pinch of balsamic sea salt.

6. Leave to crystallize fully at room temperature.

YIELD: approx 228 pieces of 22.5 mm x 22.5 mm enrobed bonbons