Orange Vanilla Panna Cotta

I've just been experimenting around and decided to make some kind of Panna Cotta layer thingy, also I experimented around with Agar Agar and here's my end result, but it wasn't that great I'll try better next time.

Ingredients:

Orange Jelly:

1 – Sheet Gold Gelatine
¼ tsp – Agar Agar (See Note)
250ml – Orange Juice
50ml – Water
50g – Sugar

Vanilla Panna Cotta:

350ml – Milk
150ml – Cream
100g – Caster Sugar
1 – Vanilla Bean Split and Scraped
2 – Sheets Gold Gelatine
½ - Lemon Peel

Orange Cinnamon Syrup:

200ml – Orange Juice (Strained)
1 – Cinnamon Stick
1 – Star Anise
50g - Sugar

Method:

1. To make the orange jelly, soak the gelatine in cold water and let it sit in the water until it has softened. Place the orange juice in a saucepan and whisk in the Agar Agar until it has combined and then add the sugar, bring the mixture to a boil and then take the gelatine out and squeeze out any excess water, whisk in the gelatine until combined. Pour a small layer of the jelly into desired moulds and let it sit until mixture has set.

2. For the Vanilla Panna Cotta, soak the gelatine in cold water and let it sit until it has softened, then place milk, vanilla bean and lemon peel in a saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil. Mix caster sugar with the cream and pour it in with the hot milk mixture, then take the gelatine and squeeze out any excess water and place in the hot mixture, whisk until combined. Strain the Panna Cotta mixture and let aside to cool. Once Panna Cotta has cooled gently pour a layer of Panna Cotta over the jelly and refrigerate until mixture has set. Repeat steps 1 and 2 until you have 4 layers.

3. To make the sauce, combine all ingredients together in a saucepan and bring to a boil, and then let mixture simmer for 5 minutes or until sauce has thickened and reduced in volume. Let cool in a fridge until ready to use.

4. To assemble streak a line of the sauce in the middle of the plate and take the Panna cotta out of the mould and place it in the centre of the sauce. Drizzle the sauce around the Panna Cotta and place the cinnamon on the plate for garnish and watercress.

Notes:

Agar Agar – is a gelling agent extracted from the red seaweed, the Japanese have been using this for some time. This gelling agent creates a firm, and brittle gel, also it has a high setting temperature it also can stand high temperatures up to 90c.

Gelatine – extracted from animals such as cows and pigs, this is commonly used in jellies and they come in powders and sheets.

Tempering Chocolate

I was playing around with chocolate sometime ago and tried different methods, but none worked so I got sick of it and threw the chocolate on the table and thought to see if the 'Table' Method worked, and so I played around with the chocolate for a bit, spreading it and gathering it then it started to thicken I was shocked and quickly placed it back in the bowl and saw the bits of left over chocolate on the table was set. I grabbed the Acetate and spread the chocolate on the surface of it and it was awesome, and was literally the best day of my life so far.

Steps:

1. Melt chocolate over a Baine Marie in a heat proof bowl, temperature up to 45c until melted.

2. Remove from the heat and make sure temperatures doesn't reach any higher.

3. Pour 2/3 of the chocolate onto a clean cold working surface and with a palate knife and a pastry scraper, spread the chocolate around and gather it back together until chocolate begins to thicken.

4. Quickly place the chocolate back into the bowl and mix.

5. Line Acetate on the table (with a bit of water underneath) and pour the chocolate onto the Acetate, a streak in the center. Spread and wait for it to cool

6. Polish the surface of the chocolate with your palm. Cut into desired shapes with a hot knife, and peel carefully.

.rEy.

Chocolate Mille Feuille

I was reading The Bathers Pavilion cook book by Serge Danserau and felt like chocolate and saw this beautiful looking dessert called the 'Mille Feuille' I googled it and it's a French term meaning 'Thousands of Leaves'. So I gave it a shot, took me a couple of tries to get it right

Ingredients:

Chocolate Sheet-

150g – 70% Dark Chocolate Coverture

Vanilla Pastry Cream-

1 – Vanilla Pod Split and Scraped
4 – Egg Yolks
110g – Caster Sugar
45g – Cornflour
35g – Unsalted Butter
500ml – Milk

Hazelnut Mousse-

Vanilla Pastry Cream (from above)
60g – Unsalted Butter (room temperature)
30g – Hazelnut Paste or Nutella
Icing Sugar to Dust

Method:

1. Melt chocolate in a bain-marie until chocolate reaches 45c and no higher. Remove from the heat and pour half the chocolate over a clean and cold kitchen surface (most preferably marble), spread around with palate knife until chocolate has thicken. Quickly combine the chocolate with the melted chocolate and mix, check the temperature and make sure it is 26C. Spread chocolate on the acetate as thinly as possible and evenly. Once chocolate has set, heat knife with hot running water and wipe off any water, slowly cut through the chocolate to 10x10cm squares. Re-heat the knife and wipe off any excess chocolate on the knife/water, repeat stage until you have enough chocolate squares.

2. To make the vanilla pastry cream, first place the milk and vanilla bean in a saucepan with the pod and bring it up to the boil. Beat egg yolks and sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy, then beat in with the cornflour until it is smoothe. Pour 1/3 of the hot milk mixture to the eggs while whisking thoroughly preventing it from curdling the eggs. Pour the rest of the mixture while whisking and continue cooking until it has thicken. Pour in a shallow container to cool rapidly and place in the fridge until it has cooled down. Use an imersion blender to rid of the lumps and make it more silky.

3. For the hazelnut mousse, whisk in the soft butter with the vanilla pastry cream until smoothe, and then add in the hazel nut paste. Whisk until mixture is smoothe and combined.

4. To assemble, pipe a small dollop of the hazelnut mousse on the middle of the plate and place a sheet of chocolate on top and press down (this will help it to stay still on the plate). Pipe small dollops over the chocolate and place a second layer and repeat step until there are 3 layers of chocolates and 2 layers of mousse. Dust with icing sugar and serve cold.

Notes:

Tempering Chocolate – when tempering chocolate it is crucial that the temperatures are exactly right, this can be used by thermometers (Laser is best) do not over heat the chocolate as it will burn, chocolate should be melted from 30-45c and no higher (depending which kind). A slab of marble is recommended when tempering chocolate with the table method.

Acetate – can be found in art shops and is very useful when used correctly with chocolates, it creates a shine on the surface of the chocolate and smoothness. It also helps to mould and shape the chocolate.

.rEy.