Manjari Passion

Source: Valrhona Chocolate

This complex recipe has a multitude of sub-recipes and may not be operationally feasible to create in your kitchen. To simplify some of the steps, premium sorbet can be substituted for the from-scratch version. And even without a high-level pastry chef, you can use the recipe and presentation as a springboard for developing a signature chocolate dessert of your own.

Steps

1. Prepare Manjari Mousse: Make a dry caramel with sugar; break with 165 g warm cream; temper in yolks to finish for a crème anglaise. Pour mixture over chocolate. Softly whip 647 g cream. Fold into chocolate mixture. Place in piping bag for montage.
2. Prepare Passion Fruit Vanilla Cream: In heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine puree, milk, 150 g cream, sugar and vanilla and scald. Temper in yolks to finish crème anglaise. Add bloomed gelatin and mix until blended. Put mixture into 47°F ice bath. Softly whip 250 g heavy cream. Fold anglaise into cream; pipe into demisphere mold and freeze.
3. Prepare Caramel Cremeux: In a pot, scald vanilla and cream. Make dry caramel with sugar; break with hot cream; temper in yolks to finish crème anglaise. Turn off heat. Add gelatin; stir in rum. Remove vanilla bean; mix until well blended. Funnel mixture into demisphere molds. Freeze.
4. Prepare Cashew Sable: Combine all ingredients in food processor until finely chopped. Spread on baking sheet and toast mixture at 300°F until brown, tossing to ensure even cooking. Set aside.
5. Prepare Caramel Glaze: Bloom gelatin; set aside. Heat cream in a saucepan; stir in sugar and caramelize to medium/dark caramel. Break with hot cream and simmer until caramel is dissolved. Combine cornstarch and water. Add gradually to caramel; bring mixture to a boil for 30 sec. Turn off heat; add gelatin. Strain and cool.
6. Prepare Manjari Sorbet: Cook water and invert sugar on med. heat. In a bowl, combine glucose, sugar and stabilizer. Rain mixture into water. Bring syrup to a rolling boil for 10 sec; add chocolate and sel gris. Mix until well blended; chill in an ice bath. Place mixture in Paco jet to freeze. Spin 30 min. before service.
7. Prepare Chocolate Nougatine: Cook fondant and glucose to a light caramel. Turn off heat; add chocolate. Pour onto silicone baking sheet to cool. Once cooled, transfer to food processor; process nougatine until fine. Sprinkle nougatine back onto baking sheet. Bake at 400°F to create bubble sugar; cool. Break into large pieces and return to 300°F for 20 to 30 sec. Pull sugar unto abstract shapes and set aside in a container with desicant.
8. Prepare Passion Fruit Sauce; Place all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. Set aside.
9. Prepare Pineapple Compote: Cut pineapple in brunoise; add remaining ingredients. Set aside.
10. For service: Put together 1 frozen demisphere of caramel cremeux and 1 frozen demisphere of vanilla passion fruit cream to create 1 full sphere. Pipe Manjari mousse into mold. Insert frozen sphere into center. Cover with more mousse. Freeze.
11. Dip into caramel glaze; place onto glazing rack. Spoon passion fruit sauce onto plate. Place mousse in center of plate; sprinkle cashew sable around it. Dot plate with pineapple compote; make small pile of freeze dried pineapple; place a quenelle of sorbet on top of pineapple. Garnish with chocolate nougatine.