A unique and impressive chocolate delight

Indian Chai Tea Spiced Dark Chocolate "Pot de Crème" with a Citrus and Cardamom Chantilly, and Salted Hazelnut Crumble

Pot de Crème:

Ingredients:

• 1 1/8 Cup of Milk
• 1 Cup of Heavy Cream
• ¾ oz of Chai Tea (preferably from Samovar Tea)
• 5 Egg Yolks
• ½ lb. of Milk Chocolate (Valrhona 40%)
• 1/3 lb. of Dark Chocolate (Valrhona 66%)

Procedure:

1. Gently melt the two chocolates over a bain-marie. While bringing the milk and the cream to a boil, whisk the egg yolks and the sugar together in a bowl. Once your liquid has come to a boil, stir in the chai tea, and cover with plastic wrap, and let sit for 7-8 minutes, then strain into a clean pot. Bring the liquid back to a boil once more, then temper into the egg yolks to prevent curdling of the mixture. On slow heat cook with a spatula until it reaches 180 degrees, or until it coats the back of a spatula cleanly.
2. Once you have your mixture, emulsify it into the chocolate in three steps with the spatula, taking care not to add too many air bubbles, and in the last step mix with an emersion blender. Transfer into a container, with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. This can be made up to 5 days in advance, and will keep well.

Citrus Cardamom Cream Ingredients:

• 2 Cups of Heavy Cream
• 2 oz of Sugar
• Zest of ½ an Orange
• ½ Teaspoon of Good Quality Green Cardamom Powder
• 1/8 Teaspoon of Good Quality White Cardamom Powder ( can be found in Indian stores)

Procedure:

1. Place everything in a kitchen aid mixer and whisk until it holds firm peaks, but not over whipped. Refrigerate.

Salted Hazelnut Crumble Ingredients:

• ½ lb. of Flour
• ½ lb. of Butter in cubes, cold
• ½ lb. of Sugar
• ½ lb. of Almond Flour (can be found in most gourmet stores)
• ½ cup of chopped hazelnuts
• 2 teaspoons of Kosher Salt

Procedure:

1. Put all of the ingredients except for the butter into the kitchen aid, and mix. While the paddle is mixing the dry ingredients, throw in the cold cut butter cubes, just barely it comes together. Crumble the dough onto a cookie pan, and freeze in chunks, then bake in a 325 degree oven until golden brown and crumbly. The freezing will help them to maintain their shape in the baking process.

Composition:
With a piping bag, pipe the custard into dishes of your choice until they are about ¾ " off the top. 3-4 oz per serving is ample. Make a smooth surface on top. With a hot spoon, make a quenelle of the whipped Chantilly on top of the pot de crème, and top with the salty crumble.

RELATED LINKS:

The 22nd Annual Star Chefs & Vintners Gala
Sunday, May 17, 2009
>> http://www.mowsf.org/events.html

Taste Catering
>> http://www.tastecatering.com