It’s not an easy task, but if you are looking for a kitchen challenge the bags of flavour in this sweet yet refreshing dessert will compensate you in the end.
For the Strawberry gel:
500ml strawberry puree
125ml water
325g caster sugar
40g dextrose
15g citrus acid
15g yellow pectin
Method:
1. Bring the strawberry puree to 40°C. Stir in the dry ingredients, except for the pectin and 100g of the sugar.
2. Once it has reached boiling, stir together the pectin and 30g of sugar and add to the puree. Allow to boil to 105°C and whisk in the citrus acid.
3. Remove from heat, then pour a small amount into a bowl and place into the refrigerator to rest.
For the Cara Crakine crunch:
200g dark chocolate (Venezuela Cacao Barry)
200g Cara Crakine Cacao Barry
50g black sesame seeds
Method:
1. Melt the chocolate and Cara Crakine together over a bain-marie.
2. Take off the heat and add in the sesame seeds and mix together until smooth.
3. Thinly roll out the crunch between two sheets of baking paper.
4. Place onto a tray and out into the freeze until solid.
For the Rose and French vanilla tea mousse:
625ml milk
270g egg yolks
125g sugar
25g gelatine
1L cream, semi-whipped
50g Rose and French vanilla tea leaves
Method:
1. Make an anglaise with the milk, yolks, and sugar.
2. Add the gelatine and the tea leaves and allow to infuse for 8 minutes.
3. Strain the anglaise and allow to cool over an ice bath.
4. When cool, fold in the cream.
For the Joconde sponge:
375g whole eggs
375g icing sugar
375g almond meal
100g plain flour
375g egg whites
25g caster sugar
40g butter, melted
Method per tray (780g):
1. Pre-heat the oven to 210°C. In an electric mixer whisk the eggs and icing sugar to a cold sabayon.
2. While the eggs are whisking, start to whisk the whites in a separate bowl. When the whites start to become fluffy add in the caster sugar. Whisk until soft peaks form.
3. Take off the machine and fold in the almond meal and plain flour, by hand. Then fold in the meringue, followed by the melted butter.
4. Weigh out 780g onto each tray and spread out evenly. Bake for 10 minutes at 210°C. Let out the steam and continue baking for further 3 minutes.
5. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Put aside until needed.
For the white chocolate and feuilletine crunch:
225g white chocolate (Zephyr Cacao Barry)
600g feuilletine
Method:
1. Over a bain-marie, melt the chocolate until smooth.
2. Take off the heat and fold though the feuilletine.
3. Thinly spread out onto the almond dacquoise.
4. Place into the freezer until needed.
For the white spray:
300g cocoa butter
30g white colour powder
Method:
1. Melt the cocoa butter, but not too hot.
2. Mix slowly into the white colour, blend into smooth then sieve though a fine strainer.
3. Cool the colouring down to 34°C and then use.
For the white chocolate dome:
2kg white chocolate (Zephyr Cacao Barry)
200g cocoa butter
20g white colour powder
Method:
1. Melt 1500g of the white chocolate up to 45°C, seed in the remaining 500g of chocolate.
2. Melt the cocoa butter and blitz in the white colour powder.
3. Mix in the white cocoa colour into the chocolate and blitz.
4. Temper the chocolate to 28-29°C and use.
To assemble:
1. White chocolate ½ sphere with holes cut out of it, to see inside the sphere
2. Vanilla bavarois with sponge and white chocolate and feuilletine crunch; sprayed with white cocoa colour and splattered with pink cocoa colour (both colours are edible).
Rose and French vanilla tea mousse.
Cara Crakine (mix of caramel milk chocolate and toasted biscuit cereals), dark chocolate and black sesame crunch.
White chocolate ½ sphere, with a white chocolate base.
Strawberry gel that will flow out when the bottom sphere is cut open.
The sphere is finished off with meringue kisses, strawberries, raspberries and baby basil and a test tube filled with pop-rocks.