Chocolat Suchard
Buy This Art Print At AllPosters.com

La Belle Cuisine - More Chocolate Treats

   Fine Cuisine with Art Infusion

"To cook is to create. And to create well...is an act of integrity, and faith."

Chocolate, Orange, and Chestnut Pavé

"There's nothing better than a good friend, except a good friend with CHOCOLATE."
Linda Grayson, "The Pickwick Papers"
 

"You have given chocolates before, just never like this."

Recipe of the Day Categories:

   Recipe Home

   Appetizers

   Beef

   Beverage

   Bread

   Breakfast

   Cake

   Chocolate

   Cookies

   Fish

   Fruit

   Main Dish

   Pasta

   Pies

   Pork

   Poultry

   Salad

   Seafood

   Side Dish

   Soup

   Vegetable

   Surprise!

Chocolate, Orange, and Chestnut Pavé
Gourmet November 1994

For the chocolate orange filling:
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 1/2 pounds fine-quality bittersweet chocolate
2 teaspoons freshly grated orange zest
(from about 1 1/2 navel oranges)
1 3/4 cups well-chilled heavy cream

For chestnut rum filling:
6 ounces fine-quality white chocolate
1/4 cup chopped vacuum-packed chestnuts (about 1 ounce)
3 teaspoons dark rum
1/4 cup well-chilled heavy cream

Garnish: chestnuts in dark and light syrup, sliced, candied orange halves, sliced, Ginger Crème Anglaise (recipe follows)

Make the chocolate orange filling: In a large metal bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water melt butter and chocolate, stirring occasionally, until smooth and remove bowl from heat. Stir in zest and cool completely. In a bowl with an electric mixer beat cream until it just holds stiff peaks. Whisk about one fourth of cream into chocolate mixture to lighten and fold in remaining cream gently but thoroughly.
Line an oiled terrine or loaf pan, 10-by-4 1/2-by-3-inches (7-cup capacity), with plastic wrap. Pour in half of the chocolate orange filling, smoothing top, and freeze 5 minutes.
Make chestnut rum filling: In a small bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water melt white chocolate, stirring occasionally, until smooth and remove bowl from heat. Stir in chestnuts and rum gently and cool completely. In a bowl with an electric mixer beat cream until it just holds stiff peaks. Fold cream into white chocolate mixture.
Pour chestnut rum filling over chocolate orange layer, smoothing top, and freeze 5 minutes. Pour in remaining chocolate orange filling, smoothing top, and chill, covered with plastic wrap, overnight. May be made 2 days ahead and chilled, covered.
Discard plastic wrap from top and invert pavé onto a plate. Discard remaining plastic wrap. Garnish pavé with chestnut slices, and candied orange. Pour some ginger crème anglaise onto 8 dessert plates and top with a 1/2-inch-thick slice of pavé. Serves 8.
 

Ginger Crème Anglaise

1 3/4 cups half-and-half
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
3 tablespoons finely chopped crystallized ginger
2 large eggs
1/4 cup sugar

In a small heavy saucepan bring half-and-half just to a boil with vanilla bean and ginger and remove pan from heat. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean with a knife into pan, reserving pd for another use. While half-and-half mixture is heating, in a bowl with an electric mixer whisk together eggs and sugar until light and fluffy. Add hot half-and-half mixture in a stream, beating, and transfer to a saucepan. Cook custard over moderately low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until thickened (170ºF. on a candy thermometer), but do not let it boil, and strain through a fine sieve into a metal bowl. Set bowl in larger bowl of ice and water and cool sauce, stirring occasionally. Chill sauce, covered, at least 2 hours, or until very cold. May be made 2 days ahead and chilled, covered.
 

Index - Chocolate Recipe Archives
Index - Miscellaneous Dessert Recipes
Recipe Archives Index