Chocolate Marquise

Pear Compote, Spiced Pecan Kataif, and Halva Cream

Pastry Chef Sophie Gees of Oleana | Cambridge, MA
Yield: 24 servings

Adapted by StarChefs | July 2020

INGREDIENTS:

Chocolate-Olive Oil Coating:
1⅜ pounds TCHO dark chocolate, melted
1 cup Corto olive oil

Chocolate Marquise:
12 ounces TCHO dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
8 ounces European butter, cubed
8 egg yolks
1⅓ cups powdered sugar, sifted
⅓ cup cocoa powder, sifted
1½ cups sour cream, room temperature
4 egg whites
2 tablespoons sugar
Toasted sesame seeds

Halva Cream:
1 pound halva, crumbled
1 ounce European butter, plus additional as needed
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons whole milk
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon honey
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pecan Dukkah:
2 tablespoons toasted pecans, finely ground
1 tablespoon sweetened shredded coconut, toasted, finely ground
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
¾ teaspoon ground cumin
1¼ teaspoons ground coriander
½ teaspoon salt

Kataif:
4 ounces Kataifi 2-inch lengths
½ cup Japanese breadcrumbs
2 ounces European butter, melted
⅓ cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon salt
¾ cup toasted chopped pecans
½ cup sweetened shredded coconut
½ cup sweetened shredded coconut, toasted
1 tablespoon sugar

Pear Sorbet:
1 quart pear purée
3 cups sorbet syrup
2 tablespoons lemon juice
¼ teaspoon salt
1/16 teaspoon ground cardamom

Pear Compote:
6 medium Warren Pears, peeled, diced small
¾ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon salt, plus additional as needed
1/16 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 vanilla bean, scraped
Grated zest of ½ lemon
1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice, plus additional as needed

METHOD:

For the Chocolate-Olive Oil Coating:
In a bowl, whisk to combine chocolate and oil. Cool to around 85F before enrobing Chocolate Marquis, or store in pints. 

For the Chocolate Marquise:
Using a double boiler, melt chocolate and butter together. Off heat, whisk in yolks, followed by powdered sugar and cocoa. (If the mixture looks broken, don’t be scared, the sour cream will help it come together!) In three additions, whisk sour cream into chocolate mixture. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk, whip egg whites until foamy. Slowly add sugar, and whip to soft peaks. In three additions, fold meringue into chocolate mixture. Pour in a quarter-sheet tray lined with plastic wrap. Using an offset spatula, smooth the surface. Cover and freeze. 

Pour ¾ cup Chocolate-Olive Oil Coating over frozen marquise. Use an offset spatula to create a smooth, thin coat. Freeze until set. Onto a chilled cutting board, flip marquise chocolate-side down. Using a sharp knife dipped in hot water and wiped with a side towel before each cut, score marquise and cut into 24 equal-sized rectangles. Refreeze. Place a wire rack over a plastic-wrap lined sheet tray. Using warm Chocolate-Olive Oil Coating in a measuring cup, enrobe 5 marquise at a time. Transfer the wire rack with freshly enrobed marquise to a separate tray and, before chocolate-oil sets, top with sesame seeds. Allow to set. Using a small offset spatula, transfer the finished marquise to a parchment-lined storage container. With the help of the plastic wrap, pour the just-used chocolate-oil back into the measuring cup to re-use and enrobe the next batch of marquise. Remember to re-line tray with plastic each time. Repeat until all marquise are enrobed. Refrigerate to allow Chocolate Marquise to thaw slowly for at least two hours before service.

For the Halva Cream:
Heat combination oven to 350F at 30 percent humidity with fan on high. In a food processor, combine halva and butter. While processing, stream in milk, scraping down sides as necessary, until mixture is smooth. Transfer to a buttered loaf pan. Bake 8 minutes, until edges are slightly set and middle is still a bit wiggly. Cool to room temperature. Transfer loaf to food processor; purée. Add sour cream, honey, salt, and vanilla, and process until smooth. Pour into 1/9-pans and allow to set 2 to 3 hours before use. 

Pecan Dukkah:
In a small bowl, combine all ingredients.

For the Kataif:
Heat combination oven to 325F with no humidity and fan on speed 2. In a bowl, toss to combine Kataif, breadcrumbs, and butter. Add powdered sugar and salt, tossing to coat evenly. On a sheet tray, spread mixture. Bake, stirring occasionally, until light golden, about 10 to 15 Minutes. Cool. Transfer to a bowl with remaining ingredients, including ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon Pecan Dukkah, tossing to break up mixture a bit.

For the Pear Sorbet:
To a Vitamix blender, add all ingredients; purée.  or lemon and salt. Transfer to Pacojet canisters; freeze. Using Pacojet, process frozen pints. Transfer to 1/9-pans and refreeze for service.

For the Pear Compote:
In a pot over medium-low heat, combine pears, sugar, salt, cardamom, vanilla, and zest; cover. When pears have softened, drain and set aside in a bowl. In a saucepot, reduce liquid until thickened and slightly caramelized. Season liquid with lemon juice and pour over pears. Cool completely. Adjust seasoning, as needed, with lemon and salt. 

To Assemble and Serve
In the center of a serving plate, spread some Halva Cream. Place Chocolate Marquise on top. To one side, spread a little Kataif. On the opposite side, place 1 quenelle Pear Sorbet and a spoonful of Pear Compote. 

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