Chocolate Torta

PASTRY

Jun 4

Pistachio-Chocolate Mousse, Bergamot, Cocoa Nib, Lemon-Cardamom Gel, Toasted Buckwheat Gelato

Pastry Chef Leigh Omilinsky of Nico Osteria | Chicago
Yield: 60 servings

INGREDIENTS

Buckwheat Gelato:
(Yield: 3 quarts)
782 grams milk
418 grams sugar
161 grams nonfat milk solids
109 grams dextrose
5 grams ice cream stabilizer
Vanilla paste
782 grams heavy cream
313 grams yolks
50 grams toasted buckwheat
418 grams crème fraîche

Baked Chocolate Mousse:
60 grams yolks
600 grams eggs
480 grams sugar
10 grams vanilla paste
10 grams salt
510 grams butter, diced
750 grams 66 percent chocolate, coarsely chopped

Caramel:
30 grams sorbitol
70 grams glucose
450 grams sugar
270 grams butter, diced
6 grams salt
300 grams heavy cream
1 gram baking soda
Toasted pistachios, coarsely chopped

Pistachio-Chocolate Mousse:
112½ grams yolks
70 grams glucose
423 grams milk
640 grams 64 percent chocolate, melted
950 grams heavy cream
150 grams pistachio paste

Cocoa Nib Tuile:
250 grams sugar
250 grams glucose
225 grams butter, diced
3 grams salt
60 grams heavy cream
250 grams cocoa nibs

Candied Cocoa Nibs:
300 grams sugar
400 grams cocoa nibs

Dragée Kyoto Rice:
¼ cup glucose
¾ cup brown sugar
2⅔ ounces butter
½ teaspoon vanilla
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
3 cups Kyoto rice

Buckwheat Streusel:
120 grams milk powder
60 grams buckwheat
36 grams cornstarch
75 grams sugar
6 grams salt
25 grams cocoa powder
165 grams melted butter
100 grams milk chocolate, melted

Bergamot Crème Fraîche Mousse:
(Yield: 2 quarts)
1 sheet gelatin
300 grams heavy cream
75 grams sugar
250 grams crème fraîche
5 grams vanilla
85 grams bergamot liqueur
2 grams salt

Lemon Spice Gel:
200 grams lemon juice
2 gram agar agar
50 grams sugar, plus additional as needed
1 gram ground cinnamon
1 gram ground cardamom

To Assemble and Serve:
Candied lemon peel
Edible flowers

METHOD

For the Buckwheat Gelato:
In a saucepot, heat milk to 90°F. In a bowl, combine sugar, milk solids, dextrose, and stabilizer. To the warm milk, add the sugar mixture followed by vanilla paste to taste; whisk to combine. In a large bowl, whisk to combine yolks and cream. Bring milk mixture to boil and temper into yolk mixture. Add the buckwheat and return mixture to pot; cook until mixture coats back of wooden spoon. Strain through a chinois and chill. Mix in crème fraîche and refrigerate overnight. Spin in ice cream machine according to manufacturer’s instructions.

For the Baked Chocolate Mousse:
Heat oven to 275°F. Place a hotel pan filled with water in the oven to create steam. To a stand mixer fitted with a whisk, add yolks and eggs and begin to whip to maximum volume. While whipping, rain in 90 grams sugar followed by vanilla paste and salt. In a bowl set over a double boiler on low heat, combine butter and chocolate; stir occasionally until melted. To a pot over high heat, add 180 grams water and remaining sugar. When boiling, pour syrup over chocolate mixture. Stir to form a paste. Using a rubber spatula, fold in egg mixture. Onto an aluminum foil-lined sheet tray, spread mousse in an even layer and bake 35 minutes; cool to room temperature. The mousse should not fill the tray, remaining below the lip.

For the Caramel:
To a saucepot, add sorbitol, glucose, and sugar; cook to a medium amber caramel. Remove from heat and deglaze with butter and add salt. In a separate pot over medium-low heat, combine cream and baking soda. When mixtures reaches 60°C, whisk into caramel; cool to room temperature. Spread caramel in a super thin layer on top of Baked Chocolate Mousse. Again, the tray should not be filled, with the caramel below the lip. Sprinkle pistachios on the caramel.

For the Pistachio-Chocolate Mousse:
In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk, whip yolks to maximum volume. In a saucepot over high heat, combine glucose and milk. When mixture boils, remove from heat and slowly stream in yolks. Into a bowl with the melted chocolate, strain mixture; fold to combine. To a separate bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk, add cream and pistachio paste; whip to soft peaks. Fold whipped cream into chocolate mixture. Let cool to room temperature. Onto the layer of Caramel, pour the Pistachio-Chocolate Mousse, spreading in a very smooth, even layer. This should fill the tray completely, to the very top. Cover and refrigerate.

For the Cocoa Nib Tuile:
Heat oven to 325°F. In a saucepot over high heat, combine sugar, glucose, butter, salt, and cream. When boiling, add nibs, remove from heat, and stir to combine; nibs should not melt into batter completely. Portion chunky batter in deli containers. Onto a sheet pan lined with a silicone mat, pour 1 blob of tuile batter (no need to spread thin). Bake until batter spreads thin and is darker in color around the edges, just a few minutes. Tuiles should remain slightly chunky. While warm, use a bench scraper to form into 4½-inch by 1½-inch rectangles; cool. Repeat with remaining batter.

For the Candied Cocoa Nibs:
In a saucepot over high heat, combine sugar and 100 grams water. When boiling, carefully add nibs, stirring constantly until caramelized. Onto a sheet tray lined with a silicone mat, spread mixture; cool.

For the Dragée Kyoto Rice:
Heat oven 250°F. In a saucepot, combine glucose and brown sugar; cook to medium-amber caramel. Deglaze with butter and salt. Return to a boil, stirring constantly, and add vanilla and baking soda (mixture will fluff up). Add rice, stirring to completely coat each grain of rice. Pour mixture onto a sheet tray lined with a silicone mat. Bake, stirring every 5 minutes for 15 minutes, until grains are brown. Separate grains as best you can.

For the Buckwheat Streusel:
Heat oven to 350°F. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, combine milk powder, buckwheat, cornstarch, sugar, salt, and cocoa powder. While mixing, stream in butter. When combined, pour batter onto a sheet tray lined with parchment paper. Bake 15 minutes, until toasted. When cool, coat the streusel in chocolate. When chocolate is set, crumble streusel and combine with 2 cups Candied Cocoa Nibs and 1 cup Dragée Kyoto Rice. Store in an airtight container.

For the Bergamot Crème Fraîche Mousse:
Bloom gelatin in small amount of warm cream. To a stand mixer fitted with a whisk, add sugar, crème fraîche, and remaining cream; whip to medium peaks. While whipping, add vanilla, liqueur, salt, and gelatin. Transfer to piping bags and refrigerate.

For the Lemon Spice Gel:
In a saucepot, combine lemon juice and agar agar. Bring to a boil, remove from heat, and allow to set until very firm. Transfer to a Vitamix blender with a little water and purée. While blending, add sugar and additional water as needed. When gel shines, blend in cinnamon and cardamom. Taste and seasoning with sugar as needed.

To Assemble and Serve:
From the sheet tray with the layered mousses, cut one 4½-inch by 1½-inch rectangular portion and top with tuile. Transfer to a plate and top with quenelle of Buckwheat Gelato. Finish with Bergamot Crème Fraîche Mousse, dots of Lemon Spice Gel, Candied lemon peel, and Buckwheat Streusel. Garnish with edible flowers.

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