Foie Gras Candy Bar

Hazelnut Dacquoise, Candied Black Sesame Seeds, Truffle Caramel, Foie Gras Semifreddo, and Smoked Vanilla Salt

Pastry Chef Meredith Clarke of Uchi | Houston

Yield: 1 half-sheet-tray of candy bars

Adapted by StarChefs | November 2019

INGREDIENTS:

Smoked Vanilla Goma Salt:
3 spent vanilla beans, smoked, dehydrated for 30 minutes
200 grams sea salt
50 grams sugar
30 grams white sesame seeds

Goma Dragee:
75 grams granulated sugar
3 grams salt
100 grams white sesame seeds
50 grams black sesame seeds

Truffle Caramel:
600 grams granulated sugar
80 grams glucose
300 grams heavy cream
150 grams truffle juice
13 grams salt
85 grams French butter
85 grams rendered foie gras fat

Foie Gras Pastry Cream:
250 grams milk
250 grams heavy cream
5 grams salt
1 vanilla bean, scraped
125 grams sugar
120 grams yolks
33 grams cornstarch
400 grams seared foie gras purée
95 grams rendered foie gras fat

Foie Gras Semifreddo:
35 grams yolks
125 grams sugar
8 grams salt
3 sheets gelatin
100 grams Sauternes
325 grams whipped cream

Sesame-Hazelnut Dacquoise
310 grams hazelnut flour, sifted
320 grams powdered sugar, sifted
360 grams egg whites
120 grams granulated sugar
5 grams salt
65 grams black sesame paste

To Assemble and Serve:
1.4 kilograms TCHO dark chocolate
300 grams rendered foie fat
450 grams cocoa butter
125 grams coarsely chopped toasted hazelnuts
Borage blossoms
Micro dianthus

METHOD:

For the Smoked Vanilla Goma Salt:
Working in batches, use a spice grinder, to pulverize and combine all ingredients. Store in an airtight container. 

For the Goma Dragee:
In a saucepan, combine granulated sugar, salt, and 50 grams water. Heat to at least 110°C, until solids dissolve but mixture has no color. Turn off heat. Using a heat-resistant spatula, stir in seeds. Keep stirring until sugar recrystallizes and all seeds are broken apart and coated with cloudy, powdery sugar.

For the Truffle Caramel:
In a saucepan, combine granulated sugar, glucose, and 50 grams water. Heat mixture to 165°C, until dark amber-honey colored. Turn off heat. Deglaze with cream and truffle juice. Add salt. If any sugar bits are stuck to the bottom, bring mixture to a simmer and whisk until all sugar melts. Turn off heat. Mix in butter and foie fat to emulsify. 

For the Foie Pastry Cream:
In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, combine milk, cream, salt, vanilla bean seeds, and half the sugar. In a bowl, whisk to combine yolks, cornstarch, and remaining sugar. When dairy is warm and begins to steam, slowly stream into yolk mixture, whisking to combine. Transfer mixture to saucepan and simmer, whisking constantly, until thick. cream mixture to pot. Strain through chinois into a nonreactive, heatproof container. Using an immersion blender, blend in foie purée and foie fat. 

For the Foie Gras Semifreddo:
In a saucepan, combine granulated sugar and 40 grams water. Heat to 118°C. In the bowl of a KitchenAid Commercial stand mixer, whip yolks at high speed until light and fluffy. While continuing to whip, slowly stream in hot syrup. Whip until mixture is pale yellow and just above room temperature. Add salt and 600 grams Foie Pastry Cream, whipping to emulsify, followed by bloomed gelatin. When combined, gently fold in whipped cream.

For the Sesame-Hazelnut Dacquoise:
Heat oven to 335°F. In a bowl, combine flour and powdered sugar; reserve. In the bowl of a KitchenAid Commercial stand mixer, whip egg whites at medium-high speed until frothy. In a small bowl, combine granulated sugar and salt, and, in thirds, stream mixture into bowl while whipping to medium- glossy peaks. Fold in flour mixture followed by sesame paste. Evenly spread mixture on a parchment-lined half-sheet tray. Bake 12 to 14 minutes, until top is slightly golden. Cool in tray. Press candy bar half-frame into cake.

To Assemble and Serve:
Using an offset spatula, evenly spread 280 grams Truffle Caramel on Sesame-Hazelnut Dacquoise. Sprinkle 20 grams Dragee over the Caramel followed by 125 grams toasted hazelnuts. Spread Foie Semifreddo on top of nuts. Tap bottom of the sheet tray to release any air bubbles. Cover and freeze overnight. The next day, in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, combine chocolate, foie fat, and cocoa butter. Ingredients must be completely melted, but not too warm, to enrobe candy bars. Cut and enrobe candy bars. Sprinkle Smoked Vanilla Goma Salt on candy bars after they’re enrobed but before they’ve hardened. Serve garnished with borage blossoms and micro dianthus 

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