Mandarin and Lavender Baba with Chocolate Sorbet

By corlear

Ingredients

• For the baba:
• 8 tbsp egg yolks
• 1 1/2 tbsp cornflour, sieved
• 2 oz whole egg
• For the mandarin reduction:
• 1/2 cup mandarin juice
• 2 tbsp glucose
• grated rind of 1 rind
• For the caramelized honey water:
• 5 1/4 oz honey
• water
• For the mandarin coating:
• 1/4 cup mandarin reduction (see previous step)
• 1/4 cup caramelized honey water (see previous step)
• 1 3/4 oz Napoleon mandarin liqueur
• 3 oz mandarin juice
• grated rind of 5 mandarins
• For the whipped lavender cream:
• 1 1/4 cup single cream (35% fat)
• 3 egg yolks
• 2/3 oz fresh lavender leaves
• 3/4 sheet gelatin (previously rehydrated in cold water)
• 4 PVC strips (2" high x 21/2" long)
• For the dark syrup:
• 2 oz sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• For the lavender gelatin:
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 g dry lavender
• 1 3/4 oz dark syrup (see previous step)
• 3/4 sheet gelatin (previously rehydrated in cold water)
• For the cooking chocolate noodles:
• 4 oz 70% cooking chocolate
• For the chocolate sorbet:
• 1 cup water
• 1 oz sugar
• 3/4 oz cocoa powder
• 2/3 oz sorbet stabilizer
• 3 3/4 oz 70% cooking chocolate
• 2 tbsp glucose
• For the chocolate caramel slices:
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup glucose
• 3 oz water
• 3 tbsp cocoa paste, diced
• To finish:
• 1 3/4 oz crystallized ginger

Details

Servings 4

Preparation

Step 1

For the baba:
1. Beat the egg yolks and egg until they begin thicken. Next, carefully fold in the cornflour using a spatula.
2. Spread a ¼" thick layer on a tray and bake in the oven at 355ºF for 6-10 minutes.
3. Remove from the oven. When the mixture is cold, cut it into 1¾ " x 1¼" portions.

For the mandarin reduction:
1. Simmer the mandarin juice and the glucose together.
2. Reduce until the mixture has the consistency of liquid caramel and add the grated mandarin rind.

For the caramelized honey water:
1. Reduce and caramelize the honey over a low heat until it darkens.
2. Skim off any foam that has foamed and gradually add the water until you have 250 g of honey water.
3. Sieve and keep on one side.
4. It is not recommended to make a smaller amount.

For the mandarin coating:
1. Mix all the ingredients together and heat to 50 or 140ºF
2. Place the biscuit squares in the coating, making sure they are completely covered.
3. Leave to soak for 30 minutes.
4. Leave on a rack to drain.

For the whipped lavender cream:
1. Wash the fresh lavender and infuse in the boiled cream. Leave to stand for 5 min. Strain and keep on one side.
2. Make a crème anglaise: beat the egg yolks and sugar together until they are white and then add the lavender cream. Heat to 185ºF.
3. Remove from the heat and then dissolve the gelatin in the mixture. Leave to cool and then set in the fridge for one day. Cut the PVC into 2¼" long strips and roll them into tubes (close with sticky tape).
4. Whip the cold cream and use an icing bag to fill the PVC tubes with the mixture. Freeze.
5. Remove from the mould and leave to thaw on the baba ½ hour before you will use it.

For the dark syrup:
1. Caramelize the dry sugar until you have a golden caramel.
2. Caramelize until it is golden brown in color.
3. Deglaze with the hot water and allow the sugar to dissolve.

For the lavender gelatin:
1. Bring the water to the boil and infuse the lavender for 5 minutes.
2. Strain and dissolve the gelatin in the liquid (the water will still be warm).
3. Add the dark syrup and leave to set in the fridge.

For the cooking chocolate noodles:
1. Use a spatula to spread a thin layer of cooking chocolate over a transparent sheet. Use a fine toothed comb to make the noodles.
2. Leave to dry slightly and then cut the noodles into 4" lengths.

For the chocolate sorbet:
1. Heat the water, sugar, cocoa powder, glucose and stabilizer to 185ºF.
2. Add the mixture to the diced cooking chocolate and blend until it is very smooth.
3. Leave to stand in the fridge for 8 hours.
4. Process in the ice cream maker.

For the chocolate caramel slices:
1. Heat the sugar, glucose and water to a caramel (325ºF).
2. Remove from the heat and gently mix the cocoa paste in and leave to cool.
3. Place a chocolate caramel slice between 2 Silpat liners in the oven at 345ºF for 4 minutes.
3. Remove and use a rolling pin to roll it out into a thin chocolate caramel slice.
5. When it is cold, break up the slice with your hands into uneven small pieces.

Final Steps & Preparation:
1. Arrange two baba cookies into an L. Place a tube of whipped cream on top of one of the sponges and a crystallized ginger cube on the other.
2. Decorate with a chocolate noodle stuck to the sabayon.
3. Gently break up the lavender gelatin and place two teaspoons between the two sponges.
4. Put a small quenelle of chocolate sorbet on the other sponge.
5. Place the broken chocolate caramel pieces on top of the sorbet and cover with the whipped cream.