Pumpkin Seed Croquant and Chocolate Mosaic

By corlear

Ingredients

• For the fried pumpkin seeds:
• 51/4 oz pumpkin seeds
• olive oil for frying
• For the pumpkin seed croquant:
• 51/4 oz fondant
• 1/3 cup glucose
• 1/3 cup Isomalt
• 31/2 oz fried pumpkin seeds (see previous step)
• Maldon salt
• To finish:
• 7 oz 70% cooking chocolate, melted
• 2 transparent sheets

Details

Servings 10

Preparation

Step 1

For the fried pumpkin seeds:
1. Place the pumpkin seeds in cold oil and fry, gradually increasing the heat so they puff up.
2. Once they are fried, remove from the heat and drain off any excess oil on kitchen paper.

Note: Once fried, the sunflower seeds are much lighter.

For the pumpkin seed croquant:
1. Heat the fondant and glucose together. When the temperatures reads 212ºF, add the Isomalt. Continue heating until the temperature reaches 325ºF.
2. Meanwhile, grind the seeds into a powder in the food processor.
3. Leave the caramel to cool to 265ºF and then stir in the pumpkin seed powder.
4. Spread between two Silpat liners and leave to cool.
5. Break off a piece of pumpkin croquant and place in the oven between two Silpats at 345ºF for 4 minutes.
6. Once the croquant has melted, remove the tray from the oven and use a rolling pin to roll out a fine sheet of pumpkin seed croquant. Add crystals of Maldon salt and heat lightly so they stick.

Final Steps & Preparation:
1. Break up the pumpkin seed croquant into pieces and arrange them into a mosaic on a transparent sheet.
2. Put the melted chocolate in an icing bag and fill the gaps in the croquant mosaic with the chocolate. Cover with another transparent sheet.
3. Leave to crystallize.
4. Remove the transparencies when you are ready to use the mosaic.