Ingredients:
1c. sugar
4 1/2c. heavy cream
3/4c fresh goat cheese
5 ½ gelatin sheets
1 pinch sea salt
4 oz. 64% chocolate chopped
Method:
Put sugar in a heavy bottom pan with just enough water to make a “wet sand”. Bring to a boil on high heat. Cook sugar to a dark caramel. The sugar should be almost burnt and smoking. Slowly whisk in cream being careful not to add cream too quickly. Once all cream is added to the caramel, bring the caramel cream to a simmer. Place goat cheese into a food processor and puree until the cheese is liquid, apx. 3 minutes. Set cheese aside in a stainless steel bowl. Place chopped chocolate in a stainless steel. Pour just enough hot caramel cream to cover the chocolate and let sit for 3-4 minutes. Place gelatin leaves in a bowl and cover with cold water. Let bloom until gelatin is completely soft. Squeeze gelatin leaves out and add them to the hot caramel cream. Whisk to dissolve. Whisk the caramel cream/gelatin mixture into the goat cheese “liquid.” Whisk the chocolate mixture to a smooth paste. Slowly whisk the caramel cream and gelatin mixture into the chocolate mixture. Season with a pinch of sea salt and strain through a fine mesh strainer. Pour panna cotta into 12- 4oz. ramekins and refrigerate for 4 hours.
Caramelized Cacao Nibs
Ingredients:
1 1/2c cacao nibs
1/2c sugar
1t. unsalted butter
Method:
Place cacao nibs and sugar in a heavy bottom pan and set heat to high. Stirring constantly, let sugar dissolve to a dark amber. It will smoke. Once all sugar is dissolved and caramelized, stir in butter to coat. Spread on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Let cool. When cool, break into 1/4inch pieces and place into a food processor and process until all is broken into individual nibs, approx. 25 seconds. Reserve caramelized nibs in a bowl.
Thyme infused chocolate sauce
Ingredients:
1 chopped 70% chocolate
1c. heavy cream
1/2c whole milk
1/2c light corn syrup
1t. vanilla extract
pinch of salt
Leaves from 5 fresh thyme sprigs
Method:
Bring cream, milk, corn syrup, thyme and salt to a boil on high heat. Turn off heat and let thyme infuse for 5 minutes. Pour hot cream mixture over chocolate and let sit for 4 minutes. Whisk together until very smooth and glossy. Whisk in vanilla extract. Strain chocolate sauce through a fine mesh strainer and keep warm.
Dark Chocolate Sorbet
Ingredients:
1c. sugar
1T light corn syrup
7 oz. 64% chocolate chopped fine
4oz. Valrhonacocoa powder
4 green cardamom pods crushed
2 1/4c water
pinch of sea salt
Method:
Place chopped chocolate and cocoa powder into a bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Bring water, sugar, corn syrup, and cardamom pods to a rolling boil over high heat. Turn mixer on to medium-low speed and carefully pour in hot syrup in three stages. Let whisk for eight minutes. Pour sorbet base into a container and refrigerate, covered overnight. Next day, strain sorbet and churn in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturers instructions. Place sorbet into a frozen container and freeze for at least three hours. When ready to serve, remove sorbet from the freezer for ten minutes before scooping.