Chocolate Salted Caramel Tart (with peanut butter sorbet)
Guest Chef Recipe
This has become something of a classic at the restaurant, it is so simple to look at, the flavours so familiar, but nothing can prepare you for the intensity and clarity of the flavours. Using as few ingredients as possible in each element allows the purity of the ingredients to shine through – the peanuts taste purely of peanuts, the chocolate and caramel exactly of that. Just remember that the sorbet and the tart need four to five hours to set.
This recipe is taken from Richard's amazing new cookbook Plants Taste Better.
Ingredients:
Sorbet
- 70g (2½oz/1/3 cup) caster sugar (superfine)
- 0.5g (scant ¼ tsp) xanthan gum
- 175ml (6fl oz/¾ cup) cold water
- 175ml (6fl oz/¾ cup) glucose syrup
- 150g (5½oz) unsweetened crunchy peanut butter
- 25ml (1fl oz/5 tsp) brandy
Tart base
- 90g (3oz/¾ cup) plain (all-purpose) flour
- 10g (¼oz/1¼ tbsp) cornflour (cornstarch)
- 20g (¾oz/12/3 tbsp) caster (superfine) sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 30ml (1fl oz/2 tbsp) extra virgin olive oil
- 20ml (4 tsp) cold water
- 25g (1oz) dark chocolate, 53% cocoa solids
Tart filling
- 400g (14oz) dark chocolate, 53% cocoa solids, finely chopped or coarsely grated
- 7g (¼oz/1¼ tsp) sea salt
- 125g (4½oz/⅔ cup) caster (superfine) sugar
- 300ml (10fl oz/1¼ cups) cold water
To serve
- 4 tsp cocoa nibs
Method:
Sorbet (make this first)
- Mix the sugar and xanthan together. Place the measured water in a large saucepan, then whisk in the sugar and xanthan.
- Add the glucose syrup and peanut butter and bring to the boil. Immediately remove from the heat and add the brandy.
- Allow the sorbet to cool slightly, then put into an ice-cream machine and follow the manufacturer’s instructions before freezing.
Tart Base
- Preheat the oven to (fan) 160°C/180°C/350°F/gas mark 4.
- Mix all the ingredients for the tart base together, except for the dark chocolate, in a large bowl to form a dough.
- Place the dough between 2 sheets of baking parchment and roll it out until 1mm thick (very thin). Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Put the dough on a large baking tray (sheet), leaving the top sheet of baking parchment on, and bake for 15–25 minutes until just crisp.
- Remove from the oven and remove the baking parchment. While still hot, place the base of a 21cm (8-inch) springform cake tin (pan) onto the pastry and cut round it.
- Return the base to the springform tin (pan) and line with baking parchment. Fit the cut pastry base inside.
- Place the dark chocolate for the tart base in a bain-marie (see box, below) and melt gently. Spread evenly over the pastry base.
Tart filling
- Place the chocolate and salt in an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Put the sugar into a small, heavy-based saucepan and gently melt until it becomes a dark caramel.
- Add the water and simmer until the sugar has melted.
- Weigh out 250g (9oz) of the boiling caramel and pour over the chocolate and salt in the electric mixer. Whisk on the lowest speed until the temperature has reduced to 27°C/80°F.
- Pour the mix onto the base and put in the fridge for 4–5 hours to set.
- Remove the chocolate tart from the fridge and from the tin (pan) – use a blowtorch to gently heat the outside if necessary. Cut into slices and place 1 slice on each plate.
- Place 1 tsp of cocoa nibs next to the tart and top with a quenelle of sorbet.
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