Chocolate Savarin with Semi-Confit Citrus and Coffee Ice Cream
Savarins are very like flourless chocolate cakes; the molds are shaped differently, rounded with a small central depression. When baked, the savarins will have a cake-like outside, and nearly liquid center. The citrus, coffee, and chocolate combination is delicious.
Ingredients
- Chocolate Savarin
- Unsalted Butter - 3/4 cup
- Bittersweet Chocolate - 1 pound
- Egg Whites - 15
- Sugar - 1/2 cup
- Egg Yolks - 8
- Semi-Confit Citrus
- Water - 2 cups
- Sugar - 2 cups
- Cinnamon Sticks - 2 cups
- Star Anise - 4
- Freshly ground white pepper - 1 teaspoon
- Meyer lemon - 1, thinly sliced
- Limes - 2, thinly sliced
- Kumquats - 4, thinly sliced
- Clementine or blood orange - 1, thinly sliced
- Chocolate Sauce (see Basics) - 1 cup
- Coffee ice cream - 1 pint
- Chocolate Tuiles (see Basics for tuile cookies) - 4
Instructions
To make the savarin: In the top of a double boiler over barely simmering water, melt the butter and chocolate and whisk gently to blend. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
In a deep bowl, beat the egg whites and sugar until soft peaks form.
In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks gently to break them up. Add a small amount to the chocolate mixture and stir with a spatula to blend completely. Continue adding, about a fourth of the eggs at a time, whisking gently until completely blended and glossy.
Put a large spoonful of meringue into the chocolate mixture and whisk in. Fold in the remaining meringue in two additions. Place the mixture in a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip and pipe into savarin molds (the chef uses a 24-piece flexi-mold). Leave a small space at the top of each mold. Cover with plastic wrap, then foil, and freeze rock-hard, preferably overnight. If using flexi-molds in small groupings, you may take out only the desired number to prepare, and leave the others frozen for future use.
To make the semi-confit: Preheat the oven to 200 F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone liner or foil. Spread the fruit slices in a single layer on the prepared pan. Combine the water, sugar, cinnamon, star anise, and pepper in a deep pan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, uncovered, until the syrup has thickened but has not begun to turn golden. Pour the syrup and spices over the fruit to cover. Bake 2 hours, or until the fruit is translucent. Remove 3/4 of the fruit and set aside. Return the remaining pieces to the oven and bake 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a darker shade than the first batch. Remove and let cool.
To serve: Preheat the oven to 400 F. Bake the frozen savarin molds 6 to 8 minutes, until the outsides are firm and cake-like. Unmold and place one in the center of each serving plate. Place an assortment of light and dark semi-confit citrus to one side of each savarin. Spoon a little spiced syrup over the citrus. Spoon chocolate sauce on the other side of the plates. Form quenelles of coffee ice cream by molding the ice cream with two large spoons and place one ice cream quenelle by the citrus on each plate. Garnish the tops of the savarins with chocolate tuiles.
