Rhubarb & chocolate dessert

We’re going to make a rhubarb & chocolate dessert. It's a chocolate sorbet with poached rhubarb, a dark chocolate cremeux, a hazelnut crumble, a lemon balm gel, a rhubarb & magnolia broth and maybe my favorite tuille recipe so far!

The magnolia syrup

Start by removing the magnolia peddles from the flowers. You’ll need quite a lot, but the end result is so good! Once that’s done wash the peddles to remove any bugs. After a couple of minutes drain the water and dry the peddles using a salad spinner. Then let them dry for 30 minutes in your oven or heat draw with just the fan on to remove as must access water as possible. After that weigh the magnolia and add a gram of sugar for every gram of magnolia paddles. First add a layer of sugar on the bottom of a preserving jar and then add a layer of magnolia. Now continue till you end up with a thick layer of sugar on top. Then press it down using a glass weight or just a regular glass. Now close it up and keep it in your fridge for two weeks! After the two weeks all the sugar has dissolved, and it turned into a beautiful thick and rich syrup. When that has happened drain the syrup and use a spoon to press out all the syrup so you don’t waste a single drop. Now you can keep it in your fridge for many weeks.

The rhubarb broth

300 grams	frozen rhubarb
30 grams	sugar
	The magnolia syrup

First mix the frozen rhubarb with the sugar and cover it as tight as possible with plastic wrap. Now heat it on a double boiler on a low heat for 4 hours. After that remove the wrap and let the liquid drain on a sieve that’s lined with a kitchen paper. Do this in your fridge for a couple of hours so you don’t waste a single drop. Once that’s done season the broth with the magnolia syrup. It’s really a combination made it heaven! I do this on taste and not on recipe because the flavor of the syrup depends on how flavorful your magnolia flower is.

The chocolate cremeux

100 grams	cream
200 grams	milk
40 grams	egg yolk
20 grams	sugar
10 grams	cornstarch
1	empty vanilla pod
100 grams	dark chocolate

First mix the cream with the milk, the egg yolk, the sugar, the cornstarch and the empty vanilla pod. Now mix this well and then while stirring bring it to a boil. After that turn off the heat and add the dark chocolate. Mix it till the chocolate is dissolved and then pass it through a fine sieve. Now fill your desired mold and tap it a couple of times to remove any air bubbles. Then let it set in your freezer so you can unmold it and once defrosted it has the perfect texture!

The lemon balm gel & powder

30 grams	lemon balm leaves
300 grams	apple juice
20 grams	sugar
4 grams	agar powder

First pick enough lemon balm leaves for 30 grams of leaves. Then lay the stems on a metal tray and dry them at 60 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile pour the apple juice into a saucepan and also add the sugar and the agar powder. Mix this well and then bring it to a boil for 1 minute. Now transfer the lemon balm leaves into a bowl and once the apple juice is boiling you can pour it on the leaves. Make sure all the leaves are submerged and then let it cool down as fast as possible to prevent the leaves from turning brown. Then transfer it into a blender and blend it till smooth. Once it’s smooth transfer it into a piping bottle and keep it in your fridge for later. Then also transfer the dried lemon balm stems into a blender and blend it into a fine powder. Keep it dry and covered for later.

The hazelnut crumble

100 grams	hazelnuts
100 grams	sugar
70 grams	flour
100 grams	butter
2 grams	flaky salt
40 grams	melted white chocolate

Transfer the hazelnuts into a blender together with the sugar and the flour. Now blend it into a fine powder. Then add the butter, the flaky salt and the melted white chocolate. Now blend it for another minute till it’s a firm dough. Then transfer it on a tray that’s lined with a silicon sheet and spread it. Now bake it at 160 degrees Celsius for around 25 minutes till golden brown. Mix it every 5 minutes to create a beautiful even crumble.

The chocolate tuille

60 grams	egg white
40 grams	sunflower oil
10 grams	butter
50 grams	sugar
25 grams	flour
25 grams	cacao powder

Mix the egg white with the sunflower oil, the butter, the sugar, the flour and the cacao powder. Now blend it till smooth. Once it’s smooth spread it on a branche tuille mold. Then bake it at 160 degrees Celsius for around 20 minutes. When the mold is still hot remove the tuilles to prevent them from breaking. Keep them dry and covered for later.

The rhubarb

250 grams	rhubarb
2 sprigs	lemon balm
1/4	lemon
30 grams	ginger syrup
20 grams	cane sugar
50 grams	cava

Cut the rhubarb in even pieces and lay them next to each other in a vacuum bag. Now also add the lemon balm, the peel from a quarter of a lemon, the ginger syrup, the cane sugar and the cava. Then vacuum it. After that cook it sous-vide at 70 degrees Celsius for 15 minutes. Once the rhubarb is cooked let it cool down in some ice water. Be gentle so the rhubarb stays in perfect shape. Then portion it into the desired shape and keep it in your fridge for later.

The chocolate sorbet

560 grams	water
200 grams	sugar
3 grams	salt
75 grams	cacao powder
170 grams	dark chocolate

Pour the water into a saucepan together with the sugar, the salt and the cacao powder. Now mix it well and then while stirring bring it to a boil for 2 minutes. Then turn off the heat and add the dark chocolate. Mix it well till the chocolate is dissolved and then use a hand blender to emulsify the ice cream base. Now pour it into a bowl, cover it with foil and let it set in your fridge for at least 6 hours. Once set pour it into an ice cream machine and turn it into a beautiful sorbet! The sorbet is super stable and also works great in a paco jet.

How to let’s finish the dessert

First place a frozen chocolate cremeux disc on a plate and gently place the portion rhubarb around the cremeux. Then take the chocolate tuilles and dust some lemon balm powder on top. Also pipe a couple dots of the lemon balm gel on there and decorate it with some cherry blossom. Once the cremeux is defrosted cover it with the hazelnut crumble and pipe some lemon balm gel on top. Now cover the gel with some purple oxalis leaves and then place a quenelle of the chocolate sorbet in the middle. Then gently lay the chocolate tuille on top. After that finish the dessert with the delicious rhubarb & magnolia broth!