Rhubarb & white chocolate dessert

Spring is finally starting and the rhubarb season has started as well. To celebrate I made this lovely rhubarb and white chocolate dessert. It’s different preparations of rhubarb with white chocolate mousse, lemon thyme pate de fruit and a white chocolate sorbet.

The rhubarb recipes

6	rhubarb stalks
200 g	sparkling wine
60 g	cane sugar

Start by trimming the rhubarb stalks and portion the bottom part into pieces that are 20 cm. Keep the 20 centimeter pieces apart for later. The top parts you need to cut in thin slices. Just be sure not to cut the leaves. Throw these away. Now pour the sparkling wine in a saucepan and let it boil for 2 minutes. We do this to burn off the alcohol. Then add 400 grams of the sliced rhubarb to the pan together with the cane sugar. Cover the pan with a lid and bring it to a simmer on a low heat. Let it simmer for a couple of minutes. Once the rhubarb is all the way cooked you can drain it on a sieve that’s lined with a kitchen paper. Let it drain for at least one hour in your fridge. Keep both the broth and drained rhubarb.

30 g	lemon juice
200 g	rhubarb broth (we just made)
50 g	ginger syrup
3 g	agar powder

Now cut a lemon in half and juice 30 grams of the lemon in a saucepan. Also add 200 grams of the rhubarb broth we just made, the ginger syrup and the agar powder. Mix it well and then bring it to a boil. Let it boil for at least 30 seconds. Then pour it into a bowl and let it set in your fridge. Once set transfer it into a blender and blend it till smooth. To bring it to the next level pour it into a bowl and vacuum the gel a 100% to remove any air bubbles. This will result in a clear gel with a more intense flavor. Now fill a piping bottle with the gel and keep it in your fridge for later.

To finish the compote transfer the drained rhubarb in a bowl and season it with some grated star anise, the rhubarb gel we made before and some lemon zest. Mix it well and keep it in your fridge for later.

For the final rhubarb recipe slice the portioned rhubarb pieces on a mandolin. They need to be around 1 to 2 millimeters thin. Now place them in a vacuum bag and add 80 grams of the broth we made before. Vacuum this a 100%. Then cook them sous-vide at 90 degrees Celsius for 2 minutes. I do it in my BORA steam oven because it has a sous-vide function, but you could use a sous-vide bath as well. Once cooked cool it down as fast as possible. Then carefully take the rhubarb slices out of the bag and lay them slightly overlapping on a tray that’s lined with some wrap. I try to make them quite thin, if you want them thicker place the slices closer to each other. Now let it freezer till solid. When it’s frozen you can cut it with a round cutter and keep them in your freezer for later.

The lemon thyme oil

10 g	lemon thyme
150 g	neutral oil (I use sunflower seed or grape seed oil)

Transfer the lemon thyme in a blender and also add the neutral oil. I use sunflower seed or grape seed oil. Blend it till the temperature is 65 degrees Celsius. It will heat up from the friction. Then let it drain on a super fine sieve and cool it down as fast as possible in your fridge. This to preserve the color and flavor.

The lemon thyme pate de fruit

1	lemon
500 g	water
10 g	lemon thyme
50 g	sugar
14 g	pectin jaune
310 g	sugar
100 g	glucose syrup
3 g	citric acid
20 g	water

First zest the lemon for 5 grams of lemon zest. Set it aside for later. Then mix the 500 grams of water with the 10 grams of lemon thyme and bring it to a boil. Meanwhile mix the 50 grams of sugar with the pectin jaune. You need to mix it beforehand to prevent lumps from forming. Once the water is boiling add the pectin sugar and mix it well. Let it boil for 3 minutes. Keep on heating the water and then in 2 or 3 parts add the 310 grams of sugar together with the glucose syrup. Heat it up till the temperature is 108 degrees Celsius. Stir it every now and then to prevent it from burning. Meanwhile add a thin layer of baking spray on a metal tray and mix the citric acid with the 20 grams of water. Mix it well to dissolve the citric acid. Once the sugar syrup has reached the right temperature add the 5 grams of lemon zest and the citric acid water. Bring it to a boil once more and then take it off the heat. After that pass the pate de fruit through a fine sieve on the greased tray and tap it a couple of times to level it. Let it cool down at room temperature.

4 g	lemon thyme leaves
2 x 50 g	sugar
2 g	citric acid

Weigh enough lemon thyme leaves for 4 grams and mix it with the first part of sugar and the citric acid. Blend it for a couple of seconds. Add the other part of sugar and blitz it for 3 more times. Once the pate de fruit has set transfer the lemon thyme sugar on top and spread it. Gently take the pate de fruit out of the tray and cover the other side as well. Now place it on your cutting board and portion it to the desired size. I first cut it in long stripes and covered then in sugar as well. Then I portioned them in cubes and covered them once more. Not only is this the perfect garnish, but also a lovely friandise. Keep them dry and covered for later.

The white chocolate mousse

2 leaves or 3.3 g	gelatin
70 g	cream (35% fat)
100 g	white chocolate
200 g	cream (35% fat)

First soak the gelatin in cold water. Now pour the 70 grams of cream in a saucepan and heat it up. The cream I use has 35% fat. Once hot turn off the heat and dissolve the gelatin. Also add the white chocolate and mix it well. Set it aside for later. Then pour the 200 grams of cream in a bowl and start beating it. It needs to have a thin yoghurt consistency. Once the cream has the desired thickness and the chocolate mixture is at room temperature while stirring mix the two. Fold it till it’s a lovely airy mousse and when it starts to thicken pour it into the desired mold. You could also pour it into a tray and later cut it with a round cutter, but this ensures an even result with no waste. Then let it set in your fridge for 30 minutes before freezing it till solid.

The white chocolate sorbet

870 g	water
85 g	glucose syrup
100 g	sugar
25 g	skimmed milk powder
4 g	salt
340 g	white chocolate
3 g	ice cream stabilizer (I use Stab2000)

Pour the water into a saucepan and also add the glucose syrup, the sugar, the skimmed milk powder and the salt. Mix it well and bring it to a boil. Meanwhile weigh the white chocolate into a bowl and pour the hot liquid on top. Then add the ice cream stabilizer and blend it till smooth. I use Stab2000. Cover the base and let it rest in your fridge. I always leave it overnight. The next day you can blend it once more and then pour it into an ice cream machine. Now turn it into a beautiful sorbet. I prefer to turn the sorbet the same day you serve it to insure you have a lovely fresh texture. Once it’s done keep it in a freezer that’s around -12 degrees Celsius.

The white chocolate galettes

Begin with some melted white chocolate that’s 45 degrees Celsius. Pour 4/5 on your worktop and while moving the chocolate cool it down till it’s 27 degrees Celsius. I do this with a big pastry pallet knife. Then transfer the chocolate back into the bowl and mix it well till it has a temperature of 30 degrees Celsius. We temper the chocolate to create stable, uniform crystals in the cocoa butter. This results in a smooth, shiny finish, a satisfying snap when broken and it prevents the chocolate from easily melting. Then pour it on a plastic sheet and level it using the big pallet knife. Now let it set for a minute before portioning it with same sized cutter as the rhubarb. Then cover it with another sheet and put a flat board or tray on top. Let it set for at least 30 minutes. Then remove the top sheet and gently remove the chocolate galettes from the bottom sheet. Now place the frozen rhubarb circles on the chocolate and keep them covered in your fridge for later.

How to finish the dessert

First place the chocolate mousse in the middle and fill the center with the rhubarb compote. Let it defrost for at least 20 minutes. Once defrosted pour some rhubarb broth around the mousse and add a couple drops of the lemon thyme oil on the broth. Then place the white chocolate rhubarb disc on the mousse and pipe the rhubarb gel on there. Also add some of the lemon thyme pate de fruit, some lemon thyme leaves and white Alyssum flowers. Now finish the dessert with that lovely white chocolate sorbet.

The pairing

I choose a sparkling wine from Bellavista. It's one of the most prestigious producers in the Franciacorta region of Lombardy, Italy. Founded in 1977 by Vittorio Moretti, it has grown into a symbol of refined Italian sparkling wine, blending tradition and innovation with a strong focus on quality.

A zero-dosage sparkling wine made by the traditional Metodo Classico, meaning no sugar is added after tirage. It's a blend of Chardonnay (70%) and Pinot Nero (30%) from 25 to 30 selected vineyards. Aged on the lees for about 30+ months, giving complexity and fine bubbles. The wine has aromas of citrus, white flowers, spices and herbs, with minerality. It’s fresh, energetic, elegant and mineral-driven, with a clean dry finish.