White chocolate & fennel dessert

We’re going to make a delicious white chocolate and fennel dessert. It may sound strange, but the combination really works well! We’re going to make a fennel seed ice cream with a white chocolate mousse, a fennel crumble, a spongecake and some fennel flower galettes.

The fennel ice cream

500 grams	cream
500 grams	milk
200 grams	sugar
30 grams	skimmed milk powder
20 grams	fennel seeds
90 grams	egg yolk

Pour the cream into a saucepan together with the milk, the sugar, the skimmed milk powder and the fennel seeds. Now mix it and then bring it to a boil. Meanwhile transfer the egg yolk in a bowl. Then while stirring add the boiling liquid to the yolks. Pour it back into the pan and while stirring heat it up till it’s 85 degrees Celsius. After that pour it into a bowl, cover it with plastic foil and let it rest in your fridge for at least 6 hours. I always leave it overnight. Then pour the base into an ice cream machine and turn it into beautiful smooth ice cream. Let it set for another 30 minutes in your freezer

The fennel seed crumble

70 grams	flour
100 grams	sugar
10 grams	fennel seed
100 grams	butter
2 grams	flaky salt
40 grams	melted white chocolate
100 grams	almond powder

Transfer the flour on your worktop and make a well in the middle. Fill the well with the sugar, the fennel seed, the butter, the flaky salt, the melted white chocolate and the almond powder. Now knead it into a nice dough. Then spread that dough on a tray that’s lined with a silicon sheet. Bake it at 160 degrees Celsius for around 20 minutes and mix it every 5 minutes with a whisk. Then let it cool down and keep it dry and covered for later.

The white chocolate galette

For this I first picked some beautiful fennel flowers and then cut the tops off. After that pour some melted chocolate that’s 45 degrees Celsius on your worktop and while moving the chocolate cool it down till it’s 28 degrees Celsius. Then transfer it back into the bowl and mix it till it’s 30 degrees Celsius. Now pour the chocolate on a plastic sheet and spread it. Sprinkle some fennel seeds on top and then cover it completely with the fennel flowers. Cover the sheet on a tray and keep it in your fridge for later.

The white chocolate mousse

2 leaves or 3.3 grams	gelatin
100 grams	cream
180 grams	white chocolate
200 grams	cream
50 grams	sugar
20 grams	water
90 grams	egg

First soak the gelatin in cold water. Then pour the100 grams of cream into a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Once it’s boiling dissolve the gelatin and add the white chocolate. Mix this till completely emulsified. Then pour the 200 grams of cream into a bowl and beat it until it’s at yoghurt thickness. After that transfer the sugar into a saucepan together with the water. Heat this up till it’s 118 degrees Celsius. While the suger is heating up transfer the egg into a mixing bowl and start mixing it. Once the egg is fluffy add the hot sugar syrup and beat this till it’s at room temperature. Now pour the white chocolate ganache on the egg mixture and fold it together. Then pour the egg mixture on the beaten cream and gently fold this together. Now pour the white chocolate mousse on a tray that’s lined with plastic foil. Spread it and then let it set in your freezer. Once it’s frozen cut it with a round cutter and keep the mousse in your freezer for later.

The white chocolate & lemon cream

250 grams	milk
60 grams	sugar
20 grams	corn starch
	The zest from one lemon
100 grams	egg yolk
100 grams	white chocolate

Start by mixing the milk with the sugar, the corn starch and the zest from one lemon. Now finally also add the egg yolk, mix it well and while stirring bring it to a boil. Once it has thickened add the white chocolate and mix this well. Then pour it in a boil, cover it with plastic foil and let it cool down in your fridge. Once it’s cold pass it through a fine sieve and then transfer it into a piping bag fitted with a round nozzle.

The sponge cake

150 grams	egg yolk
45 grams	almond powder
30 grams	sugar
15 grams	flour
2 grams	salt
	The zest from one lemon

Mix the egg white with the almond powder, the sugar, the flour, the salt and the zest from one lemon. Now blend the mixture till completely smooth. This is going to take at least 5 minutes. Once it’s smooth pass it through a fine sieve into a syphon. Press the mixture through the sieve with a ladle to make it a bit easier. Now charge the syphon with 3 charges and shake it well after each charge. Then take 4 paper cups and make thin cuts at the bottom. Fill the cups halfway and bake them in a microwave at 700 watts for 45 seconds. After baking turn them around on your worktop and let them cool down completely. Let the sponge cool down completely. Once it’s cold press the side on the cup slightly and give it one hard push on your worktop. Keep it dry and covered for later.

How to finish the dish

First transfer the white chocolate mousse in the middle of a plate and pipe the cream around the mousse. Press some of the sponge cake into the cream and then cover it with the fennel galettes. Now cover the mousse with the crumble and then finish the dish with a nice quenelle of the fennel seed ice cream.