Smoked Rosemary Chocolate Cremoso...Smoked Rosemary Chocolate Cremoso with Fig-Port Compote

An avant-garde dessert featuring a velvety, rosemary-infused dark chocolate cremoso, lightly smoked, paired with a rich fig and Port wine compote, finished with a crisp sea salt cocoa nib tuile.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the heavy cream and milk. Bring to a bare simmer, then add the fresh rosemary sprigs. Remove from heat, cover, and let steep for 20 minutes to extract the herbal oils.

2. 02

   Bloom the gelatin sheet in a bowl of ice-cold water for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks and fine sugar together in a medium bowl until pale and slightly thickened.

3. 03

   Strain the rosemary-infused cream back into the saucepan, discarding the rosemary. Reheat slightly, then slowly pour a thin stream of warm cream into the egg mixture while whisking constantly to temper the eggs.

4. 04

   Return the mixture to the saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir constantly with a spatula in a figure-eight motion until the custard thickens slightly and reaches 82°C (180°F). Do not boil. Remove from heat and stir in the squeezed, bloomed gelatin.

5. 05

   Place the chopped dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Pour the hot custard over the chocolate. Let sit for 1 minute, then use an immersion blender to emulsify the mixture until glossy, smooth, and bubble-free. Pour into silicone dome molds and refrigerate for at least 4 hours until fully set.

6. 06

   To make the compote, combine the quartered figs, Port wine, honey, and orange zest in a small saucepan. Simmer gently over low heat for 15-20 minutes until the figs are tender and the liquid reduces to a thick, syrupy glaze. Let cool completely.

7. 07

   For the tuile, preheat the oven to 170°C (340°F). Cream the softened butter and powdered sugar together until smooth. Whisk in the egg whites, then fold in the flour to form a smooth paste. Spread the batter thinly onto a silicone baking mat in elegant leaf shapes. Sprinkle with cocoa nibs and a tiny touch of Fleur de sel. Bake for 6-8 minutes until golden brown, then let cool.

8. 08

   Unmold the set chocolate cremosos. Place them on a tray under a glass smoking cloche. Using a hand-held smoking gun loaded with applewood chips, fill the cloche with dense smoke. Let sit infused for 3 minutes to impart a delicate woody aroma.

9. 09

   To plate: Center a smoked cremoso dome on a cold plate. Artfully spoon the fig-port compote next to the dome, drizzling a small amount of the reduction. Lean a crisp cocoa nib tuile elegantly against the cremoso, and finish with optional micro-basil or edible gold leaf.