Hot chocolate tart with banana and passion fruit ice cream

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An intricate dessert recipe from Simon Haigh which plays on the delicious pairing of chocolate and banana. Espuma guns can be bought from specialist catering shops or online.

First published in 2015

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Chocolate tart mix

Banana espuma

Banana and passion fruit ice cream

Equipment

  • Ice cream maker
  • Espuma gun
  • Thermometer

Method

1
Start with the espuma by baking the bananas at 160°C/gas mark 3 until they begin to split and ooze. Peel and soak in 300ml of water overnight. The next day, stir until the liquid is well combined
2
Caramelise the sugar, by placing in a saucepan on a medium to high heat. Once it starts to melt and bubble, watch it closely until it reaches a deep amber colour and deglaze with the 50ml of the banana water and the banana liqueur
3
Measure 570ml of the liquid, add to another pan and add in the gelatine leaves. Chill and pour into an espuma gun and charge with three gases. Set aside in the fridge, this needs to stand for 2 hours until completely cold
  • 3 gelatine leaves
4
For the tart, start by pre-heating the oven to 160°C/gas mark 3. To make the tart mix, melt the butter and chocolate over a bain-marie. Once it has melted, cool until warm, but do not allow to set. Whisk the sugar, yolks and eggs until thick and pale. Fold the two mixes together. While still warm, fill the pastry cases just below the rim and bake for 8 minutes
5
To make the ice cream, repeat the cooking process of the bananas from the espuma method. Bring the cream and milk to a boil in a pan, then remove from heat. Whisk the sugar and egg yolks until pale. While still hot, pour the cream mix over the egg yolks and sugar in a slow stream and whisk thoroughly
  • 480ml of full-fat milk
  • 170ml of double cream
  • 180g of caster sugar
  • 70g of egg yolk
6
Purée the bananas and passion fruit juice and add it to the mix. Return everything to the pan and take to 80°C being sure to stir constantly. Pass through a fine strainer and cool. Churn in an ice cream machine until you reach the desired consistency and freeze
7
Place the tarts into the oven to warm through for 5 minutes. While they are warming, arrange the fresh banana and passion fruit around the plate, leaving 3 spaces for the tart, espuma and ice cream. Spoon a small amount of chocolate crumb or grated chocolate on the right hand side and top with a quenelle of ice cream
8
Remove the cooked tart out of the oven and carefully place it on the plate. Pump the espuma between the tart and the ice cream and serve
First published in 2015

Simon Haigh cut his teeth at the famed Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, working with Raymond Blanc, whom he cites as a key inspiration to this day.

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