Spicy, delightful, and intriguing – there is something about the sensual combination of chocolate and chili peppers distinguishes this special dessert recipe created by chef Gaetano Trovato of the double-Michelin starred restaurant Arnolfo located Colle di Val d’Elsa in the province of Siena. Here is the recipe for dark chocolate, chili peppers, and passion fruit, perfect for a sweet ending to any dinner.
Ingredients
To make the light mousse with dark chocolate and chili pepper
For the cocoa bisque
For the white icing
For the passion fruit sorbet
For the passion fruit gel
For the French meringue
Procedure
To make the light mousse with dark chocolate and chili pepper
To start this dessert recipe remember that the amount of hot pepper that you choose to use is at everyone’s individual discretion according to tolerance and personal taste. Begin by heating the milk, and steeping half chili pepper in it for at least 10 minutes, filter everything without leaving any pieces behind. Place the milk back on the heat and melt the sugar until it comes to a boil, then dissolve the gelatin. In the meantime, half melt the chocolate and emulsify with an immersion mixer along with the milk – gradually adding until a smooth cream is obtained. Then add by hand the semi-whipped cream. Pour into molds and freeze.
A cocoa biscuit circle will be placed in the mousse to form its base, using a circular mold with a diameter of about 6/7cm with a central hollow to form a ring.
For the cocoa bisque
Whip the egg whites in a planetary adding the sugar and salt a little at a time until it obtains a stable and creamy consistency. Incorporate the lightly beaten egg yolks by hand, a little at a time to the whipped egg whites at minimum speed in the planetary mixer. By hand, add the cocoa sifted with the starch. Bake lying on baking paper or a silpat at 200°C for about 10 minutes.
For the white icing
Boil the milk with the cream, 250g of sugar, the glucose and the coloring. While it heats, mix the starch with the remaining sugar and add it to the hot mixture while stirring. Bring everything to a boil until it reaches about 104 ° C, remove from heat, cool to 40 ° C in order to add the gelatin. Blend with an immersion blender.
For the passion fruit sorbet
Weigh the powders all together and mix. Heat water to 85°C, weigh it and add powders with a whisk. Let the mixture cool completely before adding the passion fruit pulp. Emulsify well with a mixer before freezing. Blend if necessary.
For the passion fruit gel
Make a syrup of water and sugar, then add passion fruit juice and bring to a boil. Add agar and shake carefully avoiding the formation of lumps. Once the agar is combined, boil the mixture on low heat for another minute and spread it on a plate to cool and when it has condensed, blend carefully using a mixer to break down any air bubbles.
For the French meringue
Whip the egg whites. As soon as the first bubbles begin to appear, slowly incorporate the caster sugar (in 7/8 rounds). Whip it at maximum speed for a couple of minutes before starting to incorporate the powdered sugar, and then continue whipping until it becomes frothy. Cook at 120°C for about two hours.
To serve the dark chocolate and chili pepper
Glaze the mousse and leave it to thaw in the fridge until it reaches serving temperature. Place it in the center of the plate and fill the hollow of the mold with the passion fruit gel. Decorate with the spicy meringues shaped like sticks or crumbled. Complete with a portion of passion fruit sorbet and some marzipan petals brushed with silver powder.