Trio of chocolate pots de crème with matcha

dansyoung — Wed, 13 May 2009 23:49:29 +0000

Published in The Los Angeles Times – May 13, 2009

Pots de Crème takes its name from the petits pots in which the lightly set custard is baked and served. In my recipe the traditional French dessert is composed as a trio of three chocolates – white, milk, dark – each accessorized with the identical dusting of matcha. The counterpoint of custards allows for a comparative tasting of these chocolates and how their relative sweetness and bitterness interact with nuanced flavor of the green tea powder.

Makes 9-12 small pots

2 ounces (60 grams) dark chocolate, finely chopped
2 ounces (60 grams) milk chocolate, finely chopped

2 ounces (60 grams) white chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup (250ml) heavy cream
1 1/2 cups (375ml) whole milk
6 egg yolks, divided
2 tablespoons sugar, plus 2 teaspoons, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons matcha powder, sifted

Heat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Bring a large saucepan of water to a simmer on the stove, then adjust the heat to keep the water at a gentle simmer.
Meanwhile, place each type of chocolate in a separate bowl.
In a medium saucepan, combine the cream and milk and bring to a boil. Immediately remove from heat and pour one-third of the hot cream mixture over each of the 3 chocolates and whisk each mixture until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.
In each of 3 separate bowls, whisk 2 egg yolks. Whisk 2 tablespoons sugar into the first bowl with the eggs, then whisk in the dark chocolate mixture to form a custard base. Whisk 2 teaspoons sugar into the second bowl with the eggs, then whisk in the milk chocolate mixture to form a custard base. Whisk the white chocolate mixture into the third bowl to form the white chocolate base. Pour each custard base into 3 or 4 small ramekins, custard cups or espresso cups.
Place the ramekins in a large metal baking pan and place the baking pan in the center of the middle rack in the oven. Pour enough hot water into the baking pan to reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and poke holes in the foil to allow steam to escape.
Bake the custards just until they are set (the tops will form a “skin” and the custards will jiggle slightly when tapped), about 30 minutes. Gently remove the pan from the oven, remove foil and allow the custards to cool. Wrap the cooled custards with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours.
Before serving, remove the plastic wrap and place a doily, cutout or stencil over each custard and lightly powder the top with matcha.

Cold olive oil spread

dansyoung — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 12:30:11 +0000

By freezing and then partially thawing extra virgin olive oil, three-star chef Gérard Passédat of Le Petit Nice in Marseille transforms EVOO into a soft but very much solid topping that can be used like table butter. You can spread it over toast, cut it into cubes to scatter over hot potatoes or place thin slices over a cooked piece of fish or slab of beef. It also opens up the possibility of “compound” cold
olive oils, meaning herb-flavoured olive oil chilled in a like manner. But since semi-freezing a good quality oil lets you discover its character as it melts on your tongue, it may be counterproductive to hide its nuanced flavour with herbs or spices. Gérard allowed me to adapt his recipe for my cookbook, Made in Marseille.

2-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

The day before: Pour the oil into a small ramekin or relish dish and freeze for at least 24 hours.
At least 1 hour before serving, transfer it to the refrigerator to soften a bit. Remove immediately before serving.

recipes | YOUNG & FOODISH

Trio of chocolate pots de crème with matcha

Cold olive oil spread