Manjari Chocolate Sorbet with Blackout Cake, Ginger, and Hibiscus

METHOD:

For the Manjari Chocolate Sorbet:
In medium bowl, whisk sorbet stabilizer into sugar. In large pot, combine sugar with water, inverted sugar, cocoa powder, and ginger and bring to boil. Place chocolate in large bain and pour hot liquid on top; whisk until chocolate melts, shines, and emulsifies.. Strain through chinois and chill overnight in refrigerator. Spin sorbet in batch freezer according to the manufacturer's instructions. Spin sorbet in ice cream machine and immediately load into piping bag. Pipe into cube-shaped silicon molds and freeze.

Unmold cubes. Using paint sprayer, spray cubes with mixture equal parts melted Manjari chocolate and cocoa butter. Return to freezer to re-set.

For the Manjari Crémeux:
In small pot, combine milk and cream and bring to boil. In small bowl, whisk sugar into egg yolks. Once milk mixture boils, temper into egg yolk mixture, then return to pot and cook, stirring constantly, until anglaise reaches 180°F. Place Manjari chocolate in small bain marie and pour hot anglaise on top, then mix gently to obtain a smooth, shiny emulsion. Season with salt. Scale cremeux to demi-sphere silicon molds and freeze. Before unmolding, use a pain sprayer to coat bottoms of domes with a mixture of equal parts melted Manjari chocolate and cocoa butter. Unmold and refrigerate.

For the Ginger Gel:
In small pot combine water, fresh ginger, sugar, and vanilla bean and bring to boil. Remove from heat, add lemon zest, and steep 10 minutes. Strain through chinois and thicken with Ultratex to desired consistency. Season with lemon juice and salt.

For the Hibiscus Gel:
In small pot combine water, sugar, hibiscus and chamomile flowers, ginger, and vanilla bean and bring to boil. Remove from heat and allow to steep until cooled completely. Strain through chinois and thicken with Ultratex to desired consistency. Season with rosewater.

For the Compressed Blackout Cake:
Preheat oven to 325°F. In large bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and baking soda. In separate bowl, combine vanilla, buttermilk, coffee, and eggs and whisk until combined. Combine wet ingredients with dry and whisk until smooth. Add melted butter and whisk until combined. Transfer batter to a parchment-lined half-sheet tray and sprinkle with grated chocolate. Bake until cake springs back when pressed gently, about 25 minutes. Let cool, roll between two pieces of acetate until about 1/8-inch thick, and freeze. Cut out circles of assorted sizes.

To Assemble and Serve:
Place a few circles of Compressed Blackout Cake on serving plate. Pipe dots of Hibiscus Gel and Ginger Gel around Cake. Place disc of Manjari Chocolate on top of piece of Cake. Pipe Hibiscus Gel in hole in Manjari Sorbet cube, then place on top of chocolate disc. Arrange two pieces Manjari Crémeux on plate. Garnish with dots of crème fraîche, crystallized ginger, cocoa-hazelnut nougatine, and Maldon sea salt.