“Le Rocher” (The Rock)

METHOD:

For “Le Rocher:”
Mix together sugar, cocoa, malt powder, salt, and kuzu. Put cream and water in a pot and mix in dry ingredients; bring to a boil carefully while gently scraping bottom of pot with a rubber spatula. Put gianduja and chocolate in a bowl and strain hot cream over top. Stir to emulsify and then cool to 45°C. Pour into a siphon and charge three times. Dispense in an even layer into a deep narrow loaf pan lined with plastic wrap. Freeze in a -40°C blast chiller for 8 hours. Shatter into abstract pieces and store covered in freezer.

For the Streusel “Levain:”
Preheat one oven to 140°C, and another oven to 70°C. Mix flour, sugar, butter, salt and almond flour until there are pea-sized clumps of butter. Combine milk and yeast until homogenous; then add to flour mixture blending until just incorporated. Spread out on a sheet pan and bake in a vented oven until dry and golden. Transfer to 70°C oven; bake for 1 hour to finish drying. Process in a Thermomix* until smooth, then pour into a shallow pan to cool for about 8 hours. Roll 6 gram pieces into “pebbles.” Set aside in refrigerator.

*Because of the butter, mixture should liquefy while in the Thermomix

For the White Beer Sorbet:
Bring water, sugar, and both glucose to 85°C; then cool to 4°C. Gradually add beer, zest and juice, mixing thoroughly. Portion into Pacojet beakers.

For the Tangerine Sorbet:
Bring water, sugar and glucose to 85°C; then cool to 4°C. Gradually add juice, mixing thoroughly. Portion into Pacojet beakers.

To Assemble and Serve:
Place “le rocher” in the center of the plate. Arrange two pebbles of streusel around, followed by one quenelle of each sorbet. Sprinkle a small amount of apricot powder on the tangerine sorbet, and finish the plate with a garnish of herbs and flowers.