CHOCOLATE PARFAIT WITH ORANGE SALAD

PREP + COOK TIME 30 MINUTES (+ FREEZING) SERVES 8

Parfait, meaning “perfect” in French, describes the wonderfully light texture of this frozen chocolate dessert. Make sure you use a chocolate with at least 70% cocoa solids to get the best chocolate taste. 2/3 cup (150g) caster sugar

2/3 cup (160ml) water

200g dark chocolate (70% cocoa),

chopped finely

5 egg yolks

300ml thickened cream

¾ cup (185g) mascarpone cheese 1 tablespoon brandy

1 cup (80g) natural flaked

almonds, toasted

2 teaspoons dutch cocoa

(see cook’s notes)

ORANGE SALAD 3 medium oranges (720g) 1 tablespoon honey

1 Line base and sides of an

8cm x 22cm terrine or loaf pan with baking paper, extending the paper 5cm above long sides. 2 Stir sugar and the water in a small saucepan over medium heat, without boiling, for 2 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil; boil, uncovered, without stirring, for 3 minutes. Remove from heat; add chocolate, stir until melted and syrup is smooth.

3 Beat egg yolks in a small bowl with an electric mixer for 3 minutes or until pale. Gradually pour in chocolate syrup, beating constantly until mixture is cool.

4 Beat cream and mascarpone in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Fold chocolate syrup, brandy and half the almonds into cream mixture. Pour mixture into pan; level surface. Cover; freeze for 6 hours or overnight until firm.

5 Make orange salad.

6 Turn out parfait; top with remaining almonds. Dust with sifted cocoa. Serve sliced with orange salad.

ORANGE SALAD

Remove rind and white pith from oranges. Working with one orange at a time, hold it over a medium bowl; remove segments by cutting down between each side of the membrane and segment. Place segments in a bowl. Squeeze juice from the orange membrane. Drizzle with honey.

“To prevent your frozen masterpiece from melting too quickly, pop the platter that you plan to use into the freezer 20 minutes before serving.” Sophia Young, Editorial & Food Director, AWW Cookbooks