FENNEL & WHITE CHOCOLATE SEMIFREDDO
Serves 4 ½ cup fennel seeds 600ml thickened cream 100g white couverture chocolate 4 eggs, separated ⅓ cup caster sugar 1 baby fennel, shaved, fronds reserved 1 pink grapefruit, peeled, segmented 1 blood orange, peeled, segmented 1 navel orange, peeled, segmented ¼ cup sorrel leaves (optional) CHOCOLATE SNAPS 80g butter ½ cup caster sugar ¼ cup glucose syrup ¾ cup plain flour 2 teaspoons cocoa LEMON SYRUP 4 lemons ½ cup caster sugar
Place fennel seeds in a small frying pan over a medium heat. Cook, stirring, for 4 minutes or until aromatic. Transfer to a bowl to cool. Using a spice grinder or mortar and pestle, grind fennel seeds until a fine powder forms. Place cream in a saucepan over a medium heat until just simmering. Add fennel powder and stir to combine. Transfer to a heatproof bowl and place in refrigerator for at least 2 hours to cool and develop flavours. Strain cream through a fine sieve into a clean jug. Place chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan half-filled with simmering water (ensure bowl doesn’t touch water). Stir with a metal spoon until chocolate melts and is smooth. Remove bowl from heat. Cool slightly. Using an electric mixer, beat egg yolks until pale and fluffy. Fold chocolate into egg yolks. Transfer to a clean bowl, then wash and dry mixing bowl and beaters. Using electric mixer, beat fennel cream until peaks form, a little firmer than soft peaks. Transfer to a bowl. Wash and dry bowl and beaters again. Using electric mixer, whisk eggwhites and caster sugar in a clean, dry bowl until stiff peaks form. Gently fold whipped fennel cream into egg-yolk mixture. Add eggwhite and fold to combine. Spoon mixture among four ½-cup capacity silicone muffin moulds. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for 4 hours or until firm. To make chocolate snaps, line a baking tray with baking paper. Stir butter, sugar and glucose in a saucepan over a medium heat until butter melts, sugar dissolves and mixture boils. Simmer, without stirring, for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk in flour and cocoa. Working quickly, spread mixture over prepared tray and top with a sheet of baking paper. Using a rolling pin, roll out mixture until 3mm thick. Place in freezer for 30 minutes or until firm. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Draw 8 circles the size of muffin mould bases on baking paper. Turn paper over. Break up biscuit, then process in a food processor until finely crushed. Sprinkle biscuit crumb inside circles on baking paper. Bake for 8 minutes or until biscuits form. Cool. To make lemon syrup, use a vegetable peeler to peel long strips of rind from lemons, avoiding white pith. Cut rind into very thin strips. Juice lemons. Strain juice through a fine sieve into a small saucepan. Add sugar and ½ cup water, and stir over a medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture boils. Reduce heat to low. Add rind and cook for 10–15 minutes or until soft. Transfer to a heatproof bowl to cool. Combine shaved fennel, grapefruit segments and orange segments in a large bowl. Add lemon syrup and rind, and gently toss to combine. Remove semifreddo from freezer 5 minutes before serving. Place 1 chocolate snap on each serving plate. Unmould semifreddo and place on top of chocolate snaps. Top with citrus salad, reserved fennel fronds, sorrel and remaining chocolate snaps. Serve immediately so snaps remain crisp.