Make Yotam Ottolenghi's Recipe for Baked Chocolate Ganache This Weekend

Rich and indulgent, chocolate ganache maybe isn't the first thing that comes to mind when planning a home-cooked dessert. While still slightly fussy, this recipe by Israeli-born chef and restaurateur Yotam Ottolenghi and Ramael Scully manages to make a restaurant dessert feel accessible. The pair shared this and other recipes in the cookbook, NOPI, which features dishes served at the eponymous Asian-influenced eatery in London. Softly baked ganache is accented by a spice mixture and brightened with a dollop of crème fraÎche and drizzle of orange-flavored oil. Try it out as the dessert for a romantic homemade meal or at a dinner party with friends.

[Photo: Jonathan Lovekin © 2015]

Baked Chocolate Ganache

Serves 8

Chocolate Ganache

9 oz/250 g dark chocolate (70 percent cocoa solids), broken into 3/4-in/2-cm pieces
2/3 cup/150 g unsalted butter, cut into 3/4-in/2-cm dice, plus extra for greasing the dish
1 large egg, plus 3 egg yolks
5 tbsp/60 g superfine sugar
coarse sea salt, to serve

Spice Mix

2 tsp coriander seeds
3/4 tsp black peppercorns
1 small cinnamon stick
1 whole star anise
8 cardamom pods
3/4 tsp superfine sugar
11/2 oz/40 g hazelnuts, toasted, skins removed and roughly chopped

Crème FraÎche

101/2 oz/300 g crème fraÎche
21/2 tsp confectioners' sugar, sifted

Orange Oil

Finely grated zest of 1/2 orange
1 tbsp olive oil

Preparation

• Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C (340°F/170°C convection).

• Place the chocolate and butter for the ganache in a heatproof bowl and place over a saucepan half full of simmering water: take care that the water is not touching the bottom of the bowl. Keep on the heat for about 5 minutes, stirring and folding the mixture every now and then, until the chocolate is melted and shiny. Remove from the heat and set aside until completely cool.Place the egg, egg yolks, and sugar in a stand mixer bowl and whisk for 5 to 6 minutes, until thick, light, and foamy. In stages, carefully fold the egg into the chocolate by hand, taking care not to overwork the mixture, then transfer to a lightly greased and parchment-lined 81/2 by-3 inch/22 by 8-cm loaf pan.

• Place in the oven and bake for about 10 minutes, until the surface is opaque but the middle has a slight wobble. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Cover and refrigerate until set, preferably overnight. You don't want it to be too firm when serving, so remove it from the fridge 2 hours before serving.

• To make the spice mix, place the coriander seeds, peppercorns, cinnamon stick, star anise, and cardamom pods in a frying pan and toast for 2 to 3 minutes, until fragrant. Transfer to a spice grinder or a mortar and pestle and grind until completely fine. Transfer to a medium bowl, mix in the sugar and hazelnuts and set aside.

• Mix together the crème fraÎche and confectioners' sugar and keep in the fridge until ready to use.

• To make the orange oil, mix together the orange zest and olive oil and set aside.

• To serve, arrange the hazelnut spice mix in a straight line down the middle of eight plates. Scoop a tablespoon-size portion of chocolate onto each plate (dipping the spoon in hot water will help keep things neat) and place on an angle across the nuts. Place a spoonful of crème fraÎche next to the chocolate and drizzle the orange oil on top. Finish with a tiny pinch of salt and serve at once.

Reprinted with permission from NOPI: The Cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi and Ramael Scully, copyright © 2015. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.