An expression of flavor may be both focused and harnessed by eliminating distractions. In order to elevate the inherent nuances in a chocolate dessert, we set about removing extraneous, flavor-muting elements, namely fats. In place of the fats, we used water to allow the complex flavors of the chocolate to really bloom. To give the dessert some structure, we incorporated LMA pectin. The finished chocolate preparation is sliceable and still soft and melting on the palate. All of the fruity and floral notes of the cacao come through. The smooth, ganache-like texture is something to experience. In fact, while we were immersed in working on a sliceable chocolate, we completely overlooked the opportunity to make a more chocolate-forward ganache and play with chocolate fillings. Those will be projects for when we return to New York. Since we are building off of our initial idea, instead of water, we could use a vast number of liquids from fruit juices to tea in order to complement and accent the chocolate in those types of applications.
In this initial presentation of the sliceable chocolate, we paired it with banana crisps. It is a classic combination with good reason. The two flavors harmonize well, each bringing out the best in the other. As we move forward with a new perspective and a panoply of ideas, we shall see what develops.
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