Creamy chocolate and orange tart by Luciano García

In pastry, balance is key not only in terms of recipe formulation, but also on a flavor and texture level and in terms of finishes and presentation. The success of a creation depends on the skill of the professional to balance all these parameters and manage to imprint a personality to the piece at the same time. Without ever losing sight of simplicity, the Argentinian pastry chef Luciano García, who is one of the protagonists of so good # 24, continues to show us a remarkable sense of balance.

In DPAS 473, our professional pastry magazine published in Spanish, he offered us up to three tarts with clear and defined flavors, with no more than three textures, and which stand out for their balanced aesthetics despite the contrast in the finishes. As Luciano himself explains to us, “Argentinians are not yet accustomed to balance, contrast, discovering all the flavors of a piece, but rather adding sugar rather than flavors. In this collection I found it interesting to continue betting on understanding each ingredient and enjoying them in the harmony of their contrast”. In the case of the orange and chocolate tart, or torta, as it is known in Argentina, we also let the chef himself introduce it properly:

“The combination of glaze and velvet seeks to be a visual link with the perception that one has when enjoying the cake. The silky texture of the creamy chocolate would be the icing, which contrasts with the velvet, representing the astringency of the orange. We must remember that in Argentina we produce oranges that are very aromatic, but also characteristically citric”.

Photographs by Pablo Baracat

Creamy chocolate and orange tart

Cocoa and almond shortcrust pastry

210 g butter
200 g powdered sugar
10 g egg yolks
400 g flour
100 g almond flour
100 g bitter cocoa

Sandblast the butter, the powdered sugar, the flour, the almond flour and the bitter cocoa. Add the yolks and mix until all the ingredients are homogenized. Stretch 3 mm thick between two polyethylene sheets. Let it rest in cold and cut a 220 mm diameter disc. Bake at 160 ° C for 15 minutes. Its surface must darken and get a very crispy dough to prolong its shelf life.

Baked orange cream

125 g cream
40 g sugar
80 g egg yolks
125 g milk
2 oranges (for zest)
q.s.yellow vegetable dye

Bring cream, milk and orange zest with half the sugar to a boil. Mix the yolks with the other part of sugar. Pour the boiling mixture over the yolk mixture. If necessary, rectify the color with liquid vegetable yellow dye. Bake in a silicone mold 18 centimeters in diameter at 95 ° C for 20 minutes. Freeze.

Creamy chocolate mousse

5 egg yolks
100 g sugar
30 ml water
25 g glucose
150 g dark coverage 811
150 g butter
10 ml rum
3 egg whites
125 g sugar
50 ml water
8 g unflavored gelatin
125 g 39% MG cream

Cook the sugar, water and glucose at 116ºC. Add to the yolks, beating until a pâte à bombe is obtained at room temperature. Melt the chocolate at 45 ° C and allow it to warm to 30 ° C. Add the softened butter and emulsify. Make an Italian meringue with the whites, sugar and water. Incorporate the hydrated and dissolved gelatin into the pâte à bombe. Unify with the chocolate mixture and carefully add the meringue. Incorporate the semi-whipped cream and the rum.

Cocoa glaze

160 g cream 39% MG
200 ml water
130 g sugar
110 g glucose
80 g dark bitter cocoa powder
20 g neutral gelatine

Bring the cream, water, glucose and sugar to a boil. Incorporate the sifted cocoa in the form of rain. Mix for two minutes and let it warm. When the glaze is at 60ºC, incorporate the previously hydrated gelatin into five parts of water. Apply at 30 ° C.

Chocolate airbrushing

100 g semi-dark chocolate
100 g cocoa butter

Melt the couverture and the cocoa butter at 40 ° C and filter. Blend. Pre-crystallize at 31 ° C. Place inside the sprayer and airbrush half the cake.

Decoration

150 g coverage 811

Temper the couverture and cover with a thin layer an orange leaf previously polished with alcohol and cotton. Pre-crystallize at 20 ° C, without weight so that it generates a slight movement due to its contraction.

Assembly

Place half of the mousse in a 20 cm diameter silicone mold with relief. Place the orange interior well centered and complete with more mousse. Place a plastic wrap on the surface and smooth. Bring the temperature down. Unmold, airbrush half and glaze the other half. Arrange on the cocoa shortcrust dough.