Introducing Chef Elaine Young, our Pâtissier Chocolate's newest addition to the chef team.
Social media: @elaine_ong_young
What was your background and journey of growth?
Elaine is experienced with ingredients, menu development and kitchen organization for restaurants, pastry and chocolate wholesale manufacturing and hotel food production. She collaborated with makers and distributors of new technologies and equipment for both chocolate and pastry operations through training, solutions, and assistance in the translation of current kitchen practices to practical procedures for a seamless transition to new technologies.
Elaine was deeply involved in creative input for pastry, chocolate, gelato operations and education in Asia-Pacific. Her background in pastry and chocolate combined with a degree in Marketing allowed her to comfortably employ a business acumen to the industry specific needs of the market.
Thoughts on using Pâtissier Chocolate as an ingredient?
The Pâtissier 65% Dominican Republic Single Origin Couverture has a prominent fruity profile that balances very well with roasted flavour notes of hojicha. It is the perfect backdrop to marry the umami flavours of miso, bittersweetness of caramel and the earthy taste of the hojicha.
What is your inspiration behind creating the recipes?
The combination of chocolate, hojicha and miso is an experiment arising from the blending of my most loved flavours, experimentation and interest in health and wellbeing.
My excitement in the use of miso grew when I learned that consuming fermented products regularly strengthens our microbiota which promotes a healthier immune function as well as digestive and heart health. I’ve gradually used miso as an ingredient in my cooking whenever I need something umami or salty. I’ve then experimented on using miso in caramel instead of salt and I loved the flavour! It hits the same sweet-salty taste of the most-loved salted caramel but with a unique flavour profile. I’ve since then used miso-caramel in a few Asian dessert creations and realised that most people find it appealing.
A trip to Japan exposed me to the varied flavours of its teas as well as the art of its preparation its styles. Hojicha became a memorable flavour that I’ve grown to enjoy.
These mingled flavour memories allowed me to come up with the Hojicha and Miso Caramel tart that has been very well-received and enjoyed at the FHA in Singapore in 2022.
Recipe: Hojicha Miso Caramel Tart
CHOCOLATE PASTRY
Ingredients:
Flour 529g
Salt 4g
Icing Sugar 195g
Pâtissier Chocolate Artisan 22-24% Cocoa Powder 81g
Butter 326g
Egg Yolks 73g
Water 41g
Steps:
Combine the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.
Add the butter (pliable) and mix with a paddle until the butter coats the flour particles. Do not over mix.
In a separate container, mix cold egg yolks and cold water.
Add the yolk and water mixture into the dry ingredients and mix with a paddle attachment until just combined.
Roll and fit 3.5 cm diameter tart moulds. Dock the pastry.
Freeze until completely frozen.
Blind bake in a 150°C oven until done.
MISO CARAMEL
Ingredients:
Sugar 195g
Cream 35% 195g
Butter (Unsalted) 152g
Pâtissier Chocolate Artisan Milk 40% Couverture 55g
White Miso Paste 28g
Steps:
Make a dry caramel with sugar and glucose.
Deglaze with hot cream and butter on the stove using a whisk.
Add miso.
Pass through an immersion blender.
Pour in a shallow container. Allow to cool to room temperature.
Pipe into moulded chocolate shells while the caramel is still fluid but not warmer than 32°C.
Note:
This caramel is irreversible and cannot be re-warmed to turn back into a fluid consistency.
FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE BISCUIT
Ingredients:
Pâtissier Chocolate Artisan Single Origin Dominican Republic Dark 65% Couverture 105g
Butter (Unsalted) 35g
Egg Whites 105g
Sugar 35g
Egg Yolks 70g
Steps:
Line a lightly greased 40x30 cm tray with baking paper.
Melt the butter and couverture to 50°C.
Whip the egg whites and caster sugar to medium soft peaks.
Fold the egg yolks into the whipped whites.
Add the melted couverture (50°C) and fold gently. Do not over mix.
Spread on tray.
Bake in a 180°C oven for ~7-8 mins or until sponge springs back when touched.
Cool then cut into 2.5 cm circular pieces or to the size that fits the base of the pastry.
HOJICHA GANACHE
Ingredients:
Cream 35% 485g
Milk 101g
Pâtissier Chocolate Artisan Single Origin Dominican Republic Dark 65% Couverture 623g
Hojicha 13g
Inverted Sugar 76g
Butter (Unsalted) 101g
Steps:
Bring the cream and milk to a boil.
In a separate jug, add the couverture, hojicha and invert sugar.
Pour the cream on couverture chocolates, process with a stick blender until an emulsion is created.
Add soft butter then process with a stick blender until an emulsion is created.
Pour in a shallow container and cool slightly. Ensure the ganache is still fluid for application.
Note:
This ganache is irreversible, it cannot be re-warmed to a fluid consistency.
Assembly Steps:
Mould Leman half ball 2.8cm shell with dark couverture Pâtissier Chocolate Artisan Single Origin Dominican Republic Dark 65% Coverture. Allow to crystallise for at least 12 hours.
Make and bake the sponge. Cut to 2.5-3 cm circles (the size should fit the pastry), set aside.
Make and bake the pastry shell.
Melt and roll Pâtissier Artisan Hazelnut & Almond Crunchy Waffles between two sheets of baking paper to 1-2mm thick. Freeze then cut into 2.5 cm circles. Keep in the freezer until ready to assemble.
Check to ensure that the chocolate shells are fully crystallised and can be easily released from the thermoform mould. Keep the shells in the mould.
Fill the shells close to the rim with caramel then seal with the Pâtissier Chocolate Artisan Hazelnut & Almond Crunchy Waffles Praline Paste circles previously cut. Allow to crystallise until completely set.
Make the ganache. Cool the ganache down slightly until it reaches ~40°C.
Reserve a small quantity of ganache for assembly.
Fill the tart shells close to the rim with fluid hojicha ganache, then top with a layer of sponge.
Once the ganache are slightly set. Stick the caramel filled chocolate shells using the reserved ganache.
Apply Pâtissier Artisan Dark Chocolate Nibs around the chocolate shell.
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