This week’s recipe has been prepared by Ian McNaught, Head Chef of the Roman Camp Country House & Restaurant situated in the heart of the Trossachs National Park. Roman Camp Country House Hotel is a traditional Highland retreat, set in 20 acres of secluded gardens on the banks of the River Teith yet is also strategically placed for access to both Edinburgh and Glasgow. The restaurant has been recommended by the AA as one of the top twenty eateries in Scotland and has been awarded the Three AA Rosette Award for their restaurant dining. The menus at the restaurant are prepared from locally sourced seasonal ingredients and guests can choose from a host of different menus including a la carte, five course tasting, afternoon tea or vegetarian menus.
The cone moulds used for this recipe can be purchased online, in all good cookery stores or fashioned at home using a thin plastic sheet.
Ingredients
White Chocolate Mousse
255g Valrhona Ivoire Chocolate
150ml water
50g castor sugar
1 ½ leaves of gelatine soaked in cold water
Chocolate Sauce
50g Valrhona dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids)
125ml water
10g unsalted butter
Dark Chocolate Cones
4 acetate cones
100g melted Valrhona dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids)
Tuille Webs
50g icing sugar
50g plain flour
50g egg white
50g melted unsalted butter
400ml whipped double cream
20 firm raspberries
20 small sprigs of mint
For the White Chocolate Mousse
Place the chocolate, water and sugar in a bowl and melt over hot water. Add gelatine, mix well until dissolved. Cool, making sure it doesn’t set. Fold in double cream. Refrigerate until set.
For the Chocolate Sauce
Break chocolate into very small pieces and put into a small pan with water. Melt, then bring to the boil, whisk in the butter and cool.
For the Dark Chocolate Cones
Pour melted chocolate into cones, and then pour out the excess – so that the inside is thinly coated. Leave to set in a cool place (not a refrigerator).
For the Tuille Webs
Blend icing sugar, plain flour and egg white. With blender still running pour in the butter. Place in a refrigerator to set. Best made 24 hours in advance.
Place Tuille web mixture in a silicone paper piping bag and pipe web shapes onto a non-stick mat (12 large, 12 medium and 12 small). Make some extra to cover breakages as they are very fragile. Bake in an oven at 180°c/gas mark 4 until a very light golden colour, 4-6 minutes. Remove from the tray and allow to go cold. Place in an airtight container until ready to use.
Pipe white chocolate mousse into dark chocolate cones and smooth off at the bottom.
Using a cocktail stick put a hole in the top of each raspberry and insert a sprig of mint.
To Serve
Place chocolate cones in the centre of the plates and gently put on tuille webs (largest first, then medium, then small). Place raspberries around the cone and pour chocolate sauce around.
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