A slightly challenging recipe this week for those who want to impress at home.
Mille feuille means “thousand sheets" in French. It is a classic dessert made up of three layers of puff pastry with a cream filling. Here I have a made a chocolate filling with hazelnuts which is a chocoholics dream!
4 servings
Ingredients
- 125ml Double Cream
- 125ml Milk
- 25g Egg Yolks
- 10g Sugar
- 60g Dark Chocolate
- 1 x gelatine sheet – softened in water
- Ready rolled puff pastry
- Icing sugar
- Hazelnuts – chopped
- Ice cream (of your choice)
Method
Pre heat oven Gas mark 7/ 220c/ fan 200c
To begin bring the milk and cream to the boil in a medium sized pan. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until pale in a mixing bowl and pour over the boiling milk and cream mixture and whisk together. Melt the chocolate slightly in the microwave or over a pan of simmering water. Return the milk and egg mixture to the pan and cook on a low heat whisking continuously until the mixture begins to thicken. Strain through a fine sieve, add the softened gelatine sheet along with the melted chocolate. Thoroughly whisk all this together and allow to cool and set in the fridge – around 2-3 hours.
For the puff pastry part you will need two baking trays similar in size. Line one tray with greaseproof paper.
If your pastry is ready rolled sieve over a small amount of icing sugar and lay onto the baking tray so it fits to size. Next cover with another sheet of greaseproof paper then place the other baking tray on top so the puff pastry is sandwiched between the trays. Cook this for around 12 minutes then check. Continue to cook for 5 minute intervals until the entire sheet is golden brown. Once cooked allow to cool on a cooling rack.
When it comes to building the mille feuille cut your pastry into even sizes approx. 9cm x 3cm.
Whisk up the chocolate mix and place it into a piping bag.
Place a small dab of the chocolate onto the bottom of the plate to secure the first layer of pastry and then pipe on the chocolate repeating the layers with a small amount of hazelnuts in between as you go.
Serve with your favourite ice cream
Gary Townsend is head chef at One Devonshire Gardens by Hotel du Vin, Glasgow. See www.hotelduvin.com or phone 0141 378 0385 to book.
Twitter @Chefgtownsend
Instagram- @chef.g.townsend
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