Randy Feltis shares a lesson in tempering chocolate, and how to use that skill to make homemade Easter eggs (with a little help from Jason Priestley!).
Tempering chocolate 101
Place small pieces of chocolate in a stainless steel bowl over a water bath. It’s best to have a smaller pot with a inch of simmering water.
Slowly melt chocolate and stir but make sure water does not mix with chocolate. Heat to 50C — a candy thermometer will help, if you have one. Take off water bath and let cool slightly. Slowly bring back up to 32F. This should change the compound of the chocolate to have a higher melting point, and a brighter shine when cooled.
Flavour ideas (use your imagination and have fun with this!)
Double-smoked bacon and dark chocolate
1lb dark tempered chocolate
6 crispy strips of cooked double-smoked bacon
Chop bacon finely and add to melted dark chocolate. Place in desired molds and refrigerate for 8 min. Remove from mold and enjoy.
Milk chocolate with chili and ginger
1lb milk chocolate
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1 dried Thai chili
Chop chili and ginger and add to tempered milk chocolate. Place in desired molds and refrigerate for 8 min. Remove from mold and enjoy
White chocolate with blue cheese
1lb white chocolate
2 oz ripe blue cheese
Chop up blue cheese and add to tempered white chocolate. Place in desired molds and refrigerate for 8 min. Remove from molds and enjoy.
Courtesy Randy Feltis
www.thefarmhouse.ca
@ChefRandyF