There’s a tuber in my dessert

The fil rouge in this dish is a game: giving vivacity and daring with a dessert that has, as its protagonist, a tuber. My research is based on delicate and, at the same time, persistent flavours, in contraposition with one another but without distorting the nature of the initial raw materials. This is why this dessert finds in the hazelnut and rosemary crumble its round and aromatic tones, enhanced by the white chocolate mousse. The orange zest, on the other hand, is delicately softened by the softness of the sweet chestnuts. In this dish I decided to use Birra Moretti Grand Cru to underline the sober notes of the meaty pulp of the Jerusalem artichoke.

Jerusalem artichoke, white chocolate, orange, sweet chestnuts and Moretti Grand Cru

Recipe for 4 people

INGREDIENTS
for the Jerusalem artichoke
4 Jerusalem artichoke roots
2 star anises
1 cinnamon stick
4 cloves
the zest of 1 orange
8 grains of Sechuan pepper
200 ml of natural water
200 ml of Birra Moretti Grand Cru
150 g of sugar

for the orange flavoured white chocolate mousse
125 g of white chocolate
30 g of sugar
1 egg white
1 egg yolk
50 ml of milk
the zest of 1 orange
4 g of gelatine sheet
150 g of fresh cream

for the candied orange zest
the zest of ½ orange
50 g of water
50 g of sugar
for the sweet chestnut jelly
200 g of sweet chestnuts
200 ml of natural water
200 g of sugar
1 bourbon vanilla stick

for the sweet chestnut mousse
100 g of sweet chestnut jelly
100 g of liquid cream
for the hazelnut and rosemary crumble
50 g of chopped hazelnuts
50 g of sugar
50 g of flour
50 g of soft butter cut into pieces

for the Birra Moretti Grand Cru caramel
1 bottle of Birra Moretti Grand Cru

METHOD
for the Jerusalem artichoke
Take a vacuum cooking pack and place all the ingredients inside. Seal and cook in the Roner at 67°C for about 1 hour.

for the orange flavoured white chocolate mousse
Leave the orange zest in infusion in the cold milk for one night. Blend the egg yolk and sugar in a bain-marie until you obtain a zabaglione cream. Gradually add the milk and, in the meantime, soak the gelatine sheet. The latter will be added when the mixture has the thickness of a mousse. Slowly melt the chocolate and, using a palette knife, gradually add it to the whipped mixture. Once the mousse has reached room temperature, gently add the cream – previously whipped so it’s almost stiff – and finally the whipped egg white. Put this mixture into a sac-à-poche and leave in the fridge to rest.

for the candied orange zest
Put some water into two small saucepans and bring to the boil. Cut the zest of half an orange into strips, without removing the white part, so as to keep the slightly bitter flavour of the zest. Scald the pieces of zest twice, in the two saucepans, then put them in a third saucepan containing a 1:1 syrup.

for the sweet chestnut jelly
Boil the sweet chestnuts in water, remove the internal part and make a 1:1 syrup with the vanilla stick. Finish cooking the sweet chestnuts in the syrup and then pass them in the Thermomix.

for the sweet chestnut mousse
Dilute the sweet chestnut jelly with the liquid cream and pour in a syphon. Charge once and leave to rest.

for the hazelnut and rosemary crumble
Knead all the ingredients in a planetary, spread over a baking sheet and bake at 165°C in a non-ventilated oven for 8-10 minutes, paying attention to frequently moving the mixture, while it is in the oven.

for the Birra Moretti Grand Cru caramel
Pour the beer into a saucepan and reduce on a low heat, until you obtain the thickness of a caramel. To complete the dish, some very fresh tips of rosemary will be necessary.