Working Temperatures for Tempering Chocolate

Working temperatures

How to temper

1. Pour three-quarters of the chocolate onto the marble and spread it with a spatula.
2. Stir and fold it over itself without rushing, so no air goes in, until it reaches the curve temperature.
3. Return it to the pan, mix with the hot quarter left behind, and check the working temperature for that chocolate.
4. Repeat if needed.
5. Letting it cool alone in the pan to 30 ºC is not enough: you need the heat–cool–reheat curve.
6. At home you can fake it by stirring in the pan (or a cold-water bath) down to working temperature: not as good as marble, but decent.

Shiny chocolate glaze

Glaze

1. Soak the gelatine sheets in very cold water beforehand.
2. Heat cream, water and sugar in a tall pan until it boils. The pan must be roomy for blending later.
3. Add the cocoa and cook to 103 ºC (63 ºBrix), whisking the whole time, about 10 minutes.
4. Pour into a glass bowl and let it fall to 60 ºC.
5. At 60 ºC add the squeezed-out gelatine and dissolve it with a whisk.
6. Blend with a stick blender touching the bottom, switched on without lifting it or beating in air; switch off before you lift it out.
7. Stir slowly with a spatula to knock out bubbles and cool to 30–31 ºC.
8. Pour from the centre to the edges over a slightly chilled cake on a rack with a tray underneath. Lift it with a long spatula across the bars.
9. To store: film touching the surface, fridge once cold. To reuse: bain-marie to 40 ºC, three-quarters on the marble, back into the bowl, pour at 31 ºC.