I promised you the next recipe would be an entremets recipe. Well, here it is! Better still, it’s not an old recipe dug out from the back of the cupboard to get me out of a tight spot. No no, it’s a brand new recipe I made recently. A lemon and basil entremets, so good that I had the chance to make it 3 times in 2 weeks! No less!
I took the recipe from Chloé Délice but it was missing a bit of crunch when eating it, so for the second attempt I added a linzer shortbread (a bit too crumbly for my taste). For the third attempt, I followed the advice of Julien (for another entremets, coming soon) and finally made a streusel. It was perfect!
And for the first time, I made a white chocolate mousse (flavoured with lime in this recipe). As someone who usually makes bavarois mousses, I have to say I’m won over!
However, I advise you to use a quality couverture chocolate, which is less sweet than shop-bought chocolate. The hint of basil brings freshness and originality; it’s definitely a combination I’m enjoying more and more.
As for the glaze and the decoration, I must admit I’ve made some progress and I’m very pleased about it. The glaze turned out pretty well and for the first time I managed to make chocolate decorations! Now, no, I don’t temper chocolate by the book (boo, shame on me!), I use chef Michalak’s trick (seen on the programme “Dans la peau d’un chef”), which consists of melting the chocolate directly in the saucepan but without going above 30°C. You need to heat it gently (1 or 2 on an induction hob) and stir constantly, sometimes removing the pan and continuing to stir. Even if there are small pieces of chocolate, they’ll end up melting.
Like any entremets recipe, it requires a bit of work and organisation, but nothing too daunting if you follow the recipe steps properly. For example, you could organise yourself like this:
- D-3: the crémeux (in the freezer) + the mirror glaze (in a tupperware, in the fridge)
- D-2: the streusel and the soft sponge (wrapped in cling film, in the fridge)
- D-1: the white chocolate mousse + the assembly (in the freezer)
- D-Day: reheat the glaze + the decoration
I don’t usually make the same recipe twice, so obviously, if I’ve made this entremets 3 times in 2 weeks, you can believe me, it’s because it’s a real delight! If you like lime (and want to discover the lime and basil pairing), go for it! You won’t be disappointed!
Ingredients & method
7 components · Full recipe
Yellow Mirror Glaze (can be made in advance)
Ingredients
- 150 g (5.3 oz) glucose syrup
- 150 g (5.3 oz) sugar
- 75 ml (2.5 fl oz) water
- 150 g (5.3 oz) white chocolate
- 100 g (3.5 oz) unsweetened condensed milk
- 10 g (0.4 oz) powdered gelatine
- 60 g (2.1 oz) water (to rehydrate the gelatine)
- yellow food colouring
Method
1
Ideally, make the glaze the day before (or in advance) and reheat it in the microwave when needed.
2
Rehydrate the gelatine in the water.
3
In a saucepan, combine the water, sugar and glucose and heat to 103°C / 217°F.
4
Meanwhile, in a tall jug, place the white chocolate (cut into pieces), the unsweetened condensed milk, the rehydrated gelatine and the yellow food colouring.
5
When the water/sugar/glucose mixture reaches 103°C / 217°F, pour it into the jug, then blend with an immersion blender to smooth the glaze — being careful not to incorporate air, which would create unsightly bubbles.
6
If needed, pass through a fine-mesh strainer and refrigerate.
Lemon and Basil Cremeux (make the day before)
Ingredients
- 80 g (2.8 oz) eggs
- 85 g (3 oz) sugar
- 90 g (3.2 oz) lime juice
- the zest of one lime
- 100 g (3.5 oz) butter
- 1 gelatine leaf
- fresh basil (10-15 leaves)
Method
1
Soak the gelatine leaf in cold water.
2
In a saucepan, combine the lime juice, zests, eggs and sugar, then mix with a whisk.
3
Heat to 83°C / 181°F, stirring constantly. The cream will thicken. As with an anglaise, be careful not to exceed this temperature. If you don’t have a thermometer, here’s Chef Michalak’s trick: whisk the mixture rapidly, then stop. If the ‘whirlpool’ stops immediately, the cream is at the right temperature.
4
Off the heat, add the finely chopped fresh basil and the squeezed gelatine and mix.
5
Pour the mixture into a tall jug (or any tall container). When it reaches around 35°C / 95°F, add the cold butter then blend with an immersion blender until smooth and homogeneous.
6
Pour the cremeux into an 18 cm (7.1 in) diameter ring.
7
Freeze for at least 2 hours (ideally make it the day before).
Streusel
Ingredients
- 40 g (1.4 oz) butter
- 40 g (1.4 oz) brown sugar
- 40 g (1.4 oz) flour
- 50 g (1.8 oz) almond flour
- a pinch of fleur de sel
- the zest of half a lime
Method
1
Preheat the oven to 160°C / 325°F fan.
2
In a bowl, mix all the ingredients together.
3
Spread the dough to 3-4 mm thickness and cut out with an 18 cm (7.1 in) diameter ring.
4
Bake for approximately 15 minutes.
5
While the streusel is baking, prepare the soft sponge.
Lemon and Basil Soft Sponge
Ingredients
- 100 g (3.5 oz) butter
- 100 g (3.5 oz) icing sugar
- 100 g (3.5 oz) flour
- 2 g (0.1 oz) baking powder
- 110 g (3.9 oz) eggs
- 20 g (0.7 oz) lime juice
- the zest of one lime
- fresh basil
Method
1
In a bowl, mix the softened butter with the sifted icing sugar, flour and baking powder.
2
Add the pre-beaten eggs and lime juice. Mix until you have a smooth batter.
3
Add the lime zest and finely chopped fresh basil.
4
After the 15 minutes of baking the streusel, pour the financier batter over it. Spread evenly with an offset spatula and bake at 160°C / 325°F for a further 15-20 minutes.
5
Once out of the oven, leave to cool with the ring on a wire rack.
Lime White Chocolate Mousse
Ingredients
- 150 g (5.3 oz) milk
- 40 g (1.4 oz) egg yolks
- 20 g (0.7 oz) caster sugar
- 3 g (0.1 oz) gelatine (1.5 leaves)
- 225 g (7.9 oz) white chocolate
- 225 g (7.9 oz) double cream
- the zest of one lime
Method
1
Soak the gelatine leaves in very cold water.
2
In a saucepan, heat the milk with the lime zests.
3
Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar, then pour the contents of the saucepan over the yolk-sugar mixture, stir well and return to the heat.
4
Cook to 83°C / 181°F, stirring constantly with a spatula. Be careful not to let the mixture boil.
5
Off the heat, add the well-drained gelatine then pour over the white chocolate. Blend with an immersion blender until smooth and fully combined.
6
Whip the double cream, but don’t over-whip — it should be light and mousse-like.
7
When the white chocolate cream has cooled to 35°C / 95°F, gently fold in the whipped cream and set aside.
Assembly
Ingredients
- None
Method
1
Cover the base of a 20 cm (7.9 in) diameter ring with cling film.
2
Place a strip of acetate inside the ring (if you don’t have any, that’s fine, but you’ll probably need to warm the ring slightly to remove it more easily).
3
Pour three-quarters of the white chocolate and lime mousse and run it up the sides for a clean finish.
4
Remove the insert from the freezer and gently press it into the mousse, centred.
5
Cover with another layer of mousse (leaving approximately 1 cm (0.4 in) from the top).
6
Finish with the financier + streusel base (financier side facing the mousse). Press down gently and smooth the surface with a spatula.
7
Cover with cling film and freeze for at least 3 hours, ideally overnight.
Decoration
Ingredients
- None
Method
1
Remove the entremet from the freezer and unmould.
2
Place the frozen entremet on a wire rack set over a plate or tray to catch the excess glaze.
3
Heat the mirror glaze to approximately 30°C / 86°F and carefully pour it over to completely coat the entremet.
4
Remove the entremet from the rack and place on a serving platter.
5
Arrange coconut marshmallows around the base of the entremet, pressing them gently against the mirror glaze so they stick. Place coconut balls on top.
6
Leave to defrost in the refrigerator. Allow approximately 5 to 6 hours of defrosting minimum.
Gallery
