200ml water
120g caster sugar
25g butter, diced
April 29 |
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When one discusses multiple personalities in opera stars, they generally do not mean the psychiatric condition popularized on the TV hit, The United States of Tara. They refer to the distinctive vocal characteristicsrequired to effectively portray a role in a specific opera. With that allegory in mind, Showtime may want to consider another program titled The United States of Plácido which could feature all of the 124 roles that José Plácido Domingo Embil (better known as Plácido Domingo), has brilliantly portrayed vocally and dramatically, singing in his native Spanish, French, Italian, English, and Russian. Placido Domngo is one of the best-known lyric tenors and has earned universal acclaim for his portrayals of such roles as Cavaradossi in Tosca, Des Grieux in Manon Lescaut, Radames in Aida, Don Carlo in Don Caro, Otello in Otello, Don Jose in Camen, Hoffmann in The Tales of Hoffmann, Canio in I Pagliacci, and Samson in Samson and Delilah. Plácido has also earned acclaim as an opera conductor and made his formal conductor debut with La Traviata at the New York City Opera in October 1973, He followed this triumph at the Metropolitan Opera, conducting La Boheme. Although artists are generally lacking in administrative skills, Placido accepted the positions of General Director of both the Washington National Opera and of the Los Angeles Opera. Both companies enjoy today special artistic acclaim and financial stability. To appropriately celebrate Plácido's birthday, we recommending renting a copy of Franco Zefferelli's film of the opera Otello (1986) ,the wildly unconventional production features the character Cassio (played by Urbano Barberini) naked on his bed having an erotic dream about Desdemona - something you won't see on stage at the Met. Because Placido is wearing the conventional theatrical blackface as the Moor of Venice, we suggest serving the spectacular Aussie treat, Chocolate Aria Tart which was featured on the Australian TV Masterchef finale on July 19th 2009 which was viewed 4.11 million Aussies. Masterchef Matt Moran, Head Chef of Sydney’s famed Aria restaurant overlooking the Opera House, walked in and demonstrated its signature dessert which cost $24.00 a slice at the time' |
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Chocolate Tart Ingredients | |||||||||||
320g plain flour 60g cocoa 160g caster sugar Pinch salt 160g cold butter, diced 2 eggs |
210g dark chocolate, chopped 60g Jivar chocolate, chopped* 60g butter, diced 315 ml cream 3 eggs 2 egg yolks |
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Chocolate Pipe
Ingredients 250g dark chocolate |
Chocolate
Sauce
Ingredients
60g cocoa
200ml water 120g caster sugar 25g butter, diced |
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Chocolate Pastry Instructions |
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1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Place the flour, cocoa, sugar, salt and butter in the bowl of a food processor and process until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the eggs and process until dough just starts to come together. Turn on to a lightly floured surface and gently knead until just smooth. Shape into a disc and cover with plastic wrap, then place in the fridge for 10 minutes to rest. 2. Roll out the pastry to a 15 x 40cm rectangle, about 3mm thick. Line a shallow 10 x 34cm (base measurement) fluted tart tin with a removable base with the pastry and trim any excess. Place in the fridge for 15 minutes to rest. 3. Line pastry with baking paper and fill with rice. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove paper and rice and bake for a further 5-10 minutes or until firm to touch.
1. Preheat oven to 160°C. Chocolate Pipe Instructions 1. Place 200g of the chocolate in a bowl
placed over a saucepan of barely simmering water. Warm the chocolate to
55°C. Chocolate Sauce Instructions
1. Combine cocoa, water and sugar in a saucepan
and stir over heat until sugar dissolves, bring to the boil. Stir in butter,
strain through a sieve placed over a bowl. Chocolate
Glacage Instructions
1. Combine water and sugar in a saucepan, stir
until dissolved, then bring to the boil.
2. Place chocolate in a bowl and pour syrup over the chocolate, stir until melted. Strain through a sieve. Cover closely withplastic wrap to avoid skin forming, place in blast chiller until chilled. Place in bowl of ice-cream machine and churn. Transfer to a container and place in the freezer until ready to use. Chocolate Macaroon Instructions 1. Preheat oven to 150°C Chocolate Macaroon Crumbs Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 150°C.
2. Crumble macaroon to sand-like consistency onto a baking paper-lined oven tray. Bake for 10 minutes or until dry. Cool. Plating Instructions
1, Spread a little chocolate glacage
clockwise around ½ the plate.
2. Place a slice of chocolate tart on the glacage. 3 Spread base of macaroon with a small amount of set tart filling place on the plate and top with a teaspoon quenelle of sorbet that has been lightly whisked. 4. Place a small dot of set tart filling on plate, top with a spoon of macaroon crumbs and top with a teaspoon quenelle of double thick cream. 5. Top the tart with a little spoon of set tart filling and dot the plate with another little spoon of set tart filling and top with chocolate pipe (This will secure the chocolate pipe).
*Jivar
or Jivara is available from French chocolate manufacturer Valrhona and you
should be able to find it at specialty or gourmet food stores or online at
http://www.valrhona-chocolate.com .
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