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| WORKING
WITH CHOCOLATE |
FOOD
TIPS BY TALLYRAND |
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 Storing
Chocolate
- Chocolate
does not like moisture nor too low a temperature.
It should be stored in a cool dark place and NEVER
in a refrigerator.
- Cooking
chocolate stored in the refrigerator is likely to
seize (see below) when melted.
- Eating
chocolate stored in the refrigerator is likely to
form sugar bloom. This is the white powdery residue
you will sometimes see on the surface - this basically
means the chocolate has sweated. Moisture has been
squeezed out of the chocolate due to the low temperature
and then as it comes back up to room temperature it
solidifies. It will do you no harm but it does affect
the flavour.
Eating
Chocolate
- Chocolate
is always best eaten at least at room temperature.
This is because the taste molecules require this temperature
to develop.
- If
a bar of chocolate or chocolate product is refrigerated
and eaten the chocolate flavour will be severely diminished
and only when allowed to linger in the mouth will
the full flavour be experienced.
- Try
this . . .
- Place
some chocolate in the refrigerator overnight and
leave some out.
- Eat
a piece of the chilled chocolate first, bite it,
chew and swallow.
- Now
try another piece but gently suck on it and allow
it to slowly melt in the mouth.
- Now
try the piece left out at room temperature.
- You
should or will notice a remarkable difference in
flavours.
 Utensils
for working with Chocolate
- Ensure
all utensils being used are free from any grease and
moisture. It is always best to thoroughly rinse them
off under hot running water and then wipe them with
a paper kitchen towel or a fresh tea towel.
Chocolate has a very strange peculiarity to it. Unlike
most things that dilute when you add a liquid, a drop
of water in melted or melting chocolate will cause
it to seize, meaning it will revert back to
a solid. When this happens it is totally useless for
cooking (perfectly okay to eat though).
- Use
only metal bowls, spoons, etc when melting. Plastic
and wood can retain fat and moisture.
Melting
Chocolate
Chocolate
can be successfully melted in a microwave if GREAT care
is taken. As there are so many variables with this method
I do not recommend trying it. Besides, working with
chocolate should be a labour of love. It should be achieved
slowly, it should be done so you can see what is happening,
smell the beautiful aromas as it melts and be able to
taste it, allowing it to slowly linger on the palate!
- Place
just a couple of centimetres of water into a saucepan.
The chocolate will melt via the heat from the steam
that is caused.
- Do
not allow the water to boil, if boiling water is allowed
to come into contact with the base of the bowl, the
delicate chocolate will burn and seize.
- Having
ensured that the bowl is clean place it over the saucepan.
There should be as tight a fit as possible so as not
to allow steam to escape that could condense back
into the chocolate and make it seize.
- Place
the chocolate into the bowl (with clean, dry hands)
and allow to melt as slowly as possible, stirring
often to ensure the unmelted chocolate combines with
the melted to form a smooth and even melt.
- Once
fully melted, remove the pan from the heat and use
as required. If you are not ready to use it straight
away, the heat from the water will keep it nicely
melted for at least 20 minutes. If it solidifies slightly
in this time, place the pan back over a low heat,
DO NOT be tempted to try and heat it back up quickly.
Tempering
Chocolate
Because
cocoa butter exhibits what is called polymorphous or
unstable crystal formation the mass must be tempered
to produce the desired properties - smoothness, gloss
and melts only when it is eaten and not handled.
Chocolate
is normally in temper when it leaves the manufacturer
but may go out of temper if not stored correctly
- manifested by the appearance of chocolate bloom and
will require tempering again.
Chocolate as far as I am aware, contains five types
of crystals, which all melt at different temperatures.
Tempering basically heats the chocolate above the first
which melts at approximately 18°C, cools it to 27°C
and then re-heats it to the next crystal level, with
a melting temperature of approximately 37°C (body
temperature) and in the process destroying the lower
level crystals.
So,
if you have ever melted and used chocolate to cover
sweets / candies or to make decorations and found the
final result to be dull and lacking sheen, it is because
of a lack of tempering. To temper use the following
procedure:
- Place
just a couple of centimetres of water into a saucepan
- the chocolate will melt via the heat from the steam
that is caused.
- Do
not allow the water to boil, if boiling water is allowed
to come into contact with the base of the bowl, the
delicate chocolate will burn and seize.
- Having
ensured that the bowl is clean place it over the saucepan.
This should have as tight a fit as possible so as
not to allow steam to escape that could condense back
into the chocolate and seize it.
- Place
two-thirds of the required chocolate into the bowl
(with clean, dry hands) and allow to melt as slowly
as possible, stirring often to ensure the unmelted
chocolate combines with the melted to form a smooth
and even melt. Heat to 40°C.
- Add
the remaining chocolate and stir in to melt and then
cool to 27°C.
- Reheat
to 32°C for dark, 30°C for milk and 28°C
for white.
- Keep
at this temperature by removing and replacing the
bowl from the heat as required.
RELATED RECIPE
Food
and Cooking Tips
from professional
Chef Tallyrand
Born
and raised in Plymouth, Tallyrand started his initial
training as a chef at Plymouth College of Further Education.
It was here that he was to learn his love, his passion
for food and the culinary arts. From here he headed
to Germany to complete his apprenticeship as Commis
de Gardemanger.
Germany
gave him his first taste of cooking for the rich and
famous, as half way through his first year, along with
the Sous Chef and a Chef de Partie, he was whisked off
to Cologne to help prepare meals for a political conference,
where amongst other dignitaries they cooked for Mr Brehznev,
the then powerful Russian leader. This was to prove
to be just one of the many celebrities he was to cook
for or get to know over the years . . .
If
you would like to find out more why not visit Tallyrand's
own web site www.tallyrand.info (link in main menu)
Email Hub-UK : info@hub-uk.com
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