1. Indulgent chocolate ganache is paired with luscious vanilla cream in this
simple and decadent gourmet cooking recipe served in the luxurious hotel Lucien
Barriere in Deauville, France. The deep black ganache chocolate sits on top of a
pool of creamy white custard for an elegant minimalist contrast reminiscent of an
abstract suprematist painting by Kasimir Malevich. Paired with a glass of Pineau
des Charente rosé wine, this lovely dish is sublime.

2. Chocolate ganache is made of pure dark semi-sweet chocolate and heavy
cream and can be used in various ways—as a glaze, frosting, icing, filling for
pastries, sauce, decorative piping, or as a decadent alternative to whipped cream
or chocolate fudge. To make ganache, the cream is heated and poured over
chopped dark chocolate and stirred until smooth. Some like to add a little extract
or liqueur for flavor. This recipe adds butter to the mixture to make it more
sensual in taste and in texture. To make this recipe, you can use heavy cream or
whipping cream for a thicker ganache or light cream for a lighter dessert. Heavy
cream is high in fat content, with a percentage of about 36% to 40%. This kind of
cream adds moisture and tenderness to the chocolate, and is best for whipping
because it holds its structure well and produces a stabilized and stiff icing. This
high milkfat is also preferred when making ice cream because it prevents the
cream from freezing too much, producing a creamier outcome. Heavy cream
makes a silky and light chocolate ganache similar to mousse. When poured on the
vanilla cream, it floats like a pretty feather.
In this recipe vanilla cream is made in the English style. Also known as
crème anglaise, English-style cream is a light pouring custard made with egg yolks,
milk, sugar, and vanilla. The egg yolks and sugar are whipped together with a
whisk until the eggs are almost white. The hot milk is gradually added while
whisking the mixture consistently. The resulting liquid is carefully cooked over a
bain-marie or on very low heat so as not to cook the eggs (which will result to
scrambled eggs). At this point, the mixture is constantly stirred with a spoon until
it thickens and coats the back of the spoon and taken off the heat. The cooking
temperature should be between 156 and 185 Fahrenheit and should never reach
the boiling point.

3. Ingredients
 ½ lb. dark bitter chocolate
 1/4 lbs. fleurette cream (heavy cream)
 1.8 oz. butter
 4 mint leaves
English cream:
 8 egg yolks
 ½ lb. sugar
 2 pints milk
 1 vanilla pod
Preparation Instructions
1. Over medium heat, gently bring cream to a boil. Melt the chocolate in a
heatproof bowl using a bain-marie. Pour the cream over the chocolate and let it
stand for 2 minutes. Add the butter and mix with a whisk until smooth.
2. To make the English cream, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until the
eggs are almost white. Gradually add the hot milk stirring constantly. Add the
vanilla grains and place on a very low heat, stirring until the mixture thickens.
Take off the heat.
3. Pour English cream on each serving dish or bowl and place a scoop of the
chocolate ganache on top.
4. Decorate with a mint leaf.