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2004-12-30
Some people contend that a bit of divine inspiration is always present in the creative process. As Pichet Ong tells the tale, that was certainly so when he dreamed up one of his signature desserts, rich chocolate ganache topped with rose cream and rose granite.
"It came to me while I was standing in front of the Buddha in a temple in Sri Lanka," said Ong, the pastry chef at Spice Market restaurant in Manhattan's meatpacking district. "There was a massive, fragrant display of roses and chanting monks splashing worshipers with rose water. Then there was the smell of burning incense, which reminded me of the smokiness of chocolate. So it occurred to me right then and there to put the two together in a dessert."
As he spoke he opened a bag of dried rose petals and poured them into a measuring cup. Their scent quickly overwhelmed the nook of the kitchen where Ong has his prep station.
"Don't you just love the smell of roses?" he asked. "They just make people feel happy and loved. It's like aromatherapy in the kitchen."
Once Ong had come up with the combination of rose and chocolate, deciding on an apt execution was tricky: Two such strong flavors might clash.
"It was a matter of balance," he said as he dropped the petals into a pan of water, sugar and grenadine to make granite. "I want the rose to be the No. 1 thing you taste and then chocolate to be the last. Chocolate is comfortable to people, whereas rose isn't. When you have that rose flavor in the beginning, you can tell it's going to be an interesting dessert."
For Ong choosing which chocolate to use was easy: Michel Cluizel's Hacienda Concepcion, made from Venezuelan beans and 66 percent cocoa solids. It has the smoky taste he likes, but any high quality bittersweet chocolate will work.
Incorporating the flavor of roses was more challenging.
"There are a lot of rose flavorings on the market, and the difference in quality is tremendous," he said as he waved an open bottle of rose water under my nose. "When I first started experimenting with roses, my instinct was to use fresh unsprayed flowers. I made them into a simple syrup, but the flavor wasn't strong enough or appealing. I also tried drying them in the oven first, and that intensified their flavor, but it was slightly bitter. Then I found the dried rose petals at Kalustyan's, and they were perfect."
His favorite brand of rose water is Mymoune, which he dribbled into the syrup for the granite after it was off the heat. Then he poured the syrup into a pan to freeze. The rose petals floated along the surface in colors from pink to creamy beige, recalling a pasha's bath. Ong likes to leave the petals and tiny rosebuds in the syrup, where they plump up and take on the texture of raisins.
Rose petal preserves, which Ong said are "perfect for whipped cream," are the other rose product he uses regularly. "It not only adds rose flavor," he said. "It also sweetens it."
He poured a bit of sweetened condensed milk into the cream. "I don't like adding regular sugar to whipped cream," he explained. "It's just sweet and one-dimensional. Sweetened condensed milk has a deeper, more interesting milky flavor."
By now the ganache, which we had made earlier in the day, had chilled to the texture of a chocolate truffle, and the granite had frozen enough around the edges of the pan to use for a test serving.
Ong assembled the dish, generously dolloping on the rose cream at my request. The earthy bittersweet chocolate contrasted with the ethereal perfume of the rose cream and the granite, alternately tempering and accentuating it, depending on the chocolate-rose ratio in the spoon.
As we scraped up the last chocolate smudges from the bottom of the bowl and contemplated another bowl, we inhaled deeply. Ong had accidentally left the bag of dried rose petals open, and the room was saturated. As, happily, were we.
Chocolate Ganache with Rose Cream and Rose Granite
Adapted from Pichet Ong
Time: 20 minutes, plus 1 hour's chilling
Yield: 6 servings
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped, plus long shards or shavings for garnish
3 ounces milk chocolate, chopped
1 cup half-and-half
6 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
Pinch of salt
Rose cream (see recipe)
Rose granite (see recipe).
Place chopped chocolates in a bowl. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine half-and-half, condensed milk, sugar and salt, and bring to a boil, whisking constantly.
Pour half the hot liquid over chocolate; let sit 30 seconds, and then stir until melted. Add remaining liquid, and stir until smooth. Divide among 6 small teacups or ramekins, and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours. Serve topped with rose cream, rose granite and chocolate shards.