Chefs Recipe: Milk Chocolate Pave with Pear Compote by Kate Malcom, Pastry Chef at Babylon Restaurant at The Roof Gardens

“This is by far my favourite dessert that we serve in Babylon; I love the way Kate has created a fusion of flavours where the indulgent chocolate pave is complemented by the sharp and fruity pear compote. We hope you enjoy making it (but more importantly eating it!) as much as we do.” – Peter Avis, Restaurant Manager and The Clink Ambassador

Ingredients

Chocolate gluten-free base

• 140g butter
• 100g caster sugar
• 1x egg
• 340g plain gluten-free flour
• 70g cocoa powder
• 12 inch tart or flan case

Chocolate pave

• 340g cream
• 125g milk
• 85g egg yolk
• 45g sugar
• 210g good quality milk chocolate
• 3 x sheets bronze leaf gelatine

Poached pears

• 4 x pears
• 180ml water
• 20ml lemon juice
• 100g golden caster sugar
• 1 star anise

Method for the chocolate gluten-free base

1. Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, before adding the egg.
2. Sieve gluten-free flour and cocoa powder together before gradually adding into the butter, sugar and egg mix until a soft dough is formed. As the flour is gluten-free the dough will not need to be rested in the fridge.
3. Press the dough onto the base and sides of the tart or flan case to form a crust.
4. Bake in the oven at 180°c for 12 minutes until golden, then leave to cool.

Method for the chocolate pave

1. Whisk the egg yolk and sugar together until the mixture becomes light and fluffy and doubles in size.
2. Bring the milk and cream to the boil in a pan. Take off the heat and add the egg yolk and sugar mixture.
3. Put the pan back on a low heat and stir constantly until the mixture comes to 84°c (or coats the back of a spoon). Remove from the heat and add the milk chocolate.
4. Place gelatine in cold water, once soft squeeze out any excess water and add the gelatine sheets to your chocolate mixture. Stir until the gelatine has dissolved and the chocolate has melted.
5. Pour the pave mixture into the cooled chocolate base and place in the fridge to set for a couple of hours or overnight.

To serve

Poached pears

1. Peel and dice the pears.
2. In a pan bring water, lemon juice, sugar and star anise to a simmer.
3. Add the chopped pears to the pan and simmer until pears are cooked.
4. Use this compote to accompany the milk chocolate pave.

In the restaurant we serve this dessert with a barley malt ice cream. As barley malt can be difficult to find in your local supermarket, we would suggest adding crushed Maltesers to garnish the top of your pave as it has a similar flavour and adds a pleasant crunch.

The Chef:  Kate Malcom – Pastry Chef at Babylon at The Roof Gardens

Having held positions at The Ledbury and Cinnamon Square, Kate joined the Babylon family in April 2014 and since then her desserts have delighted guests. Kate sees that desserts should be eaten as a whole and that flavours are more fundamental to a dessert than its presentation. She is always trying out new recipes at home and is truly passionate about what she does.

The Restaurant – Babylon at The Roof Gardens, 7th Floor, 99 Kensington High Street, Kensington, London, W8 5SA

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