Dark Chocolate Namelaka
The namelaka, whose name in Japanese means “ultra creamy”, is one of the most interesting creations in modern pastry. Born in the lab of Ecole Valrhona, a renowned French pastry school, the namelaka is a cream with a unique consistency, midway between a ganache and a mousse but with unparalleled lightness and silkiness.
Unlike classic creams, the namelaka contains neither eggs nor flour; on my blog, you can already find the version with vanilla with white chocolate. Its structure is based on the perfect balance of chocolate, milk, cream, and gelatin. The secret lies in the technique: correct emulsion and a long rest in the refrigerator are crucial steps to achieve a smooth and velvety texture.
The dark chocolate version offers an intense, slightly bitter taste, perfect for balancing very sugary desserts, plated desserts, spoon desserts, or individual portions; I used it to make the soft Easter tart with chocolate and raspberries.
The chocolate namelaka can be poured directly into a mold, piped with a pastry bag after resting, or whipped and used for cake and tart decoration.
The recipe I propose involves the use of 60% chocolate and is balanced only for this percentage of cocoa; if you want to use a more bitter or sweeter chocolate, you will need to modify the amount present in the recipe, because every chocolate has a different composition.
Try the other creams:
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 12 Hours
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: for 450 g of namelaka
- Cooking methods: No Cooking
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All Seasons
- Energy 355.76 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 19.29 (g) of which sugars 13.69 (g)
- Proteins 4.05 (g)
- Fat 29.18 (g) of which saturated 7.11 (g)of which unsaturated 4.11 (g)
- Fibers 2.40 (g)
- Sodium 4.59 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 100 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 4.76 oz 60% dark chocolate (of high quality)
- 0.42 cup milk
- 0.84 cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp glucose
- 0.09 oz gelatin sheets (240° Bloom – I used Pane Angeli gelatin)
- 0.44 oz water (to hydrate the gelatin)
Tools
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Jug
- 1 Immersion Blender
- 2 Small Bowls
Procedure
Coarsely chop the dark chocolate and place it in the jug.
Cut the gelatin sheet into small pieces, place them in a small bowl, and add 0.44 oz of cold water (the gelatin needs to be hydrated with a quantity of water equal to 5 times its weight), let it rest for 8/10 minutes.
In another small bowl, pour the milk, add the glucose syrup, and heat it in the microwave for 40/50 seconds, it should be hot but not boiling, about 140°F (if you prefer, you can heat it in a small pot over low heat).
Add the hydrated gelatin to the milk and let it dissolve; pour everything into the jug with the chocolate and let it rest for 30 seconds. Emulsify the mixture with the immersion blender until you get a smooth cream.
Add the cold cream, mix the mixture again.
Cover the cream with plastic wrap in contact and place it in the fridge to crystallize for 12 hours.
The dark chocolate namelaka is ready, you can use it as is or whip it with electric beaters, I prefer the whipped version, it is more fluffy and light.The namelaka can be used in 3 ways:
1) once ready you can pour it, still liquid, into a mold or into a tart shell and let it crystallize in the fridge for 12 hours. If you have a blast chiller, resting times decrease significantly.
2) you can mix it, let it rest in the fridge for 12 hours and use it as a filling cream for tarts, cream puffs, or other desserts, or you can use it as a plated dessert.
3) you can mix it, let it rest in the fridge for 12 hours then whip it with electric beaters, it is definitely the method I prefer because it gives the cream a remarkable creaminess.
To whip it, transfer it to a bowl and whip it with electric beaters until you get a dense cream similar to whipped cream but more compact. Be careful not to over-whip it, the risk is that it will start to form lumps and become ruined.Once ready, place it in a piping bag and use it to decorate cakes, desserts, tarts, or serve it as a spoon dessert.
Tips
Storage
The dark chocolate namelaka can be stored between 1 and 4°C for 4/5 days.
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