Classic French

Reverse chocolate crumble

Name: Reverse chocolate crumble
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 32 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 35g Butter, unsalted, cold; 35g Sugar, Demerara; 1 small pinch Salt; 30g Flour; 1½ tsp Cocoa powder; 1 Egg, medium, organic or free range; 90ml Cream, whipping; 150ml Milk, full fat; 155g 70% good quality dark chocolate, roughly chopped 2cm pieces

It's a crumble...but not as you know it!

Prep 20 minsCook 12 minsServes 8

This is a truly beautiful dessert with serious chocolate power. You may be surprised to see that I place the crumble under, rather than over, the filling. This gives a fantastic texture and is also extremely simple to prepare. Believe it or not, the French had no idea of crumble until they were introduced to it by the British...cela change! As an added bonus, this dessert can be made up to one day in advance and kept in the fridge.

Ingredients

For the crumble:

35gButter, unsalted, cold
35gSugar, Demerara
1 small pinchSalt
30gFlour
1 1/2 tspCocoa powder

For the chocolate cream:

1Egg, medium, organic or free range
90mlCream, whipping
150mlMilk, full fat
155g70% good quality dark chocolate, roughly chopped 2cm pieces

Method

1
For the crumble: Preheat the oven to 170°C. Line an oven tray with greaseproof paper and place an 18cm tart ring on it.
In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients together and, using your fingertips, rub the butter into the mixture until it resembles a coarse breadcrumb texture. Sprinkle the crumble evenly into the tart ring and press down lightly.
Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.
2
For the chocolate cream: In a separate bowl, crack the egg and lightly whisk to loosen it. In a medium-sized saucepan, bring the cream and milk to the boil.
Pour onto the beaten egg and whisk. While the mixture is still hot, add the chocolate and stir gently until smooth.
It is important that the cream and milk are boiling as you add it to the beaten eggs, as this will partially cook them, making it safe to eat and will also help to set the dessert as it cools. Pour into the mould on top of the crumble base and leave to set in the fridge for at least 6 hours.
Drizzle with caramel sauce and sprinkle chopped hazelnuts.

Chef's Tips

“
"Omit the cocoa powder for a plain crumble."

Cooking is always an expression of care and generosity. Enjoy this dish.

Bon appétit!