Elegant Caramelized Strawberries with Panna Cotta Whipped Cream and Chocolate Discs
- 150 g bitter chocolate
- 150 g Mara des Bois strawberries
- 20 cl flowering cream
- 2 gelatin sheets
- 75 g icing sugar
- 10 cl cane syrup
- 4 cl raspberry alcohol
- A few drops sunflower oil
- 100 g powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons strawberry syrup
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Grate the bitter chocolate into a heatproof bowl over a moderate bain-marie. Melt gently, stir in a few drops of sunflower oil, smooth with a spatula, and spread evenly to about 2 mm thick on the baking sheet.
- Using a 7 cm cookie cutter, mark about 8 discs. Refrigerate the baking sheet for 30 minutes and chill the serving plates.
- Wash and dry the strawberries. Reserve the best for garnish. Hull and halve the rest from tip to base. Keep chilled.
- In a small sauté pan, melt the powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons water and the lemon juice. Simmer until golden blond, remove from heat, stir in strawberry syrup, and cool.
- Skewer reserved whole strawberries on a fork, dip in cooled caramel to coat evenly, then invert on a plate to dry.
- Soften gelatin sheets in cold water, squeeze dry, and dissolve over low heat in the raspberry alcohol.
- Whip the very cold flowering cream to Chantilly consistency, incorporating 2 tablespoons icing sugar. Gradually drizzle in the melted gelatin. Refrigerate to firm up.
- Gently remove chocolate discs from parchment. Dust chilled serving plates lightly with icing sugar and center one disc on each.
- Pipe spirals of firm Chantilly cream onto each disc using a fluted nozzle. Top with cane syrup-dipped strawberry halves, well drained.
- Add another spiral of cream and top with a second chocolate disc.
- Garnish centers with 1-2 caramelized strawberries, arrange remaining strawberries around, and sprinkle with silver pearls.
- Serve immediately.
