Difficulty: Medium (3/5)
As a seasoned pastry chef, I recommend starting with the fondant base. Coarsely grate the chocolate into a heatproof bowl. Melt it gently over a bain-marie. Once melted, stir in the softened butter gradually until smooth and glossy. Set aside to cool slightly.
Meanwhile, dissolve the powdered sugar in 5 cl of water, then bring to a boil to make a syrup. Whisk the egg yolks with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Pour the hot syrup in a thin stream while whisking vigorously. Continue until the mixture cools completely. Fold in the chocolate mixture, followed by the stiffly beaten egg whites seasoned with a pinch of salt.
Transfer the cream to a terrine, cover with plastic wrap, and freeze for 2 hours. For the granita, mix the blood orange juice, honey, and rum. Pour into an ice cube tray and freeze solid.
For the orange chips, combine 25 cl water and 250 g sugar, stirring until dissolved, then boil for 2 minutes to form a syrup. Wash and dry the orange, halve it lengthwise, trim the ends, and slice thinly, removing any seeds. Simmer the slices in the syrup for 10 minutes, then cool in the liquid.
Preheat the broiler. Drain the slices, arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and position 12 cm from the heat. Broil for about 8 minutes, turning halfway, until golden but not caramelized. Cool to crisp.
To serve, scoop the chilled fondant into quenelles or balls using two spoons or a melon baller. Arrange on 6 chilled plates, garnish with candied orange chips, and scatter flakes from the frozen granita cubes. Serve immediately for the perfect contrast of textures.
