Liquid Paella, "The Spanish Truffle"

RH Staff

Chef Homaro Cantu, and chef de cuisine/pastry chef Ben Roche
Moto, Chicago Yield: 20 truffles.

For Liquid:
100 g jasmine or arboriorice, washed in cold water
250 ml water
250 ml freshly squeezed, strained orange juice
100 ml simple syrup
2 g saffron threads to taste, salt

White Chocolate Coating: 250 g white chocolate
50 g cocoa butter
5 g Spanish paprika, preferably smoke

For liquid: Place rice, water and saffron in a medium-sized saucepan over medium-low heat. Cover and let cook 15-20 minutes, until all water is absorbed. Remove from heat; reserve, covered, for additional 15 minutes. Scoop rice into blender and pour in orange juice and simple syrup. Blend until very liquid, then strain liquid through chinois or finemesh sieve. Using standard ice cream or sorbet machine, spin liquid into sorbet, following manufacturer's instructions. Use melon baller to scoop equal-sized, rounded and spherical individual balls of sorbet. Reserve in covered plastic container in freezer.

For chocolate covering: Place white chocolate and cocoa butter in microwave-safe container. Melt together in microwave, heating on high for 30-second intervals, stirring after each 30 seconds. Heat until fully melted (typically 3-4 intervals) and then stir in paprika.

For truffles: Remove sorbet balls from freezer. Be sure chocolate temperature is between 85-90°F before beginning. (At Moto, chef Roche dips sorbet balls in liquid nitrogen to freeze them further, but this is not necessary.) Dip each sorbet ball into melted chocolate. A hard shell should form. Place finished truffles in covered container in refrigerator for one hour before serving. After one hour, centers will be liquid paella. Truffles can last up to a week.

Serving suggestion: Serve each truffle-with a pipette of high-quality Madeira.

Sponsored by Nestlè Food Services
www.nestlefoodservices.com