James Martin shares his love of desserts in his recipe for chocolate ganache from his new book Sweets

  • 2hrs including chilling time
  • 8
  • Medium

Ingredients

  • For the ganache
  • 280g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), roughly chopped
  • 100g blackberries, plus 24 blackberries for garnish
  • 100ml rapeseed oil
  • 50g butter
  • 225ml double cream
  • For the blackberries
  • 50ml water
  • 50g caster sugar
  • For the sorbet
  • 500g blackberries
  • 500g caster sugar
  • 700ml water
  • 50ml glucose
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • To serve
  • 75ml double cream, whipped to soft peaks
  • 1 small handful violet flowers

Method

In this adaptation of a dessert from the restaurant menu, rapeseed oil (make sure you use the plain one) gives the chocolate ganache a lovely smooth texture. And the blackberry sorbet cuts through the intense richness of the chocolate really well. Simply decorate with a few edible flower petals for a vibrant and sophisticated little dessert.

Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. The bowl should not touch the water. Remove from the heat and cool slightly before beating in the rapeseed oil.
Heat the butter and cream until boiling then remove from the heat and cool to just above room temperature. Whisk into the chocolate mixture. Place eight 7cm x 3cm oval rings or moulds on a baking sheet and pour in the chocolate mixture. Chill for 1–2 hours until set.
Cut the 24 blackberries in half, then set them aside. Place the water and sugar in a saucepan and heat until the sugar has dissolved. Add the remaining blackberries to the pan then pour into a blender and blitz to a puree. Pass through a fine sieve into a bowl and chill until ready to serve.
For the sorbet, puree the blackberries, then pass through a fine sieve. You should have about 400ml puree. Place the sugar and 500ml of water in a saucepan, stirring briefly Bring to a simmer and cook until the sugar has dissolved. Pour into a sealable container and chill until needed.
Combine the puree with all the other ingredients, then transfer to an ice cream machine and churn as normal. Once set, transfer the sorbet to a sealable container and freeze until needed.
Take the ganaches out of the fridge 30 minutes before serving and remove the rings. To help do this cleanly, warm each ring very quickly with a blowtorch, or dip a cloth into hot water and run it around the ring. Turn one chocolate ganache out onto each serving plate, positioning it slightly off centre.
Spoon dots of puree around the ganache then place six blackberry halves onto
each plate. Finish with small dots of whipped cream and a few violet flowers and petals.
Place a spoonful of sorbet on top of the ganache.

About The Author

Presenter of the BBC's Saturday Kitchen and formerly a regular team member of Ready Steady Cook, Malton-born James Martin is one of the UK's most poplar TV chefs.

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