Cherry beet chocolate

For this chocolate dessert, chef Thibault Le Goff combines fresh cherries in vinaigrette with beet powder and tuile to enhance the ganache and cocoa crumble.

This recipe by Thibault Le Goff, chef at the Éclosion restaurant in Quimper, is taken from the 2024 edition ofBook 109: The new blood of French gastronomy. Discover the ingredients and preparation steps to make it a breeze.

Serves 6
Preparation time: 1 h
Cooking time: 5 h 30
Resting time: 12 h

Ingredients for thecherry beet chocolate

For the namelaka chocolate ganache

170 g dark chocolate
3 g gelatin
8 g honey
12 cl milk
24 cl single cream (35% fat )

For the cocoa crumble

30 g flour
30 g brown sugar
30g soft butter
5 g cocoa powder
1 pinch salt

For the beet powder

1 raw beet

For the beet tiles

1 large raw beet
50 g sugar
1 egg white

For the cherry vinaigrette with fresh cherries

200 g Morello cherries
+ 100 g for the vinaigrette
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 pinch salt

Steps for thecherry beet chocolate

Prepare the Namelaka ganache (the day before): melt the chocolate in a bain-marie. Soften the gelatine leaves in cold water. Meanwhile, bring the milk and honey to the boil. Pour half the milk over the chocolate, stir well with a whisk, then pour in the rest of the milk. Mix well. Add the hot, drained gelatine and stir. Pour in the cold liquid cream and blend with an immersion blender. Refrigerate overnight.
Prepare the beet powder: peel the beet. Using a vegetable peeler, cut the flesh into tagliatelles. Bake in the oven at the same time as the tiles. Blend. Reserve the powder in an airtight tin.
To make the beet tiles: wrap the raw beet in aluminum foil and bake for 1 h 15 at 180°C. Peel the beet, cut into large chunks and blend with the sugar. Leave the purée to cool. Add the egg white and mix. Spread the mixture very thinly on baking paper and bake at the lowest possible temperature (ideally 80°C) for at least 4 h. Leave to cool and peel off the tiles. Set aside.
Prepare the cocoa crumble: soften the butter at room temperature. Mix the butter, flour, brown sugar and cocoa with your fingertips. The texture should be coarse and crumbly. Spread on a baking sheet and bake at 180°C for 10 min. Leave to cool. Crush into small pieces. Set aside in a dry place.
Prepare the cherries: pit and halve. Blend 100g with vinegar, oil, salt and honey. Strain through a sieve. Season the remaining cherries.
To serve: place a quenelle of ganache at the bottom of the plate. Lightly crush with the back of a large spoon to form a nest. Arrange the seasoned cherries in the hollow and top with crushed cocoa crumble. Sprinkle with beet powder and top with a scoop of chocolate ice cream. Arrange 2 beet tiles one on top of the other, gluing them together with a dab of ganache. Sprinkle again with beet powder.

For further information

Éclosion, 3 rue Laennec, 29000 Quimper
13/20 in the Livre des 109
Read Gault&Millau's review of Éclosion

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