The music of Chopin is such an indulgent treat that pairing it with this beautiful Chocolate Ganache Tart is almost too on the nose. The rich, sensuous and elegant qualities of his music are perfectly replicated by the crunch of the almonds, the weight of the chocolate and tickle the salt adds to the equation. Perfectly suited for everyone of any musical or culinary background, we know you'll enjoy all aspects of this pairing.
Crust
-4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted, plus more room temperature for pan
-2½ cups almonds or any raw nut
-6 Tbsp. sugar
-¾ tsp. kosher salt
Ganache and Assembly
-12 oz. bittersweet chocolate
-2 cups heavy cream
-6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into 1" pieces
-Flaky sea salt
Special Equipment
-A 12"-diameter tart pan with removable bottom
Crust
Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 350°. Lightly butter pan; line with a round of parchment paper cut to fit just inside pan.
Pulse nuts in a food processor until finely chopped. Add sugar and salt and pulse again to combine. Drizzle in melted butter and pulse until nuts begin to clump together and mixture looks sandy.
Using your hands, firmly and evenly press mixture into bottom and up sides of pan (it doesn’t need to come all the way up the sides). Bake crust until golden brown, 20–25 minutes. Let cool.
Ganache and Assembly
Chop chocolate into small pieces and place in a medium bowl.
Heat cream in a small saucepan until just beginning to simmer; immediately pour over chocolate. Let sit, undisturbed, 5 minutes. Add butter and mix with a heatproof rubber spatula until smooth and glossy.
Scrape ganache into crust and smooth out any bubbles. Chill, uncovered, until set, at least 1 hour.
Remove tart from pan; sprinkle sea salt over. Slice into wedges with a hot knife.
Recipe inspired by Montreal's "Coffe-Pizza-Wine" restaurant Elena
Before you start listening to this piece you should know that you're about to go on a ride of a lifetime. To us the narrative of the piece follows a lost love and the despair that comes along with it. The consistent emotional depth at which this piece operates is both profound and haunting and is the reason it pairs perfectly with the dense chocolate of the tart.
As the piece begins, take a moment to cut and simply gaze at your creation. Eating it at this point will definitely yield confusing results as the music is slowly lowering you into the depths of emotional turmoil. Once the main melody enters (0:40) its safe to taste the tart and enjoy the wave of flavor that washes over you. Notice how the richness of the chocolate is represented by the abundant hopelessness of the melody, and how the crunch of the almonds lines up with the ghost-like waltz that propels the music forward. The melody wanders forward solemnly asking the question "Why?" and without any semblance of an answer turns to darkness and despair for comfort.
As the piece moves forward you'll note that the tone isn't always that of suffering. It has its moments where it remembers the happiness of days long ago but even these are often bittersweet. It's not long before you're plunged back into the depths and at the end you're left with a shudder that echoes throughout your body.
This is truly a thrilling journey and we hope that you enjoy exploring the nuances of both the tart and the hauntingly beautiful Ballade that accompanies it.
