International Recipe : Chocolate Parfait with Banana Caramel Sauce

A parfait is a smooth, cold dessert made with fresh cream.

Serves 8

Ingredients:

• Crisp chocolate-cereal base

• 100g chocolate (Couverture)
  
• 100g rice or wheat cereal such as Coco Pops

Chocolate mousse

• 125g milk
  
• 3 egg yolks
  
• 100g sugar
  
• 75g chocolate (Couverture), melted
  
• 250g chilled whipping cream

Banana Caramel Sauce

• 100g sugar
  
• 50g ripe banana, pureed
  
• 25ml UHT cream, slightly warmed
  
• 2 tbsp rum, or to taste (optional)

Directions:

1. For the crisp chocolate cereal base, melt the chocolate and mix with the cereal. Press lightly into 7cm-diameter ring moulds set on a try lined with parchment paper. Set aside in the refrigerator.
2. To prepare the mousse, boil the milk and whip the yolks and sugar. Add the hot milk to the whipped yolks. Strain the mixture. Cook over a low flame, stirring continuously with a wooden spatula. Cook to a temperature of 79 degrees C or until it coats the back of the spatula. Pour immediately into a mixing bowl* with the melted chocolate and whip with a wire whisk until well blended and smooth. Chill slightly.
3. Whip the cold cream until thick and foamy. Add the chilled chocolate custard sauce and whip to mix well.
4. Pipe into 7cm-diamter rounded (half-sphere) moulds (preferably flexi moulds). Freeze to make parfait.
5. To prepare the caramel sauce, place the sugar in a heavy-bottomed pan and cook until the sugar starts to melt and turns a lovely golden brown.
6. Remove from stove and add the banana puree. Mix well.
7. Add the warmed cream and rum (if using) and mix well with the whisk.
8. To serve, unmould chocolate parfait on the chocolate crisp and spoon the banana caramel sauce over it.

* Remove the custard from the heat the moment it reaches the right consistency and pout it into the mixing bowl immediately to stop the cooking process. Otherwise, the egg will coagulate and split the sauce, ruining it.