Chef Eddy’s Nougatine Slivers

More delicious recipe ideas from Chef Eddy Van Damme …

Nougat is a term used to describe a variety of delectable, traditional confectioneries made with sugar or honey, a wide variety of roasted nuts (except for peanuts), and sometimes chopped candied fruit. Almond nougatine slivers, dipped in a premium chocolate, fall into this category. A perfect accompaniment to espresso, they are equally fantastic when chopped in pieces and added to gelato.

While preparing this recipe, I’ve always faced one main quandary: milk or semi-sweet chocolate? A milk chocolate nougatine, to which I always add 15% dark chocolate (to enhance the cocoa), will accent the taste of the almonds, while semisweet chocolate makes the caramel notes shine. Either way, the result is always a tasty treat.

All nougatine contains similar ingredients, and are made in a comparable fashion as brittle. In my recipe, the major difference is that it contains no baking soda. In a brittle, a small amount of baking soda is used to aerate the candy and make it stand up to humidity better. The downside of baking soda is that it steals the delicate caramel and vanilla flavor notes.

This recipe for nougatine is made with Imperial Sugar, without the standard addition of corn syrup or glucose. Either dairy or cocoa butter can be used, but in my opinion, dairy butter gives an unsurpassed flavor to the nougatine, especially when paired with vanilla or orange. Using a small amount of fleur de sel is essential to balance flavor — and makes it impossible to have just one piece!

The perfect nougatine starts with the toasting of the almonds in a low temperature oven until they are golden and the almond aroma is at its peak. Trying to pseudo-toast the almonds in a frying pan is torture to the almond’s fine essence and should be avoided.

Cooking the Imperial sugar to an accurate golden caramel gives the best flavor and texture as well. Undercooked, the nougatine will be too sweet; overcooked and the caramel will be too dark and the almond flavor will be difficult to detect. Overcooked nougatine will very quickly attract moisture and become sticky before you have time to temper the chocolate and dip the nougatine slivers. (For more on tempering, please click here: http://www.eddyvandammeusa.com/2009/09/tempering-chocolate/)

Getting it all together!

The nougatine slivers will last so there is no need to make these the day of serving. However, it is important to temper chocolate and to dip the nougatine slivers completely to protect them from humidity. Store the nougatine slivers in a sealed container in a cool and dark place. Nougatine is best when rolled to the thickness of about two to three stacked credit cards.

Nougatine Recipe

1. Set aside a Silpat® and a rolling pin. If using a wooden rolling pin, butter it lightly. Not necessary if using a silicone rolling pin. Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C).
2. In a saucepan bring the sugar and water to a boil. Wash away any sugar crystals adhering to the side of the pan using a brush dipped in water. Additional water obtained in the pan from this process will not alter the final product.
3. Cook to a golden caramel without stirring! (Stirring the mixture will make the mixture crystallize before it caramelizes!) Remove from heat, immediately add the toasted almonds, vanilla bean seeds, butter and fleur de sel. Stir to combine with a heat resistant or wooden spatula.
4. Scrape the nougatine onto the Silpat®. Let sit for a few moments and then start gently rolling the nougatine into a thin sheet.
5. If the nougatine hardens before it is sufficiently thin, keep it on the Silpat® and place it in the oven to slowly soften. Press with a finger to check if it is soft enough and then roll once more.
6. When cold break into slivers. Temper chocolate of choice. Tempering chocolate can be found on this site.
7. Dip the nougatine slivers into tempered chocolate using a chocolate fork. Store airtight.

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