Louis XV dessert

Serves: 8

The Louis XV is the iconic signature dish of Alain Ducasse’s three-star Michelin restaurant in Monte-Carlo. The cake is a simple layered mousse cake but Ducasse’s perfect mastery over each individual component is what has made it such a celebrated dessert. 

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Ingredients

 For the hazelnut dacquois

• 170g egg whites
• 50g caster sugar
• 120g icing sugar
• 100g hazelnuts
• 25g plain flour, sifted

For the feuilletine praline layer

• 160g praline paste
• 40g white chocolate couverture
• 80g feuilletine

For the chocolate mousse

• 75g egg yolks
• 30g water
• 25g caster sugar
• 10g glucose syrup or light corn syrup
• 135g dark chocolate couverture (70%)
• 270g double cream

For the chocolate glaze

• 150g dark couverture chocolate (70%)
• 170ml double cream
• 90g caster sugar
• 100ml water
• 35g cocoa powder

To serve

• 8 hazelnuts (approx 25g)
• Edible gold leaf sheets

Directions

 For the hazelnut dacquois

1Dehydrate the hazelnuts in the oven at 150°C for 15 minutes.

2Allow the hazelnuts to cool and then blitz them into a powder in a food processor. Be careful not to over blend the hazelnuts or they will turn into a paste.

3Turn the oven up to 180°C and cover a baking tray in baking paper.

4Whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks and add the caster sugar to stabilise them.

5Sieve together the icing sugar, hazelnut powder and the flour.

6Incorporate the meringue into the powders gently, using a spatula.

7Pipe the dacquois on the baking paper so you have a whole baking tray of dacquois.

8Cook at 180°C for 12-15 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack.

9When cool, use mousse rings to cut out shapes to form the base of the Louis XV dessert.

For the feuilletine praline layer

1Melt the white chocolate couverture in a bain marie. Add the feuilletine and praline paste to the melted white chocolate. Mix well.

2Using a teaspoon, spread a thin layer of the mixture onto the dacquois base inside the mousse rings.

For the chocolate mousse

1Make a sugar syrup. Add the water, sugar and corn syrup to a pan, and bring to the boil. Leave to one side to cool.

2Place the egg yolks and the cooled syrup in a stand mixer bowl. Heat over the hob on a low flame until the mixture reaches 55°C, whisking constantly.

3Transfer to the stand mixer and whisk until the mixture cools and begins to take on a ‘ribbon consistency.’

4Melt the chocolate in a bain marie, and gently stir into the fluffy egg and sugar mixture.

5In a separate bowl whisk the cream into medium peaks and fold it in.

6Spoon into the mousse rings, and scrape across the surface to flatten with a metal spatula. Place in the freezer.

For the chocolate glaze

1Before making the chocolate glaze remove the mousse rings from the mousse. First transfer the mousse rings to a cooling rack. Use a chef’s blowtorch around the edges until you can pull off the mousse ring leaving the mousse intact. Return to the freezer.

2To make the chocolate glaze, place the chocolate in a mixing bowl. Bring approximately 2/3 of the cream to the boil and pour over the chocolate. Mix well, until well incorporated. This is a ganache.

3Bring the remaining 1/3 of the cream to the boil with the water and the sugar. Add the cocoa powder and return to the boil. Pour over the ganache.

4The glaze should be liquid and runny. If it’s too thick it will set too thick. If this is the case just gently heat it over a bain marie to make it less viscous.

5Remove the chocolate mousse from the freezer, and place the cooling rack over a roasting tin, to catch any glaze that drips through. Pour the glaze over the frozen chocolate mousse making sure to cover all sides. Place in the fridge for at least 1 hour. Any glaze that has dripped through can be collected, warmed and used again the next day if needed.

To serve

1Transfer the Louis XV from the cooling rack to a plate, using a spatula.

2Top with a hazelnut and apply a little gold leaf using chef’s plating tweezers.

Recipe curtesy of Nicola Lando at Sous Chef