This is by far one of my favourite chocolate desserts. The mere mention of the intense dark chocolate ganache combined with the soft caramel centre, incased in a crumbly sable topped with crunchy sugared pecans just makes me salivate.

Chocolate and salted caramel tart with pecans with wines – recipe by Michel Roux Jr

Ingredients:

To prepare the pastry:

  • 170g plain flour
  • 15g cocoa powder
  • 25g caster sugar
  • 100g cubed butter
  • 2 egg yolks

To prepare the caramel filling:

  • 150ml double cream
  • 40g unsalted butter
  • 160g white sugar
  • 90ml water
  • ½ teaspoon of sea salt

To prepare the Chocolate Ganache:

  • 160ml double cream
  • 140g roughly chopped dark chocolate

To prepare the topping (optional):

  • 150g pecan nuts halves
  • 3 tbsps white sugar

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180°C

  1. To prepare the pastry: Pour the flour and cocoa powder into a large mixing bowl, add the sugar and the butter and rub all together with your fingertips (or pulse with an electric mixer) until it resembles fine crumbs. Mix in the egg yolks to gradually create a ball; add a little cold water if needed.
  2. Lightly knead the pastry and roll out on a lightly floured surface. This pastry is delicate and tends to crumble; so carefully lift the pastry over a rolling pin and drape into a 24cm round tin and 2.5cm deep pressing into the corners. Trim the excess pastry with a knife before blind baking for 8 minutes. Then remove the baking beans and cook for a further 8 minutes until crisp. Set aside to cool down.
  3. To prepare the salted caramel: In a medium saucepan bring the sugar and water to the boil. After 5 minutes you should obtain a dark and golden syrup (the mixture must reach 170°C). Then remove the saucepan from the heat and slowly whisk in the cream and butter (careful, it will bubble up). Return the saucepan to low heat and cook, stirring constantly, for a further 5 minutes or until thickened. Finally mix in the salt and pour into the pastry shell. Refrigerate until set, at least 30 minutes.
  4. To prepare the pecan topping: In a small frying pan, toast the pecans for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Then quickly scatter the sugar into the pan, stirring the nuts as you drizzle. Mix continuously until the pecans are thoroughly coated in the caramel. Immediately remove from heat so they don’t burn. Once cooled you are ready to decorate.
  5. To prepare the ganache: Heat the cream in a small saucepan and gently bring to the boil. Quickly pour the liquid on top of the chopped chocolate and whisk continuously until all the chocolate has melted. Then pour the chocolate ganache evenly on top of the set caramel (use a small spatula if needed). Set once again in the fridge for 20 minutes before decorating with the sugared pecan nuts.

About this recipe

This is by far one of my favourite chocolate desserts. Easily achievable at home and thoroughly appreciated by all the chocolate fans in the family. The mere mention of the intense dark chocolate ganache combined with the soft caramel centre, incased in a crumbly sable topped with crunchy sugared pecans just makes me salivate.

Wines to match with chocolate and salted caramel tart with pecans

For a refreshing and light bodied sweet wine I suggest a Moscato d’Asti, Canelli, Cerutti 2014 from the Piedmont region. An elegant and easy going white wine that complements this delicious caramel tart.

Madeira is often paired with dark chocolate. I particularly enjoy Blandy’s Sercial 10-Year-Old Madeira from Portugal. This medium sweet wine is the perfect match for this slightly salted chocolate tart.

For a special occasion why not accompany this mouthwatering dessert with a 12 year-old Balvenie DoubleWood Whisky. This particular whisky has been aged in oak and sherry wood, accentuating the notes of honey and vanilla of this special single malt.

The wines

Moscato d’Asti, Canelli, Cerutti, Piedmont, Italy 2014

An incredibly delicate dessert wine, almost like drinking a sorbet in a glass. This is one of those wines you simply cannot stop sniffing, with the most beautiful sweet, citrusy and fruity notes. RRP: £12.95 from Berry Bros & Rudd

Blandy’s Sercial 10-Year-Old Madeira from Portugal

This Sercial has a real sophistication to it which really enhances this indulgent, chocolatey dessert. Aged for 10 years in an American Oak barrel, the wonderful, dryer woody notes work so beautifully on the palate with the sweet caramel of the tart. RRP: £19.49 from Waitrose

12 year-old Balvenie DoubleWood Whisky 

This dessert truly is an absolute treat and delight, and combined with the spicy, sweet and nutty flavours of this 12 year-old Balvenie it makes for the most perfect pairing. RRP: Sainsbury’s £35.00

Michel Roux Jr
Michel Roux Jr
Columnist
Michel Roux Jr was born in 1960 in Pembury, Kent, where his father Albert Roux worked as a private chef for the Cazalet family. His earliest food memories are the smells of the Fairlawne kitchen – pastry, sugar caramelizing and stews – where he played under the table while his father and mother Monique prepared the meals. After deciding to follow in his father’s footsteps, he left school at 16 for the first of several challenging apprenticeships at Maître Patissier, Hellegouarche in Paris from 1976 to 1979. He was then Commis de Cuisine at Alain Chapel’s signature restaurant at Mionay near Lyon, Michel’s biggest influence. His military service was spent in the kitchens at the Elysée Palace at the time of Presidents Giscard d’Estaing and François Mitterrand. He also spent time at Boucherie Lamartine and Charcuterie Mothu in Paris, and the Gavers Restaurant in London. After a stint at the Mandarin Hotel in Hong Kong he returned to London and worked at La Tante Claire before joining the family business. He took over running Le Gavroche in 1991, gradually changing the style of cooking to his own – classic French with a lighter, modern twist. Michel opened Roux at Parliament Square in May 2010 with Restaurant Associates, part of the Compass Group UK and Ireland. And in November 2010, he opened Roux at The Landau at London’s prestigious luxury hotel, The Langham. Michel was a judge and presenter on the BBC’s popular prime time show, MasterChef: The Professionals, and presented all series of ‘Great British Food Revival.’  Michel fronted BBC2’s ‘Food and Drink,’ in 2014 and presented a documentary on Escoffier, whose revolutionary approach to fine cuisine has inspired Michel and many others. In the same year, Michel went on a journey to create the perfect chocolate for the Le Gavroche Kitchen.  Filmed by the BBC, in Paris he discovered chocolatiers, Cacao Barry and their Or Noir Lab. In 2013, Michel launched his most recent cookbook, ‘The French Kitchen’.  Focusing on traditional French home cooking, this is the fifth solo cookery book from Michel. He is involved with the Roux Experience courses at the ‘Cactus Kitchens’ cookery school, with the Executive producer of Saturday Kitchen, Amanda Ross. Cactus Kitchens offers people the opportunity to learn to cook within small intimate groups from some of the UK’s finest chefs, on site above the Saturday Kitchen studios. Michel has fronted a brand new four-part Channel 4 series, ‘The Diner’, exploring the hurdles faced by people with disabilities and mental health issues when finding employment. Michel also recently presented a new program on his first ever project with the Disney Channel.  ‘First Class Chefs’ which launched in June 2015, is a show where kids aged 9-11 compete to showcase their restaurant skills.