Chocolate, Caramel and Candied Oranges

Easter is often seen as a time of rebirth, with archtypical symbols of birth, rebirth, rejuvenation. Trees gently unfold their new foliage, flowers push their way through the detritus of the colder seasons and dot the landscape. The food tends to get lighter, too. Cassoulet is removed from menus, replaced by asparagus flans, ramps, and morels. Fondue pots are placed on the back shelf as the julep glasses and garden gloves are retrieved. Spring lamb is served by Jews, Muslims, and Christians alike. It all makes so much sense, except the Easter candy: rocky road eggs, solid-chocolate bunnies, foil-wrapped eggs of chocolate mixtures. Why do we do this to ourselves? Swimsuit season is right around the corner people!

Yet when I was requested to make dessert for Easter dinner, this dish immediately came to mind. Although extremely rich, it is not heavy. It is cool, neither hot from the oven nor frozen. the brightness of the oranges is a nice counterpoint to the darkrichness of the mousse. And there are lots of leftovers, which makes up for the fact that no one gave you an Easter basket of Neuhaus chocolates this year.

This is another Mark Bittner recipe that ranks as one of the best. Not surprisingly it is not of his own invention, but oddly enough, it is another Seattle restaurant, and the main ingredient is caramel. Bittner covered the Seattle chef Scott Carsberg and his restaruant Lampreia. The article is a great tribute to a great chef and restaurant. Yes, it is expensive, and the servings are beautiful and small, what one friend calls "precious food." But maybe we have settled for too long on fast food, huge portions, and lackluster presentation. After all if our body is a temple, shouldn't what we eat be treated as an offering?















Chocolate Caramel Mousse (Adapted from Scott Carsberg of Lampreia)
Time: 45 minutes, plus 4 hours' chilling
Yield: 16 servings

1 cup sugar
5 tablespoons butter, cut into bits
3 cups heavy cream
8 ounces high quality unsweetened or bittersweet chocolate chips or chunks, about 1 1/2 cups.

1. Put sugar in a heavy stainless steel pan, and turn heat to medium. When sugar warms and begins to liquefy, add 1/2 cup water. Cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until mixture bubbles, then becomes foamy, then dry again. Keep cooking until it liquefies again, stirring often and breaking up any chunks that form. When it is all dissolved and brown, remove from heat, and stir in butter a bit at a time. Standing back to avoid spattering, add 1 cup cream, then stir until blended. Let sit until cool enough to touch.
2. Meanwhile beat remaining cream until it holds soft peaks; refrigerate. Melt chocolate over very low heat or in a double boiler or microwave.
3. Mix melted chocolate into caramel. Add 1/3 of the whipped cream to caramel, and stir to combine. Add remaining whipped cream and gently fold, just until combined. Pour into a bowl and refrigerate until set, about 4 hours.
4. Scoop mousse with a spoon dipped in a hot water. Serve alongside a piece of orange confit.
















Orange Confit (Adapted from Scott Carsberg)
Time: 9 to 16 hours plus overnight resting
Yield: 16 servings.

4 big navel oranges
2 1/2 pounds sugar

1. Fill a saucepan large enough to hold oranges with water; bring to a boil. Blanch oranges for 30 seconds, then remove, change water and repeat. (This blanching will get rid of the bitterness found in the white pith. Some chefs will do this as many as 5 times.) Carefully quarter oranges through their poles. Return them to saucepan with half the sugar and water to cover. Bring to a boil, then cook over lowest possible heat, adding water as necessary to keep them covered. Cook for 8 hours, then remove from heat and let sit overnight.
2. Drain oranges and repeat process with remaining sugar and water to cover. Oranges are done when very tender but not falling apart, from 1 to 8 hours. Remove pot from heat and let cool, then refrigerate oranges with their syrup. Oranges will keep, refrigerated, for several weeks.
3. Serve an orange segment with a scoop of chocolate caramel mousse, or by itself.