Chocolate tiles |

Preparation time: 60 min

• Mise en place
  • Prepare three dry bowls, a rubber spatula, a thermometer, an offset spatula and clean, dry acetate strips. Lay the strips flat on a tray.
  • Chop the three types of couverture separately. Temper one type at a time so you can spread it as soon as it reaches its working temperature.
• Tempering the curves

  Dark chocolate: melt to 50–55 °C; cool to 28–29 °C; work at 31–32 °C.

  Milk chocolate: melt to 45–50 °C; cool to 27–28 °C; work at 29–30 °C.

  White chocolate: melt to 45–50 °C; cool to 26–27 °C; work at 28–29 °C.

• Tempering each chocolate

  Melt 120 g of the chosen couverture in a bowl over a gentle bain-marie, stirring with a rubber spatula, until it reaches the melting temperature. The bottom of the bowl must not touch the water; avoid steam and condensation.

  Remove the bowl from the bain-marie and dry its outside thoroughly. Add the remaining 80 g of chocolate to the warm chocolate and stir until completely melted. Cool the mixture to its crystallization temperature using the ribboning technique.

  Rewarm the chocolate very gradually over the bain-marie, for a few seconds at a time, until it reaches its working temperature. Stir and check with a thermometer after each interval. Perform the setting test described in the chef’s tip.

• Spreading and setting the plaques

  Immediately pour the tempered chocolate onto the acetate strips. Spread it evenly with an offset spatula in a thin layer, about 1 to 2 mm thick. Keep the couverture at its working temperature as you spread it, without overheating it.

  When the chocolate begins to set and is barely tacky to the touch, shape it as desired with a knife or a cutter. Do not cut through the acetate. Leave it to set completely on a flat surface in a cool, dry place, ideally at around 18–20 °C.

  Carefully peel away the acetate, then separate the plaques along the scored lines.

  Repeat the tempering and spreading process with the other two chocolates. Store the plaques in a sealed container, protected from moisture, heat and odours, with sheets of parchment paper between them.