Chocolate Marquise topped with caramelised walnuts & a drizzle of plum and liqueur wine coulis

For the marquise:

1. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl immersed in boiling (bain-marie).
2. In a blender, mix together the soft butter and the icing sugar. Add the egg yolks one by one
3. Incorporate the melted chocolate, add the flower of salt, and mix again. Leave the chocolate preparation to cool down.
4. Whip the 5 egg whites until stiff and then delicately incorporate them into the chocolate preparation using a spatula.
5. Transfer the preparation into a silicone cake mould or a tin lined with baking paper. Leave to cool in the fridge for at least 10 hours.

For the plum coulis:

1. Cut the plums into quarters.
2. Cook them with the sugar, lemon juice, star anise, and vanilla for around 20 minutes. Midway through this cooking time, add the Vin Doux Naturel and a little water if necessary.
3. Stop cooking once the plums are sufficiently stewed. Leave to cool at room temperature.

Assembly:

1. Gently toast the walnuts in a dry pan. Sprinkle with sugar and stir regularly until the walnuts are caramelised. Add an extra tablespoon of sugar if necessary. Leave to cool.
2. Roughly chop the walnuts with a knife.
3. Transfer the marquise from its tin to the serving plate and sprinkle with the caramelised walnuts.
4. Cut two thin slices of the chocolate marquise for each dessert plate. Sprinkle with a few grains of flower of salt. Finish with a drizzle of the plum coulis and serve accompanied by a glass of A.O.C. Rasteau Vin Doux Naturel Grenat

Tip: To make it easier to transfer your chocolate marquise from its tin to your serving plate, you can place the tin in a shallow dish of hot water for a few seconds.
You can also choose to refrigerate your preparation in two smaller tins (approx. 15 x 7 cm).

Photo credits: Anne Faubeau for C’est Ma Food.