One of my great pleasures in life is enjoying a leisurely high tea. I’ve enjoyed them the world over and I’ve treated myself to the tower of treats when at home in Sydney too.
Last weekend, my friend Kate Carruthers and I, took a stroll around the Rupert Bunny exhibition at the Art Gallery of NSW, then rounded off the afternoon with a toast of champagne and the savoury and sweet morsels of afternoon indulgence, followed by coffee, in the Art Gallery of NSW Restaurant.
Group head pastry chef Justin Baker told us that the current high tea menu was inspired by the current Rupert Bunny exhibition, hence there is a French influence.
smoked salmon & creme fraiche sandwich
roasted vegetable, gruyere sandwich
chicken & mushroom vol au vent
vichyssoise, ocean trout roe
opera slice
raspberry macaroon
lemon tart
And, in the generous and nurturing way of those who cook, Chef Justin Baker shared a recipe from the menu.
OPERA SLICE – Art Gallery of NSW
Portion – 200 (2 trays)
Joconde Sponge
700g icing sugar
200g flour
1100g eggs
700g hazelnut meal
600g egg whites – meringue
160g sugar
175g melted butter
Sift together icing sugar and flour. Add hazelnut meal. Whisk on second speed whilst adding eggs. Add cold melted butter and fold in meringue. Palate onto 6 silicone papered trays and bake at 200C for 8 minutes.
Butter Cream
375ml milk
187g butter
750g sugar
220g eggs
1200g butter
200ml coffee essence
Boil milk, 187g butter and the sugar. Take off the heat and whisk in eggs at low speed until luke warm. Add room temperature butter. Whisk on 3rd speed until butter creams. Flavour with coffee essence to desired colour and flavour.
Ganache
2kg chocolate
2l cream
Bring cream to boil. Add chocolate and take off the heat. Stir until chocolate is fully melted.
Coffee Syrup
700ml sugar syrup
550ml short blacks
25ml coffee extract
190ml Kahlua
Boil sugar and water. Cool and then add short blacks, coffee extract and Kahlua.
Tempered Chocolate
400g chocolate
Melt chocolate. Do not overheat. Cool chocolate, stirring occasionally, until cold but not set.
Construction
Coat one layer of sponge with tempered chocolate and allow to set. Turn over the sponge so chocolate is now on the bottom. Brush sponge with coffee syrup. Palate on a layer of butter cream. Add a further layer of sponge. Brush with more coffee syrup. Palate on a layer of ganache. Add a further layer of sponge. Brush with more coffee syrup. Palate on a further layer of butter cream.
Allow to set overnight in the refrigerator and then slice into 3cm strips. Coat with ganache and allow to set. Cut into 1½ cm slices.
afternoon indulgence is served between the hours of 2pm – 4pm
The Art Gallery of NSW (Restaurant)
Art Gallery Road, The Domain
Sydney NSW 2000
Australia
+61 2 9225 1700
http://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/
and you can follow The Art Gallery of NSW on Twitter
Filed under: Signature Series, eating out , Art Gallery of NSW, Australia, cake, chef, dessert, French, high tea, Justin Baker, recipe, Sydney, tea
Funny – you can tell that a chef wrote the recipe… it sounds like everything is in code or short cut – hehe… it does sound like a great recipe!
[...] as a local outing - Guillaume at Bennelong the Sydney Opera House, the restaurant @ the Art Gallery of NSW and the Tea Room @ the QVB (Queen Victoria [...]