Chocolate Tart With Candied Clementine Peel Food

CLEMENTINE CAKE

Steps:

• Place whole unpeeled clementines in a large pot, cover with cold water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer gently for 2 hours, adding more water as needed. Remove clementines with a slotted spoon and, once cool enough to handle, halve and remove any seeds or other hard bits. Purée in a food processor or blender and set aside. (May be done up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated.)
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with cooking oil, line bottom with parchment paper and spray paper with oil.
• In a large bowl, whisk the eggs together with the sugar, salt and clementine purée. Add the almond flour and baking powder and stir until just combined.
• Pour into prepared pan and bake until edges are golden brown and starting to pull away from sides of pan, about 1 hour. Transfer to wire rack set over baking sheet. After 10 minutes, run a knife around edge of pan to loosen cake; remove cake from pan. Peel off parchment paper and return cake to wire rack to cool completely. Decorate with dusting of powdered sugar, or with chocolate glaze and/or candied clementines.

CANDIED CLEMENTINES

Steps:

• In a saucepan combine the sugar with 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Add the clementine slices, reduce heat to simmer, and place a piece of parchment paper over top of liquid to keep clementines submerged. Simmer 2 hours, then remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
• Heat oven to 250 degrees. Lay a Silpat mat or parchment paper on a baking sheet, place clementine slices in a single layer on top (making sure they lie flat), then cover with a second mat or layer of parchment and top that with a second baking sheet. Put in oven and bake for 1 hour, then remove from oven. (Reserve citrus-infused syrup in refrigerator for cocktails or other uses.)
• When cool enough to handle, remove top baking sheet and carefully peel away top mat or parchment. Carefully lift and peel the candied citrus slices and set aside until ready to use.

CANDIED CLEMENTINE PEEL

Steps:

• Halve clementines crosswise and juice them with a citrus juicer, reserving juice for another use. Discard any membranes still attached to peel, then cut each half into eighths.
• Bring peel to a boil in a 3-quart saucepan three-fourths full of cold water with 1/2 teaspoon salt and boil, uncovered, 10 minutes, then drain and rinse peel. Repeat procedure with more water and salt, draining and rinsing peel again.
• Bring regular sugar and 1 1/2 cups water to a boil in a 2- to 3-quart heavy saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved, then reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Add peel and gently simmer, uncovered, until tender and translucent and syrup is thickened, about 1 hour.
• Transfer candied peel with a slotted spoon to a lightly oiled rack set in a shallow baking pan, spreading it out so pieces don't touch, and let drain 30 minutes. If using peel for chocolate tart , reserve 1/2 cup candied peel before coating remainder with sugar.
• Coat peel with sugar:
• Put superfine sugar in a small bowl and toss peel, a few pieces at a time, in sugar to coat, then transfer with a dry slotted spoon to a sheet of wax paper to dry slightly, about 1 hour.

CHOCOLATE-DIPPED CLEMENTINES

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Peel and segment clementines, set aside. Gently melt chocolate in a small bowl in the microwave or over a double boiler. Working in small batches, dip segments in chocolate and transfer to parchment-lined sheet. Immediately sprinkle segments with a few grains of salt before the chocolate begins to set. Once all pieces have been dipped, set the sheet aside until chocolate hardens. To quickly harden chocolate, transfer baking sheet to the refrigerator for 10 minutes. Serve at room temperature.

CHOCOLATE TART WITH CANDIED CLEMENTINE PEEL

Steps:

• Make crust:
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly oil tart pan.
• Stir together biscuit crumbs, sugar, and butter in a bowl, then press crumb mixture evenly onto bottom of tart pan. Bake crust 10 minutes, then cool completely in pan on a rack.
• Make filling:
• Lightly beat yolks in a small bowl. Bring cream to a simmer in a 2-quart heavy saucepan and remove from heat. Add about one third of hot cream to yolks in a slow stream, whisking constantly, then pour yolk mixture into remaining cream, whisking.
• Cook custard over moderately low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until it is thick enough to coat back of spoon and registers 170°F on thermometer, 1 to 2 minutes (do not let boil). Remove from heat and add chopped chocolate, whisking until smooth, then whisk in chopped candied peel.
• Pour filling evenly over crust and chill tart, uncovered, until firm, at least 2 hours. Remove side of pan and serve tart chilled or at cool room temperature.