Pol Martin Chocolate Pastry Cream Food

PASTRY CREAM

Steps:

• Stir together the milk, salt, vanilla bean and seeds and 1/4 cup of the sugar in a medium saucepan until smooth. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until the sugar has just dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Meanwhile, whisk together the cornstarch, egg yolks and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a large bowl until smooth. While continually whisking, slowly pour in about 1/2 cup of the warm milk mixture. Continue to whisk until smooth. (This is called tempering, and it will prevent the yolks from scrambling.) Continue whisking and adding 1/2 cup of the warm milk mixture at a time until completely combined and smooth.
• Transfer the mixture back to the saucepan and turn the heat to medium. Cook, whisking constantly, until thickened and the texture of pudding, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat, then whisk in the butter until smooth and glossy. Remove the vanilla bean.
• Strain the pastry cream through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly on the surface of the pastry cream, and refrigerate until chilled through, at least 2 hours and up to overnight. Before serving, whisk the pastry cream until smooth and fluffy.

POL MARTIN-CHOCOLATE PASTRY CREAM

Steps:

• Place chocolate in stainless steel bowl. set bowl over saucepan half-filled with simmering water. check that bottom of bowl does NOT touch water. adjust heat to low and let chocolate melt without stirring. when melted remove bowl from pan and let stand on counter.
• meanwhile, pour milk, vanilla and salt in a heavy bottomed saucepan. bring to boiling point, then remove from heat.
• place egg yolks and sugar in a bowl. beat with electric hand mixer until well incorporated and color changes pale yellow. add flour and incorporate with wooden spoon.
• pour in half of hot milk and mix quickly to incorporate. return saucepan containing remaining milk to stove over low heat. pour egg mixture from bowl into saucepan, whisking to incorporate.
• cook cream over low heat until it becomes very thick (about 5 to 6 minutes) whisking constantly. use wooden spoon to scrape out corners of pan.
• turn off heat. whisk in melted chocolate, then butter. transfer cream to bowl. cover with sheet of waxed paper touching surface. lift up ONE corner of paper to create an air space.
• let cream cool completely at room temperature before refrigerating.