Green tea yuzu

MAKES 25

Preparation: begin 3 days ahead.

You will need

1 quantity Zumbaron Shells, coloured green, decorated with a swipe of edible gold dusting powder after cooling

GREEN TEA YUZU GANACHE

225 g (8 oz) pure cream (35% fat)

20 g (¾ oz) Japanese green tea powder

375 g (13 oz) velvet white couverture chocolate, chopped or buttons

40 g (1½ oz) yuzu juice

2 g (¹/₁₆ oz) sea salt

25 g (1 oz) unsalted butter

Put the cream and green tea powder in a medium saucepan over medium heat and heat to 90°C (195°F). Using a hand blender, blend until dissolved. Melt the white chocolate in a microwave or in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water.

Pour half of the cream mixture into the melted chocolate and stir, then add the remaining cream mixture and stir until combined. Add the yuzu juice, sea salt and butter and use a hand blender to blend until smooth.

Pour into a container and cover with plastic wrap, ensuring the plastic is touching the surface to prevent a skin forming. Set aside overnight or for at least 3–4 hours to set.

CANDIED YUZU

3–4 yuzu fruit (or substitute 2 lemons if yuzu not available)

250 g (9 oz) water

450 g (1 lb) caster (superfine) sugar

Remove the skin from the yuzu fruit in long strips with a paring knife. Remove any white pith from the back of the skin. Slice the skin into strips 6 mm (¼ inch) wide.

Blanch the yuzu skin strips twice in boiling water, then drain. Put the water and 150 g (5½ oz) of the caster sugar in a saucepan, bring to the boil and add the blanched strips of skin. Remove the pan from the heat, cover and set aside overnight.

The next day, strain the syrup into a saucepan, reserving the strips of skin, and add another 150 g of caster sugar. Bring to the boil, add the yuzu skin strips, remove from the heat, cover and set aside overnight. Repeat the process once more. Leave the strips of candied skin in the syrup until needed, then strain off the syrup.

TO ASSEMBLE

Put the green tea yuzu ganache in a piping (icing) bag fitted with a 9 mm (³/₈ inch) plain piping nozzle and pipe the ganache on the flat side of half of the zumbaron shells. Cut 1 cm (³/₈ inch) pieces of candied yuzu skin and place one in the centre of the ganache on each zumbaron. Pipe another small amount of the ganache to cover the yuzu. Top with the remaining shells.

Put the assembled zumbarons in the refrigerator for 24 hours to set before serving. Bring them to room temperature to serve and eat within 4–5 hours or keep them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.