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Ganache is only as good as the ingredients you use. It can be

a delicate beast, so stick to chocolates with fewer ingredients

• avoid those containing emulsifiers and the like. Couverture
  comes in a broad spectrum of flavours and percentages, so
  experiment with diferent manufacturers to work out what suits
  your taste. “You have to trust in the brand,” says Wise. “If you
  want consistent results, find a chocolate you like, then stick
  with the same process every time.”

What chocolate to use?

A

happy union of cream and chocolate, ganache is a staple

of the pastry kitchen. Its many applications depend on its

consistency, which changes as it cools and sets. “Ganache is

a basic building block,” says Alistair Wise, of Hobart’s Sweet

Envy. “Once you master it, you can use it in a whole bunch of ways: we

whip it and use it in our Brooklyn blackout cake, pipe it onto

macarons, use it to make chocolate buttercream for cakes, or use it as

a glaze. It makes life pretty easy.”

Room temperature is best for storage, but there are exceptions to

every rule. “If it’s 40 degrees, don’t do it,” Wise says. “Making ganache

in a place like Cairns makes no sense. You should be sucking a mango.”

Step by step

can be poured over cakes; left

for a day it will set to a point

where it can be rolled and then

coated in cocoa or melted

chocolate to make trules;

after about an hour of cooling

it can be piped. Whatever you

use ganache for, store it at room

temperature (ideally in a cool

spot) with plastic wrap pressed

onto the surface – it’ll keep

like this for two days. Avoid

refrigerating ganache – fridges

do bad things to chocolate.

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Another way to use ganache

is to whip it. Whipped

ganache can be piped or spread

as frosting, or served straight-up

like a mousse. Pour ganache

that’s just warm to the touch into

an electric mixer and whisk for

10-15 minutes until aerated.

Have a plan, as it’ll set quickly.

Ganache variationsWise tends to use 64 or 70 per cent chocolate,

and, occasionally, 35 per cent milk, or white chocolate. No matter

how dark or light the ganache, Wise uses the same amount of cream

(300ml) and glucose (50gm) each time; only the quantity of chocolate

changes. For a dark ganache (70 per cent, for example) it’s 235gm,

while for milk, it’s 500gm. Once you've mastered the basics, there

are more advanced ganaches to explore, including ganache made

with fruit purée (Wise is a fan of raspberry), and a “frightfully decadent”

ultra-rich ganache for tarts and puddings, but they're for another day.●

1

Combine 300ml of pouring

cream and 50gm glucose

in a small saucepan. Put it on

the heat and bring it to just

below boiling point.

2

Weigh out the chocolate.

As a rule, Wise uses the

same amount of cream and

glucose regardless of whether

he’s making white, milk, dark or

extra-dark ganache and varies

the chocolate quantity. For

dark (64 per cent cocoa

solids) it’s 255gm chocolate

(see “Ganache variations” for

alternatives). Cut the chocolate

into fine pieces; it needs to

melt quickly and evenly, so aim

for about the size of a five-cent

coin and avoid leaving any

larger pieces. Transfer chocolate

to a heatproof bowl.

3

Pour the hot cream over

the chocolate and let it

melt for a few minutes. If you’re

making milk or white chocolate

ganache it’s often best to melt

the chocolate first.

4

Stir the chocolate and cream

together with a whisk or

a spoon, but be careful not to

incorporate air – it’ll make the

final ganache spoil more easily.

If it’s not melting entirely, heat

the ganache slowly over a

saucepan of gently simmering

water and stir to melt. Once

melted and smooth, this is your

base ganache.

5

Ganache will begin to set as
it cools, and can be used for
diferent applications through
WORDS DAVID MATTHEWS. PHOTOGRAPHY ANDREW FINLAYSON. STYLING LISA FEATHERBY. MERCHANDISING ROSIE MEEHANthe cooling process. Warm, it

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Masterclass

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GOURMET TRAVELLER 37