For Audeo - and everyone! Tempering a la Jacque Torres

[marmalady]

Here ya go!

Tempering Chocolate:

"Tempering is important because it determines the final gloss, hardness, and contraction of the chocolate. When you melt chocolate, the molecules of fat separate. In order to put them back together, you temper it. There are a variety of ways to do it.

One of the easiest ways to temper chocolate is to place it in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time on high power until the chocolate is melted. Be very careful not to overheat it. The chocolate should be only slightly warmer than your bottom lip, and it will retain its shape even when mostly melted. Any remaining lumps will melt in the chocolate's residual heat. You can also use an immersion blender to break up the lumps and start the recrystallization process. Usually, the chocolate begins to set, or crystallize, along the side of the bowl. As it sets, mix those crystals into the melted chocolate to temper it. I like to use a glass bowl because it retains the heat and keeps the chocolate tempered longer.

Another way to temper chocolate is called seeding. In this method, tempering is achieved by adding small pieces of unmelted chocolate to melted chocolate. The amount of unmelted chocolate to be added depends on the temperature of the melted chocolate but is usually 1/4 of the total amount. I usually use an immersion blender to mix them together."

-Courtesy Jacque Torres, FoodTV


I've used both of these methods, and they both work great!

[Audeo]

This is very interesting and I thank you for posting this, marmalady. I've tried the microwave method, but failed miserably at being able to control the temps that way. It has been my experience that chocolate, despite its versatility, is exceptionally tempermental (pardon the pun) when it comes to tempering and has a precious, small range of temps in which it works best.... Would that I could have achieved this in the microwave!

I have spent untold hours practicing Torres' method of "Tabliering" on my slab, determined to perfect the age-old method, and while I did to substantial degree, I also discovered that manipulating the crystalization via heating and cooling of water changes in a double boiler worked just as well, and was a much cleaner, simpler method of achieving the same final high gloss, hardness and bloom resistance.

Torres is a chocolate genius, in my opinion. Absolute proof of that, for me, is that he can temper using a microwave!!! And I've no doubt that he does so spectacularly and consistently well!!

[marmalady]

Hey - if it works for you, don't change it!

I've used the microwave a lot; I just stand over it and watch it very carefully, especially the white chocolate, which is soooooo tempramental!