Nougat Glace or Frozen Nougat

I made this recipe at the restaurant today. It is quite tasty and a nice dessert that is frozen and therefore has a long shelf life.

Yield: 1 - 9 by 13 inch pan (probably will yield approximately 15 generous servings )

Ingredients

Nougatine:

80 g sugar
35 g honey
100 ml water
2 cups chopped nuts

Nougat glace:

150 g sugar
water , enough just to cover sugar
200 g honey
6 egg whites
1 tbsp sugar (for the whites)
1 litre 35% cream
1 cup roasted nuts
1 cup candied fruit
(or two cups nuts if candied fruit is just not your thing...)

Methodology:

Nougatine:

1. Ready a tray by covering it with parchment paper.

2. Heat sugar, honey and water over medium heat until the sugar takes on a light amber color. ( blond caramel stage)

3. Add chopped nuts to caramel and mix quickly.

4. Pour the mixture out onto the tray and spread quickly.

5. Place tray in freezer or fridge for 10 or 15 minutes so that the nougatine hardens. This makes it easier to break apart to use.


Nougat Glace:

1. Ready a 9 by 13 inch baking tray by lightly greasing it and lining it with plastic wrap.

2. Place the sugar and water in a small pan over medium heat and heat to 121 degrees celsuis. If a thermometer is not available then bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat and boil for two or three minutes.

2. At the same time, begin to beat the egg whites and the 1 tbsp of sugar to a firm peak. Ideally, the sugar syrup and the egg whites should be ready around the same time.

3. Add the honey to the syrup and bring the mixture back to a boil.

4. Add the hot syrup to the egg whites in a steady stream while continuing to whip. Whip until cool. (This is evidently easier with a machine, but if one is not available then beat the mixture for a few minutes and let it cool beating every once and while to distribute the heat.) This is the same as making an italian meringue.

5. Whip the cream.

6. Combine the cool meringue and the whipping cream.

7. Break apart the nougatine that was made earlier. Combine with the roasted nuts and the candied fruit and add it all to the meringue mixture.

8. Pour into prepared tray and spread evenly. Freeze for a minimum of three hours.

Cut and serve with fresh fruit or a fresh fruit coulis!

To make a quick coulis:

Dilute a little sugar in water over low heat. Place fruit in a blender (raspberries or strawberries would work reallt well) , add a squeeze of lemon juice and a little of the sugar syrup. Blend until smooth. Add more liquid if necessary, depending on the consistency that is wanted. Pass the coulis through a sieve to strain out the seeds.