Coconut & Pineapple Entremets

Before starting this Coconut and Pineapple Entremets recipe, organise the necessary ingredients for the panna cotta.

For the rum and vanilla panna cotta (batch 1): Cut 3 vanilla pods lengthwise and scrape the seeds with the tip of a knife.

In a saucepan, place the vanilla pods and seeds, together with 390 grams of whipping cream.

Add 300 grams of castor sugar and cook over medium heat.

In the meantime, soak 6 gelatin sheets (12 grams)...

... in a large bowl filled with cold water. Separate the gelatin sheets so they don't clump together in the water.

When the cream starts boiling...

... remove the pan from the heat. Combine with a whisk to break up any lumps of vanilla seeds.

Strain the soft gelatine...

... and add to the hot cream.

Combine with a whisk until the gelatine has dissolved completely.

Remove the vanilla pods...

... then mix the preparation with a Bamix hand blender until homogeneous.

Pour the hot preparation over the white chocolate.

Mix again until homogeneous.

Add the rum and mix again...

... then transfer into a deep tray so it cools down quickly. Make sure you do not refrigerate the preparation. The preparation should not jellify.

Peel the pineapple and discard the core.

Cut the flesh into small cubes.

Place the pineapple dices between two sheets of paper towel in order to absorb as much moisture as possible.

When the panna cotta has a temperature of about 25°C...

... transfer into a bowl...

... and add the pineapple cubes.

Combine well and set aside at room temperature (do not refrigerate).

For the coconut biscuit crust: Organise all the necessary ingredients.

Place the flour, grated coconut, castor sugar, baking powder, salt and diced butter in the stand mixer bowl.

Combine with the flat beater, until the consistency is crumbly and homogeneous.

Add the egg yolks and beat again.

Remove the dough from the bowl...

... and divide it up into small chunks on a Silpat baking mat, placed on a perforated Silichef® XL baking sheet.

Bake at 180°C (gas 4) for 7 minutes, in a fan-assisted oven.

When cooked, remove from the oven...

... and use your fingers to crumble the biscuit.

Return to the oven and bake for a further 5 minutes.

When cooked, sprinkle some Mycryo cocoa butter over the crumble. Leave to cool.

For the coconut Dacquoise: Organise all the necessary ingredients.

Pour the egg whites in the stand mixer recipient. Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt.

In the meantime, sift the icing sugar, almond powder and flour together. Add the grated coconut to the sifted ingredients (the grated coconut is too big to go through the mesh of the sifter).

When the egg whites are firm, add the castor sugar and beat again until stiff.

Pour the mixed powders over the egg whites in two or three batches...

... and fold gently with a spatula.

Pour the Dacquoise preparation on a Silpat baking mat...

... and spread to an even thickness using a cranked spatula. Make sure the preparation is spread to dimensions that are larger than the Guadeloupe stainless steel frame (35cm).

Bake at 160°C (gas 3) for about 15 minutes, in a fan-assisted oven.

When cooked, remove from the oven and leave to cool.

Using the Guadeloupe stainless steel frame, cut the coconut Dacquoise biscuit. Push down on the frame and use it as a cookie cutter.

Remove the frame and discard the scraps of Dacquoise biscuit.

Place the frame back around the biscuit.

On top of the Dacquoise biscuit, arrange a layer of coconut crumble.

Pour the rum and vanilla panna cotta on top.

Spread the pineapple cubes evenly. We're using a frame with no bottom, so some of the panna cotta preparation might leak out of the frame.

Lay the tray flat in the fridge and let set. If the panna cotta continues to leak, place something heavy on top of the frame to reduce the gap between the frame and the silicone mat.

For the rum and vanilla panna cotta (batch 2): Repeat steps 2 to 17 with the ingredients listed above. (260g whipping cream, 200g sugar, etc.)
When the preparation is at room temperature...

... pour the panna cotta (without pineapple this time) over the first layer of pineapple panna cotta, which should be jellified by now.

Reserve in the freezer for a few hours. The cake needs to be frozen for the rest of the recipe.
Up to this stage, the cake can be prepared in advance and stored in the freezer.

Releasing the cake from the frame: On the day, release the frozen cake from the stainless steel frame. Remove the cake from the freezer and slightly heat the sides of the frame with a blow torch.
This operation should be quick in order not to melt the cake.

Gently slide the frame upwards to release it.

Return the cake to the freezer.

For the gold yellow icing: Organise all the necessary ingredients.

Hydrate the gelatine with 60 grams of water at room temperature.

Pour 75 grams of water in a saucepan...

... the add the castor sugar and glucose syrup.

Bring to a boil and continue cooking up to 103°C. I highly recommend using a laser thermometer.

Add the unsweetened condensed milk. It is really important that you use unsweetened condensed milk, otherwise the overall taste will be too sweet.

Combine well.

Add the rehydrated gelatine and combine well until dissolved.

Pour the hot preparation over the white chocolate.

Mix with a hand blender...

... until smooth and homogeneous.

Add some yellow colouring powder with the tip of the knife. The amount of colouring varies according to the colour intensity you wish to obtain.

Combine with the hand blender...

... until fully incorporated.

Add some orange colouring powder with the tip of the knife to intensify the yellow colour.

Blend again. Set aside at room temperature until the icing is down to 30°C.

For the mango mousse: Organise all the necessary ingredients.

Pour the mango purée in a saucepan. Add the castor sugar.

Combine with a spatula.

Blend a small amount of cold coulis with the crème patissière powder.

Combine with a spoon.

Bring the mango purée to a boil.

Add the crème pâtissière powder and mango preparation...

... and cook for a few minutes while whisking.

Add the Mycryo cocoa butter and combine...

... then add the white chocolate pistoles.

Combine again with a whisk.

Set aside to cool, stirring at regular intervals.

Add the whipped cream...

... and combine gently with a whisk.

Add the French meringue.

Combine gently. Pour the preparation into a piping bag fitted with a plain nozzle (5mm diameter). Store in the fridge.

For the icing: The icing is ready to use when it is at a temperature of 30°C.

Mix again until homogeneous. This will get rid of air bubbles.

Take the cake out of the freezer...

... and transfer on a cooling rack, which has been placed on a deep tray. The deep tray is used to collect the icing excess.

Pour the icing, starting from one end of the cake...

... then gradually work your way towards the opposite end.

This operation should be performed quickly and in one stroke to ensure the layer of icing is thin and uniform.

By coming into contact with the frozen cake, the icing will set immediately.

Make sure the sides are evenly coated with icing.

The final result should look like this. Store in the fridge to let it defrost slowly.

For the pineapple jelly: (prepare ahead) Organise all the necessary ingredients.

Steep the gelatine sheets in cold water.

In a saucepan, place the pineapple purée and castor sugar.

Bring to a boil and combine until the sugar is completely dissolved.

Strain the soft gelatine sheets and add to the preparation. Combine well.

Pour the hot preparation into a funnel dispenser...

... and fill the cavities of a half sphere silicone mould...

... filling up to various heights to create different sizes. Place in the freezer.

For the finish: Remove the cake from the fridge.

Take the piping bag containing mango mousse out of the fridge and pipe dots of different sizes...

... on the surface of the cake.

When the half spheres are frozen, remove from the freezer...

... and release the shapes from the mould. Once they are defrosted, it will be impossible to release them from the mould.

Gently arrange the mango half spheres on the surface of the cake. While defrosting, they will turn from opaque to translucent.

Arrange the shapes harmoniously, alternating between the different heights.

Pour some clear mirror glaze into a decorating bag and pipe small dots over the surface of the cake, creating various sizes.

Using a mandolin, slice the chunk of fresh coconut. Arrange the coconut slices on the surface of the cake...

... and scatter a few edible flowers (optional). Stick grated coconut all over the sides of the cakes.

Using a brush, gently get rid of the grated coconut excess. Reserve in the fridge until ready to serve.