Amatika 46% recipes

Our dear chefs around the world developed recipes using our new vegan Valrhona AMATIKA 46% to inspire others to go plant-based. Here they are.

Amatika 46% by Johann Vanier - Australia

Johann Vanier is La Pav’s head patissier, a born-and-bred Frenchman and classically trained pastry chef who has honed his exceptional skills with pastry and desserts in kitchens all over the world. 
Over a decade ago, Johann fell in love with pastry and moved to the south-west of France, where he spent years working in the pastry sections of Michelin-starred restaurants, five-star hotels and some of the finest patisseries the world has to offer. 

Since moving to Australia and settling in the northern beaches, his love of pastry has taken him through fine-dining restaurants in Sydney Harbour, hatted kitchens in Mosman, renowned restaurants and high-end wholesale hospitality companies, crafting pastries and desserts for five-star airlines and hotels. 

In 2018, 2019 he placed in the top five of the Savour Patisserie of the Year competition; a battle in which 20 of the world’s most talented pastry chefs competed for the top honour. At La Pav, Johann’s mission is to give the great Aussie pavlova a French twist, turning it into something worthy of the Michelin-starred kitchens he’s worked in without letting it lose its fresh and distinctly Aussie flair. 

Johann works with fresh, seasonal ingredients and has spent months researching and sourcing La Pav’s top quality produce from all over the world. He strives to elevate the ingredients with which he works, so even the most familiar flavours taste like the best possible versions of themselves.     
 

1-In general, why did you decided to try and use VEGAN product?
I started being interested in Plant-based pastry a few years ago, working in a fine dining restaurant, we had more and more request for vegan dessert. Here, in Australia, it is becoming really common to be on a plant based diet, but it is really difficult to find a good vegan dessert. I wanted to offer them something that is as good as a ‘normal’ pastry. 

2-Since when and how you did the transition from standard chocolate to VEGAN chocolate?
I have been using, until now, mainly ‘vegan friendly’ dark chocolate (Caraïbe, Manjari…) for my plant based pavlovas. But the transition to Amatika has been really easy. 

3-What do you think of the taste of vegan chocolate AMATIKA?
Amatika is a ‘strong’ milk chocolate. At 46%, you can definitely taste the cocoa flavours more than the usual milk chocolate. Combine to the almond/nutty flavour, it is different but it gives it a lot of character. Regarding the textures, I have found it less ‘milky’ but lighter and smoother than other milk chocolate. 

4-What does this chocolate inspire you?
Amatika inspired me to pair it with something fresh, in this case coconut. But I am sure it would be amazing paired with any exotic fruit (mango, passionfruit…). I found that the strong flavour of it, is a perfect match for balancing the freshness of those fruits. 

5-Is it easy to work with?
It has been as easy as any other Valhrona chocolate to work with. I have found it a bit more fluid, but didn’t have any problems at all. 

6-What uses do you recommend?
I would recommend using it in ganaches, cremeux, and mousses, paired with different kind of plant-based milk (almond, hazelnut, coconut…) it is definitely bringing new depths of flavour.

Amatika 46% by Chiharu Kaneko - cheffe at Land&Monkeys Paris

1- Why veganism? How long have you been developing vegan pastries for? What do you love about plant-based pastry-making?
Five years ago, I watched a TV report which brought home to me how farm animals are treated and I’ve been working exclusively with vegan ingredients ever since. All the breakfast and dessert pastries, mini gateaux and savory dishes sold at Land&Monkeys are vegan. My ambition is to offer consumers a vegan alternative so they have the option of shaping their diet around their beliefs. 

2- How easy is vegan chocolate Amatika to use? How is it different from a dark chocolate? What do you love about this chocolate? What does it mean to you? 
For me, Vegan Amatika chocolate is really well balanced – it’s neither too bitter nor too sweet. I’m able to use it as a substitute for both milk and dark chocolate. I especially love its subtle almond flavor and the way its aromas and cocoa blend together.

3- Tell us about your recipe:
"Le Monkï" is a crispy chocolate brownie surrounded by a chocolate macaroon, all garnished with a chocolate cream with jasmine tea, covered with a ganache mounted with orange blossom and sprinkled with crunch.

Amatika 46% by Paolo Brunelli - Italy

1- Why did you decide to make vegetable pastry?
Choosing plant-based patisserie means choosing today’s contemporary taste. A light, healthier patisserie which still brings forth taste and satisfaction for the senses.

2- Since when and how you did the transition from standard chocolate to VEGAN chocolate?
This change has taken place quite recently. Dark chocolate has always been a plant-based product in vogue. It was both necessary and justified to demand similar qualities in a “milk” chocolate.

3- What do you think of vegan chocolate Amatika? Taste? Texture ?
It has a pleasingly interesting taste: satisfying, similar to traditional products, but fortunately with its own added character, making it unique. 

4-What does this chocolate inspire you?
For me, this chocolate inspires the idea of creating modern ice creams and sorbets: light, but with a texture that recalls the old days thanks to the qualities of the cocoa butter and almond milk.

5- Is it easy to work with? 
It is extremely easy to use in ice-cream making, just like traditional chocolate.  And it is just as easy to work with when making chocolates or pastries

6-What uses do you recommend?
I would recommend it for use in any type of ice cream, pastries, or chocolates.

7- Tell us about your recipe:

Since almond milk is among the main flavors, combining it with coffee, licorice or cardamom would be my top tip. In the same way, combinations of citrus fruits could also be very interesting, like mandarin, lime, or orange and lemon. You can of course intensify the flavor as well, with almond paste or hazelnut paste. Or for a more unusual combination, try pecan paste or praline.
Sorbet made using Valrhona Amatika is incredibly velvety, smooth and yielding on the palate.
Its color is natural, tending towards dark hazelnut if used in its pure form. The Leccese sorbet (see recipe) will be a similar color to dark chocolate.

Amatika 46% by Toni Rodriguez - Spain

What inspired you to create this recipe?
I wanted to make some really enticing combinations that people of all ages would all love, whether they are connoisseurs or not. I wanted a milk chocolate with a tangy fruit and nut taste. I’m trying to uncover different variations which everyone can enjoy.

The chef’s perspective

Why did you choose these tasty flavor combinations for vegan Amatika 46%?
Amatika includes almonds and an absolutely delicious chocolate flavor, so it slips down very easily. I think you’d be able to combine it with almost all fruit or nut combinations.

A technical tip for the end of the recipe

What’s the secret to your recipe?
You can switch the mandarins for any other tangy fruit (especially passion fruit juice) and the hazelnuts for peanut butter. They will completely transform your dessert!

What’s your recipe’s technical secret?
When I’m ready to mix together the mousse and meringue, I like to add the ganache gradually to the meringue, but you can also add the meringue (split into three batches) to the ganache.

Amatika 46% by Chef Sahar Parham Al Awadhi - UAE

Testimonial from Chef Sahar Parham Al Awadhi - UAE

1- Why did you decide to make vegetable pastry?
I think with the increase in mass produced ingredients around the world and the additives and preservatives used to make it happen, we are not necessarily getting the quality of health benefits in what we are eating and it has resulted in a declination of overall health and increase in intolerances and allergies specifically when it comes to animal products. The number one place to look at when in this kind of situation is within (what we are eating) And so people look for alternatives that yield better health benefits, foods that make them feel good when they eat it and turning to vegetable based lifestyles has been a huge health shift.

2- Since when did you take this turn?
I am not a chef that makes purely vegan/plant-based desserts but I do love to experiment, and I wanted to make sure that everyone had a delicious sweet ending to their meal. I wanted to highlight that vegan or plant-based desserts can taste delicious (perhaps they just have a bad reputation sometimes) when you understand your ingredients and the technical aspects of it.

3- What do you think of vegan chocolate Amatika? Taste? Texture ? 
Amatika has been a surprisingly delightful product to work with. While most plant based chocolates always stick to dark version, it limits you to how you can be creative with different textures, flavor pairings and combinations in a dessert. 

4-What does this chocolate inspire you?
Having the option of a plant based almond milk chocolate was fantastic, it opened the doors to so many more creative options. The texture is creamy, the sweetness is balanced with the nuttiness of the almond but also not overpowering with the almond flavor so it provides a neutral base to work with. Almond is quite a common ingredient in Emirati cuisine so the flavor felt nostalgic to me specially in combination with rose water, it provided such a beautiful floral blend.

5- Is it easy to work with? 
It was very easy to work with. The chocolate has a slight texture from the almond to bear in mind which I used to my advantage but otherwise works well in many applications. 

6-What uses do you recommend?
I have personally used it as a base for a Breton sable (provided a rich chocolate flavor), a ganache, and a cremeux and had a very creamy result (you wouldn’t believe its plant based). My personal favorite was the combination of the chocolate with rose water extract.

7- Tell us about your recipe:
"Pink Almond Tart" is a recipe composed of a Breton shortbread #Amatika 46%, an almond jelly, a light and airy Vegan Amatika 46% Rose cream, a homemade almond praline, a creamy with almonds and caramelized almonds.

Amatika 46% by Chef Eddie Sheperd - United Kingdom

1-In general, why did you decided to try and use VEGAN products? 
I cook a plant-base tasting menu and I get a number of vegan guests. It’s really important to me that they get a great experience and that the quality and uniqueness of their dishes matches up to the quality of the rest of the menu. I don’t want them to go without an element of a dish or have a pale imitation, I always want to present them with something unique and delicious in its own right.

2-Since when and how you did the transition from standard chocolate to VEGAN chocolate? 
I use a lot of Valrhona chocolate on my menu already – mainly Manjari and Itakuja, ansd I will still use these on my menu but it is great to add in an extra vegan option that is so versatile and gives me another flavour profile to utilise.

3-What do you think of the taste of vegan chocolate AMATIKA? 
Its great, by far and away the best vegan milk chocolate I have ever tasted and once you start to use it in recipes it really shines. To me it has a nice soft caramel & almond flavour, so I chose to accentuate that by using Osmanthus with it, a Chinese flower with a soft peach aroma.

4-What does this vegan chocolate inspire you? 
Its been great to be able to work on something ‘softer’ flavour wise rather than the more intensely chocolate flavours of dark chocolate. Its nice to have another option that opens up more flavour options. 

5-Is it easy to work with? 
Very easy to work with, I have tempered it, used it in ganache and a mousse. It works just like a normal chcolat ena d I was incredibly pleased with the ganache texture, its beautiful.

6-What uses do you recommend? 
I think the ganache is great because it is really versatile and really shows off the chocolate and its hard to get a good vegan version of a milk chocolate ganache. But I have also used it just shaved over the top of a dish to finish it and add some texture. It’s extremely versatile.

Amatika 46% by David Vidal - Scandinavia

1-In general, why did you decided to try and use VEGAN product?
I started to try and use more vegan products and try to create vegan desserts as the past couple of years I have noticed that people’s preferences are changing, and I think that it is very important to evolve as a chef and be able to have something to serve our guests at the restaurant.

2-Since when and how you did the transition from standard chocolate to VEGAN chocolate?
I've only recently start to use a milk chocolate that's vegan, this being Amatika. Before that I have always used inspiration couvertures or something really dark. It hasn't been so easy finding a good quality milk chocolate that is considered vegan, but this gives me a lot of opportunities. 

3-What do you think of the taste of AMATIKA?
I really enjoyed the taste of the chocolate as besides the notes you get of almond from the almond milk it is a really good milk chocolate like all milk chocolates from Valrhona.

4-What does this chocolate inspire you?
It actually inspires me to try new things and creating new vegan desserts which were to a certain degree were more limitless before when using milk chocolate to create plant-based desserts.

5-Is it easy to work with?
It has been very easy to work with Valrhona vegan chocolate Amatika, it has good fluidity and is easy to temper.

6-What uses do you recommend?
I think it’s pretty hard to recommend certain uses as I’ve been more trying to alter my recipes to use Amatika so I can have more recipes that are plant based and have been happy with the outcome.