Tempering Chocolate and Making Chocolate Plaques

To temper chocolate, melt it in a stainless-steel or glass bowl over a bain marie of just simmering water; you don’t want the chocolate to get too hot. Just as the chocolate melts, remove from the heat and stir with a flexible spatula until smooth and glossy. The temperature of the chocolate should be 45°C. Pour three-quarters of the chocolate onto a cool, flat work surface and work the chocolate continuously with a long right-angle palette knife until it starts to cool down and thicken. At this stage, the chocolate should be about 25°C. Scrape the chocolate off the workbench and return to the bowl with the remaining warm chocolate. Stir together until the chocolate reaches 28°C.