Chuao Chocolatier Master Chef Michael Antonorsi

Chef Michael Antonorsi is the master chef and co-founder of Chuao Chocolatier based in Carlsbad, CA. As a boy in Venezuela his first memory of chocolate is eating chocolate paninis, baguettes with chocolate melted inside, for his lunch every day.

Later, he left a career in the technology industry to pursue his dream of becoming a chef. He trained as a French Chef at Ecole Superieure de Cuisine Franaise Ferrandi in Paris and specialized in Pastry and Chocolaterie at the Ecole LeNotre. In 2002, Chef Michael partnered with his brother Richard to open a small chocolate cafe in San Diego, which they named in honor of Chuao, the legendary cacao growing region in Venezuela.

Chef Michael says his chocolate inspiration comes from the savory world. He likes to introduce savory ingredients to the sweet world so he can make confections with new dimensions. He has integrated savory flavors such as goat cheese, salt and much more into his sweet pieces of art. He prefers to use dark chocolate, especially 60 percent. This chocolate gives enough flavor, he says, without being too bitter or stringent and allows him to experiment with savory flavors.

Here is a recipe for one of Chuao’s most popular bonbons:

Traditional French Wild Truffle Bonbon

Filling
2 ¼ cups of fresh heavy cream
4 oz corn syrup or honey
1.5 lb of dark chocolate (around 58 percent cacao content)
1 oz of softened whipped butter

Dipping/Coating
4 cups of melted dark chocolate
4 cups of cocoa powder

Boil cream together with the corn syrup.

Chop the chocolate and put into a bowl.

Add the hot cream to the chocolate and let sit for half an hour until it cools to around 95 degrees. Mix softly to incorporate into a smooth chocolate ganache.

When the mixture is cooled to around 90 degrees, add the softened butter and mix in well.

Leave the mixture to cool and set over night.

With a melon baller scoop out the individual amounts you need per truffle.

Using cocoa powder as a non stick agent in your hands, roll the scooped amount into a small ball.

Temper 4 cups of melted dark chocolate.

Dip the balls halfway into the chocolate and roll them in your hand to have an even and thin coating. Place the dipped balls on the parchment paper again and let crystallize.

Dip the balls a second time and this time roll over the cocoa powder and let set for a few minutes.

Store the finished product in an airtight container.

Makes about 70 truffles

Shelf life: 3 weeks maximum

Visit www.chuaochocolatier.com

Edited by Patricia D. Sherman

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