ingredients
Pâté
Orange Crème Anglaise
directions
Line a 6 1/2 x 3-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap and set aside.
Over a pot of simmering water, melt chocolate. Sift icing sugar and while still over the heat, whisk into chocolate.
Add butter and beat in. Stir in orange liqueur and add eggs yolks, one at a time. Remove from heat.
Whip eggs whites with salt until medium peak. Fold in 1/3 of the whites into the chocolate, then fold in remaining egg whites. Spoon pâté into loaf pan and freeze for at least six hours.
Heat half & half with vanilla to a simmer.
In a bowl, whisk together egg yolks and sugar. Adding gradually, whisk half & half cream into eggs. When all has been added return sauce to pot over medium heat.
Cook anglaise until the sauce coats the back of a spoon, about 4 minutes. Strain and stir in orange liqueur. Chill for 2 hours.
Whip whipping cream to medium peaks and fold into anglaise.
To serve, turn pâté out onto a platter, remove plastic and dust with cocoa powder. Slice with a hot, dry knife. By the time the pâté reaches the table, it will have thawed and will be decadently dense but tender.