Daring Bakers: Tuiles & A Spanish Moment

This month's challenge is brought to us by Karen of Bake My Day and Zorra of 1x umruehren bitte aka Kochtopf. They have chosen Tuiles from The Chocolate Book by Angélique Schmeink and Nougatine and Chocolate Tuiles from Michel Roux.

I decided to integrate the tuile into a catering job I had last night for a Spanish dinner. Here's the whole menu...

We started with an amuse of piñon horchata genoise with cinnamon infused blood orange ice.

I could have stopped there. The ice was so amazing that I finished off the bowl of it in the kitchen while the guests ate the rest of the meal.

Next up was a small tapas plate:

The olives were a mix of hordelian (I don't think that's the real name) and black colossals warmed in a crock pot all day in olive oil with orange and fennel. Papas with hot smoked paprika and goat and avocado carnitas cones.

Ensalada:

Organic greens topped with pan warmed pimiento strips, almonds and brandy soaked raisins.

Caldo Gallego from Menu del Dia:

Pork and bean soup with spinach. The pork was locally raised bacon ends and the beans were Chaco Canyon River Runner and Spotted Horse beans raised near Gila, NM. I finished it with some arbequina oil.

Braised Oxtails with Xèrès Vinegar:

Cooked all day, I seasoned the oxtails with Sel Gris, a few liberal dousings of the xèrès and onion. I plated it with saffron rice, spicy aged balsamic from Maletti, cauliflower espuma infused with black truffles and a white asparagus spear.

And finally, the postre - Spanish Nuts

The half sphere is orange almond cremieux inside of pistachio mousse, sprayed with chocolate, served with the tuile and savory chocolate soil.

This was one of the best meals I've ever made or served.