Name: Stephen Nairn’s buckwheat and chocolate sundae with whisky-butterscotch sauce
Prep time: 50 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 105 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: Vanilla bean ice-cream, toasted buckwheat and dark chocolate curls, to serve; Cocoa-buckwheat crumbs; 100 gm (1 ⅓ cups) plain flour; 40 gm buckwheat flour; 25 gm pure icing sugar; 20 gm Dutch-process cocoa; ¼ tsp baking powder; 80 gm cold unsalted butter, diced; 2 egg yolks; Chocolate-buckwheat cake; 5 eggs; 200 gm caster sugar; Finely grated zest of 2 small oranges; 225 gm dark chocolate (54% cocoa solids); 120 gm unsalted butter, chopped; 120 gm buckwheat flour; 25 gm Dutch-process cocoa; Whiskey-butterscotch sauce; 160 gm caster sugar; 80 ml (⅓ cup) whisky; 55 gm cold unsalted butter; 120 gm double cream

Omnia Bistro’s Stephen Nairn draws inspiration from both France and his Scottish roots in this luxurious buckwheat and chocolate sundae. “The cake is inspired by moelleux au chocolate, which I came across in Biscarrosse, a commune in south-west France,” says Nairn. “The Scotsman in me chose to layer the chocolate sundae with a whisky-laced caramel sauce in ode to my motherland.”

Deep, dark chocolate cake and nutty buckwheat crumbs form the base, while vanilla ice-cream, toasted buckwheat, and dark chocolate curls add texture and contrast. But it’s the whisky-butterscotch sauce that steals the show — silky, rich, and just boozy enough to warm the soul.

Ingredients

Vanilla bean ice-cream, toasted buckwheat and dark chocolate curls, to serve

Cocoa-buckwheat crumbs

100 gm (1 ⅓ cups) plain flour

40 gm buckwheat flour

25 gm pure icing sugar

20 gm Dutch-process cocoa

¼ tsp baking powder

80 gm cold unsalted butter, diced

2 egg yolks

Chocolate-buckwheat cake

5 eggs

200 gm caster sugar

Finely grated zest of 2 small oranges

225 gm dark chocolate (54% cocoa solids)

120 gm unsalted butter, chopped

120 gm buckwheat flour

25 gm Dutch-process cocoa

Whiskey-butterscotch sauce

160 gm caster sugar

80 ml (⅓ cup) whisky

55 gm cold unsalted butter

120 gm double cream

Method

For cocoa-buckwheat crumbs, combine dry ingredients and butter in a food processor and process until fine crumbs form. Add egg yolks and process until combined. Turn dough onto a floured work surface and lightly knead with the heel of your hand until the dough comes together. Form into a rough rectangle, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled (1 hour).

Preheat oven to 160°C fan-forced. Roll dough between 2 sheets of baking paper to 3mm thick. Transfer to a large baking tray and transfer to the refrigerator to chill (30 minutes). Remove top sheet of baking paper. Bake pastry until golden (15 minutes). Set aside to cool. Break into pieces, transfer to a food processor and pulse until coarse crumbs form. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

For chocolate-buckwheat cake, grease and line a 20cm square cake tin with baking paper. Whisk eggs, sugar and orange zest in a bowl until combined. Combine chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and melt over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally, until smooth (6-8 minutes). Remove from heat, slowly whisk in egg mixture, then whisk in dry ingredients and ½ tsp sea salt flakes until smooth and combined. Pour into lined tin. Bake until just set in the centre (25-30 minutes). Cool to room temperature.

For whisky-butterscotch sauce, stir sugar and 50ml water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat to dissolve sugar, then cook without stirring until very dark caramel (10-12 minutes). Add whisky (be careful, hot caramel will spit) and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat; add butter and swirl to melt, then stir in cream to combine. Stand to cool. Butterscotch sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for 1 week.

Cut cake into 5cm pieces. Divide pastry crumbs among 8 glasses. Top with cake pieces and ice-cream. Drizzle with butterscotch sauce, scatter with toasted buckwheat and chocolate curls to serve.