Cold-Infused Black Walnut Budino with Bittersweet Ganache & Flaky Salt

Instructions

1. 1

   Coarsely crush 60g black walnuts and place them in a glass jar or sealed container with 240g whole milk and 180g heavy cream. Stir briefly, seal, and refrigerate for 8 to 12 hours. Strain the cold mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a liquid measuring cup, pressing lightly on the nut solids to yield approximately 380g of infused dairy; discard the spent nuts.

   5 min

   Tip: Cold-infusion is non-negotiable here. Black walnuts carry high levels of tannins; steeping them cold extracts their buttery, earthy perfume without pulling out the astringent bite.

2. 2

   Place the remaining 20g black walnuts in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat. Toast for 3 to 4 minutes until fragrant and lightly deepened in color, stirring frequently. Tip onto a cutting board, chop finely, and set aside for the topping.

   4 min

   Tip: Nuts carry residual heat. Dump them out of the skillet immediately so they don't scorch on the bottom.

3. 3

   In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together 3 large egg yolks, 65g dark brown sugar, 24g cornstarch, and 2g fine sea salt until pale, smooth, and ribbon-like, about 2 minutes.

   2 min

   Tip: Do not let egg yolks sit unmixed with dry sugar, or the sugar will draw out moisture and form hard granules.

4. 4

   Pour the strained walnut dairy (all 380g cold-infused dairy) into a medium saucepan over medium heat and bring just to a faint simmer (tiny bubbles around the rim, roughly 80°C / 175°F). Slowly pour half of the hot dairy into the egg yolk mixture while whisking vigorously to temper the yolks.

   4 min

   Tip: Temper gradually. Adding boiling liquid in one dump will scramble your eggs.

5. 5

   Pour the tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining hot milk. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly and scraping the edges of the pan, until large, slow bubbles break through the center and the mixture turns thick and glossy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Take the pan off the heat immediately.

   3 min

   Tip: Cornstarch must reach a full boil to deactivate amylase enzymes, ensuring the pudding stays set in the fridge.

6. 6

   Whisk 28g unsalted butter into the hot custard piece by piece until fully melted and glossy, then stir in 5g pure vanilla extract.

   2 min

   Tip: Cold butter emulsifies into warm pudding much more cleanly than melted butter, yielding a mirror finish.

7. 7

   Divide the warm budino evenly among 4 small glasses or ramekins (roughly 100-110g each). Press a square of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of each pudding to prevent a skin from forming, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours until chilled and set.

   5 min

   Tip: Chill completely. The fat in the infused dairy and butter needs cold time to crystallize into a spoonable texture.

8. 8

   In a small heatproof bowl, warm the remaining 60g heavy cream in 15-second microwave bursts until steaming. Add 50g bittersweet chocolate, submerge the pieces completely, and let sit undisturbed for 1 minute. Whisk gently from the center outward until a smooth, shiny ganache forms.

   3 min

   Tip: Stirring from the center pulls the dairy-fat emulsion together without whipping air into the ganache.

9. 9

   Peel the plastic wrap from the chilled budinos. Spoon 1 to 2 tablespoons of warm ganache over each cold pudding, tilting the glasses slightly to coat the tops. Scatter the toasted 20g black walnuts across the chocolate and finish each with a pinch of 1g flaky sea salt. Serve immediately.

   2 min

   Tip: The contrast between cold, silky pudding and warm, glossy chocolate is the entire point of this dessert.