How to Temper by Hand by Means of Tabliering
Tempering of tantalizing chocolates can be done manually or by using a tempering machine. Many chocolatiers prefer the latter because it relieves them of the tedium of maintaining accurate temperatures. Tempering machines are automated and have a microprocessor that does this job easily and also keep the chocolate tempered for a longer duration. But in tempering by hand, maintaining accurate temperatures needs patience and precision.
Recession or no recession, the billion-dollar chocolate industry continues to grow, particularly that segment that prefer fine, handmade chocolates. Artisan-chocolatiers eschew the use of chocolate tempering machines and still choose to make chocolates manually to cater to these chocolate lovers, using “tabliering” for tempering.
It is in France that tabliering was perfected and in this technique, you work upon and cool the chocolate on a marble slab or any other heat-absorbing surface.
Moisture is a great risk to tabliering and you will do well by keeping your cooking paraphernalia and everything else dry. Moisture may cause “seizing” and the chocolate becomes lumpy and can no longer be dipped and molded. Seizing is caused too if you freeze or over-heat the chocolate rapidly.
As a first step, cut 1 pound of chocolate into small strips. Utensils like a serrated knife, a chopping board, a spatula, a mixing bowl, a double boiler, a thermometer that can measure low temperatures like 82F, and a cookie sheet are pat dried with a paper towel and kept ready.
In the upper pan of the double boiler, you keep the chocolate strips and in the lower pan, you boil the water at medium heat till it reaches 108-115F, the melting point of chocolate. You should be stirring the chocolate from start to finish. Remember that every type of chocolate has its own melting point. The melted chocolate or the mush is then transferred to a mixing bowl, guarding against moisture. The melted chocolate must not be lumpy and should have a smooth flow.
Work on the first 2/3 of this melted chocolate on a marble slab using a spatula. It should be subjected to spreading, folding, and scraping to cool it to a temperature of 80-82F. You should ensure the 1/3 of the chocolate maintains its temperature of 100F.
After you finish working upon the 2/3 portion, you slowly integrate the 1/3 and the entire chocolate is again worked upon to cool to 80-82F, then reheat. When you do reheating, you should remember to reheat dark chocolate to 88-90F, semi-sweet chocolate to 86-88F and milk chocolate to 82-84F. If the chocolate has become a hard and shiny shell around the spatula after drying for five minutes, know that tempering is over. You can do dipping and molding after this.
Even a small deviation in specific temperatures may force you to repeat tempering. To make the chocolate stay tempered a longer while, let it rest on a bain-marie or hot pad, still taking care against moisture.
