Tabulating
»Tabulating« is a method of tempering chocolate. Half of the melted chocolate is spread with a spatula on a clean and smooth work surface. Afterwards, the spatula is used to spread the chocolate back and forth.
This process is repeated until the chocolate becomes solid again and thickens. The thickened chocolate is added to the melted chocolate so that it cools down a little.
To check if the chocolate is at the right temperature, you can simply dip a spoon into the liquid chocolate. Then put it aside and watch the drying process. If the chocolate dries quickly and has a nice shine, it is at the right temperature.