Pastry Chefs Get Creative, Transforming Timeless Desserts into Modern Hits
Caitlin M. O’Shaughnessy
As one of the most versatile and beloved ingredi- ents in any sweet treat, chocolate is a key player on almost every dessert menu. Timeless desserts such as pot de crème and flourless cake are some of the most popular dishes that feature chocolate of all types, but pastry chefs are transforming these classics with new techniques and flavor profiles, confirming that trends may come and go, but chocolate is always in style. From the simplest brownies and fondues to souf- flés, truffles and layer cakes, the spectrum of chocolate ranging from white and milk to the darkest unsweet- ened varieties gives chefs an incredible opportunity to experiment and customize their creations. At Sondra Bernstein’s wine country restaurant
ESTATE in Sonoma, Chef and managing partner John Toulze elaborates on the inarguable difficulty of creating a dish that incorporates chocolate in a new way: “It seems that most people have their tried and true favorite chocolate dish. Whether it was something that mom packed in the lunchbox, or the favorite chocolate that you got trick-or-treating, chocolate evokes strong memories. Most people do not like to cheat on their chocolate love.” At ESTATE, Toulze is currently featuring chocolate in a less familiar texture, by mixing it with polenta to form a cake topped with hazelnut-brandy gelato and hazelnut praline. With any gourmet ingredient, there is the threat
of overdoing it; is there such a thing as too much chocolate? Located in historic Old Towne Orange, California, Haven Gastropub’s Executive Chef Greg Daniels thinks that perhaps there can be too much of a good thing: “I’m not a huge fan of chocolate on chocolate desserts. That’s the only time I think that there could be ‘too much’ chocolate. I think if the chocolate is broken up with lighter flavors, or addi- tional savory ingredients, that’s what a makes a great dessert.” A great chocolate dessert isn’t created without obstacles – chocolate can be notoriously tricky to temper, and it is easily affected by the heat and humidity found in a profes- sional kitchen. Chef Toulze at ESTATE acknowledges this complexity, saying, “The most difficult chocolate desserts are those that require tempering
chocolate. Whether it be for a garnish or as an indi- vidual portion of the dessert, many kitchens are not set up to hold chocolate in this manner. Other diffi- cult chocolate desserts are those done à la minute. Generally these types of desserts take considerable time and you only get one shot to make it perfect. With the volume at our restaurants, our approachable dessert plan includes breaking the desserts into sim- ple steps, allowing the dessert to go out to the guest in a timely manner.”
Unusual additions While mint, peanut butter, raspberry and even
bacon are all delicious when partnered with any type of chocolate, chefs are increasingly looking beyond these more conventional pairings to find new and unexpected combinations. At Haven Gastropub, the dessert menu features two different dishes that ex- plore new flavor profiles not traditionally associated with chocolate.
Chef Daniels describes the Café y Cigaro as “an ‘18 and over’ sandwich of espresso chocolate chip cookie, and tobacco ice cream. The combination was a suggestion of our former pastry chef, and it just worked. The tobacco was an interesting addition to ice cream; the flavor was subtle, but the nicotine made for a great tingle in the back of your throat. It was all about the experience. We have since taken that dessert off of the menu, just to change things up a bit, but I’m sure we’ll use tobacco or something else out- side of the norm in future desserts just for the experi- ence factor. Our guests appreciate being challenged to try new things and odd combinations.”
See Chocolate, Continued on Page 28
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Port Brewing Company “Old Viscosity” Chocolate Cake from Chef de Cuisine Eric Manuel of The Firefly Restaurant at the Dana on Mission Bay, San Diego — recipe on Page 42
Culinary Trends | Mid Winter 2011
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