For one week only, Alain Ducasse at The Dorchesterwill behonouring the famed RHS Chelsea Flower Show, with this inspired dessert. Executive Chef,Jean-Philippe Blondet, along with pastry chef Angelo Ercolano,havecreated an inventivelunch hour menu inspired by the vibrant horticultural displays and showcasing the very best of seasonal ingredients. The ‘Lunch Flower’ menu exclusively available from the24th – 27th Mayat the highly acclaimed three Michelin Star restaurant, can be served in under an hour and is the perfect location to relax and celebrate creativity and design. The decor of the soft andelegant dining room was designed by Patrick Jouin who was inspired by elements of nature from the nearby Hyde Park.
One of the highlights of the menu includes this ode to Spring dessert, named Strawberry field, and it will definitely set your creative juices flowing.
Ingredients
Sweet paste
200g butter
66g icing Sugar
6g salt
53g flour
30g corn Flour
Strawberry jam
200g frozen strawberries
20g glucose syrup
8g caster Sugar
2g pectin NH95
20g lemon juice
White sponge
70g liquid egg whites
50g caster sugar
36g liquid egg yolk
13g liquid whole egg
50g flour
Pistachio mousse
280g milk
30g whipping cream
60g liquid egg yolk
40g caster sugar
7g gelatine leaves
70g pistachio paste
280g whipped cream
Pistachio powder
Strawberry sorbet
200g strawberry puree
16g caster sugar
Cocoa butter colour
14g colour PCB red DC034
7g colour PCB yellow DC033
7g colour PCB black DC181
160g cocoa butter (melted)
Bricks
240g Opalys chocolate
16g colour Red
6g colour Yellow
0.4 colour Black
Chocolate wall filling
100g melted white chocolate
Method
Sweet paste
Mix together the butter, icing sugar and salt in a bowl. Once thoroughly combined add the flour and cornflour and mix into a dough.Roll the dough and flatten it between two sheets of silicon baking paper to get a layer of 2mm in height. Cut into squares of 7cm and then bake at 150°C for 5 min. Turn the tray 180° and bake for a further 5 minutes.
Strawberry jam
In a small pot, slowly bring the strawberries and the glucose to a boil. Then add the caster sugar and pectin and continue to boil for another 2 minutes. Add the lemon juice and bring to a boil for another 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
White sponge
Beat the egg whites until foamy and slowly add the sugar little by little.Beat the egg yolks and liquid whole egg until light in colour, and gently fold into to the whipped egg whites. Sieve the flour and add to the mixture.Spread out the mixture on the Silpad by using a 4mm high frame. Bake at 175°C for 3 minutes then turn the tray 180° and cook for 3 more minutes. Take the tray out of the oven and leave to rest.
Pistachio mousse
Combine the milk and whipping cream in a pot and bring to a light boil. Take the pan off the heat, and when the mixture has cooled to 85°C, add in the liquid egg yolks and caster sugar and continue to cook at 85°C. Add the gelatine leaves and pistachio paste to the mixture and combine well. Take the mixture off the heat.Whip the 280g of cream to medium peaks. When the temperature of the mixture has lowered to 25°C fold in the whipped cream.Spread out the mixture onto a lined tray by using a 2cm high frame. Then freeze and cut into 7cm squares.Dip the squares into pistachio powder and keep in the fridge.
Strawberry sorbet
Mix the Strawberry puree and caster sugar and put in the ice cream maker until firm.
Chocolate wall
In the first bowl, mix the red colour and 80g of melted cocoa butter together well. In the second bowl, mix the yellow colour and 40g of melted cocoa butter. In the third bowl, mix the black colour and 40g of melted cocoa butter. Spread the chocolate on a tray using a 55mm high frame and cut into bricks of 2cm x 1cm. Leave to set and brush with a metallic brush to create the fine lines. On a warm pad, place the individual bricks face-down a piece of silicon paper and leave little spaces between each brick. Make a wall of 4 bricks long and 5 bricks high. Fill the space with the white chocolate to stick and leave to set. For the chocolate rake simplypipe with dark chocolate and for the chocolate pot mould usingmilk chocolate.
To serve
Pipe the strawberry jam on top of the sweet paste and then cover with the square of pistachio mousse. Place the wall behind the cake and stick it to the dish by melting the base a little. Finish the plate with edible flowers and wild strawberries and place the quenelle of sorbet in a separate bowl.
Find more information about Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester |www.alainducasse-dorchester.com
Findmore information about the RHS Chelsea Flower Show |www.rhs.org.uk