Great Chef Series: Philippe Chevrier’s Recipe for Mixed Berry Crisp

Published by Jonell Galloway + Friday, February 4, 2011 Permalink 0

by Jonell Galloway, recipe translated and adapted with authorization of Domaine de Châteauvieux

Michelin star chef Philippe Chevrier’s recipe for mixed-berry crisp with nougat and caramelized pecan ice cream

Philippe Chevrier is head chef and owner of Domaine de Châteauvieux in Satigny, right in the middle of the vineyards just outside Geneva. His restaurant has two Michelin stars and a 19/20 rating in the GaultMillau restaurant guide. Geneva gourmets have had a soft spot for him for a long time now and his restaurant is the institution of fine dining in this city.

Chevrier posts a recipe a month on his site, and this is an adaptation of this month’s. Admittedly, it is a recipe for experienced cooks and people who really like to bake or who have a real sweet tooth. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be motivated enough to get through all the steps.

Prepare well ahead by carefully reading through the recipe and checking that you have all the ingredients. You might also want to make the nougat paste (needed for the ice cream), tuile cookies, ice cream and caramelized pecans the day before. Please note that you need an electric ice cream maker. Always make the coulis right before serving.

If you’re really well organized, set aside a block of a few hours to complete it. In any case, this recipe is for real dessert enthusiasts and semi-professionals, so follow the instructions carefully.

For cooking equipment you might not own, I’ve pointed to links that will help you improvise. Bon appétit!

Ingredients

Serves 8 people

Tuile cookies

100 grams / 8 T. / 3.5 oz. butter, soft

265 grams / 18 T. / 1 1/10 cup icing (powdered) sugar

80 grams / 5 1/2 T. flour

100 grams / 6 2/3 T. / 4/10 cup milk

135 grams / 1 cup + 1 heaping T. honey

Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F / French mark 5.

Beat butter and icing sugar together until it forms a smooth white paste.

Add flour, milk and honey.

Beat until smooth.

Use a rubber spatula to spread this mixture out onto a Silplat or other type silicon baking mat, pastry board or marble surface. Use rolling pin to roll dough until it forms a thin, even square.

If you’ve put your silicon baking mat directly onto the baking tin, you can put it directly into the oven. Otherwise, carefully slide dough onto baking tin.

Bake for 4 to 5 minutes. Immediately on removing from oven, carefully cut pastry into 10 x 15 cm (4 to 6 in.) rectangles. Roll into a 4 to 5 cm (1.5 to 2 inch) tube.

Set aside to cool.

Caramelized pecans

200 grams / 7 oz. pecans

100 grams / 6 1/2 T. or 3.5 oz. cane sugar

30 grams / 2 T. water

10 grams / 0.35 oz. butter

Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F / French mark 5.

Grill pecans in oven until slightly browned.

Cook sugar and water in a saucepan at 115°C / 230° F (use a thermometer), stirring all the time with a wooden spoon, until it forms a syrup.

Remove mixture from burner and add pecans. Mix carefully until the sugar mixture starts to crystallize around the pecans.

Put saucepan back on low heat, mixing carefully but all the time, until the sugar caramelizes. Remove from heat.

Add butter. Stir carefully until pecans are evenly coated with butter.

Spread caramelized pecans on a baking sheet. Cool.

Chop caramelized pecans into large chunks.

Set aside.

Nougat ice cream

7.5 dl / 1.6 pints / 3 1/5 cups full fat milk
100 grams / 3.5 oz. nougat paste

2.5 dl / 1 cup 35% fat cream
12 egg yolks
240 grams / 1 cup cane sugar

Mix milk, cream and nougat paste. Bring to a boil over medium heat.

Remove from heat.

Put sugar and egg yolks into a large saucepan. Beat until whitish.

Cook over medium low heat at 85°C / 185°F (use a thermometer), stirring continuously with a wooden spoon until is thick enough to form a film over the spoon when you lift it out of the mixture. Run through a Chinois or fine sieve.

Prepare in an electric ice cream maker.