CNIEL, the French Dairy Interbranch Organization, and the European Union have together embarked on a 3 year global campaign to raise awareness of French dairy cream.The campaign is taking place in 9 different countries of Asia and Middle East: China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Throughout the year different actions addressed to pastry professionals are organized, such as master classes with reputed pastry Chef or training in cooking schools. As part of the campaign, La Crème de la Crèmerecipe book is developed each year and distributed in the 9 countries. This pastry manual is usually developed in collaboration with famous French pastry chefs, but this year we’ve decided to pay a tribute to our Chefs ambassadors in each country of the campaign and to feature their personal recipe of a famous French dessert: the Saint-Honoré. Let’s discover how and why European cream makes such a difference when it comes to pastry, and learn more about the iconic Saint-Honoré & our guests Chefs: Mona Mosly & Honorine Reach.
The culinary success of cream is due to the multiple roles it plays in improving taste, texture, binding and even presentation.Its silky, creamy, smooth and shiny texture is why the term “creamy” is so widely used by tasters to describe the smoothness of a product.Cream enhances aromas and reveals flavours without dominating, and respects the subtlety of food. By mixing hot or cold cream with another ingredient, it will either thicken or soften the consistency of that ingredient while giving off a tangy note. It also binds and stabilizes hot preparations: it will soften stuffing and egg dishes, making them more cohesive.Other advantages of cream: it reduces the bitterness of cocoa, the acidity of lemon, and tempers the pungency of certain fruit and the astringency of others. It improves the fondant used on pastries and turns fruit into mousse. Finally, its willingness to be worked results in a voluptuous cloud when whipped.Gourmet and delicious, rich cream brings roundness and power that intensifies recipes. It coats the mouth and gives a lasting quality to pastries that no other raw material can. The taste of cream is not the only attribute to celebrate: it also provides a rich, smooth sensation.Because cream has its place in the finest kitchens around the world, its use has adapted to the needs, practices and new expectations of chefs: progress in the diversification of creams has allowed for greater control when cooking and the packaging has allowed it to be sold on store shelves (instead of refrigerators), providing greater freedom of use and storage. All of this combines to make cream an essential ingredient in any sophisticated pastry!
Beyond the aesthetic effect and the textures, cream refines, lightens, brings a smoothness, and a roundness to pastries. Last, but not least cream fixes and distributes flavours. Being very pliable, you can add vanilla or soak mint in it, and you will end up with a completely different cream. Cream has the ability to bring different tastes and flavours to the forefront. Coloured, flavoured or mixed , using cream is becoming a subtle exercise in pastry creation. Today, the process of infusion makes each cream unique, both in its creation and the way in which it’s used. By inserting different flavours into their pastry, through various concentrations and refining methods, French chefs are able to create truly unique signature tastes. Classical cream flavourings would be vanilla, coffee or fruits with some chefs using fruit purées or juices to perfume their cream. Herbs are a new trend in flavouring : verbena, mint, tarragon, basil, rosemary, coriander, tea, whether fresh or dried, are an aromatic delight in cream. They meld perfectly with the cream and allow the herbs to uplift the cream. The herbarium has no single rule: some plants must be infused cold, others hot.
The cake topped with choux pastry and cream is called Saint-Honoréin homage to the patron of French bakers. The famous Parisian pastry maker Chiboustinvented it in the mid-18th century. Originally, it was conceived as an oversized brioche stuffed with pastry cream. In time, a shortcrustpastry replaced the brioche and pastry cream succeeded to Chiboustcream. The choux pastry balls topped it all off. Ask a pastry chef today what is his favouritecake with cream is and two out of three will answer the St Honoré. As no recipe was recorded, each chef had his own way of preparing this cake, which has now gone on to become a classic of French pastry making. For the base, contemporary professionals use anything from puff pastry, shortcrustpastry, pâtesabléeto choux pastry. Even though the choux are universally present, their fillings can be somewhat unique. Some advocate pastry cream whereas others opt for a Chiboustcream (pastry cream and meringue). The contemporary approach is to go for a custard (milk, egg yolks and cream), which is often flavoured.Finally, no one hesitates to add an aesthetic garnish to make this a feast for the eyes. This can be done by adding fruit, fruit compote, candied fruit or caramel.By contrast, all agree that this refined dessert should be topped with a luxurious Chantilly cream. The current practice is for this cream to be infused. Sometimes with herbs, sometimes with pistachio, vanilla, or other spices, chocolate, honey, orange blossom, etc.Thus, the Saint-Honorécontinues. It’s a modern as well as a traditional dessert. A cake for all seasons and for all servings, whether individually or collectively. Good for any occasion –even an impromptu party -it is a classic that will never go out of fashion…
Chef Mona Mosly ExecutifChef & Top Chef Show Juror Saudi Chef Mona Mosly, 27, is born from a Syrian mother, which made her first learn a lot about Lebanese and Syrian cuisines before beginning her career in the culinary sector when she joined an etiquette boarding school in Switzerland. She attended the famous culinary school Le Cordon Bleu in London, landed an internship in Paris with the Plaza Athénéehotel and later introduced Parisians to authentic Arabic cuisine.She came back to Jeddah with her Swiss diploma and a deep-rooted conviction that she wanted to pursue her passion in cooking despite the struggle for a woman to be recognized as a Chef in her country. Mona is one of the first Saudi chefs who burst into the Kingdom’s culinary scene. Not only is she the youngest and one of the first official female chefs in the country but she is now also judge on Top Chef TV reality show.@monamosly
Chef HonorineReach Complex Pastry ChefSt Regis Dubai, W Dubai & The Westin Dubai Al HabtoorCity Chef HonorineReach, 28, was born in the French region of Drome. As the youngest daughter of the family she wasn’t predestined to become a pastry Chef and did 2 years of medical studies before deciding to redirect her career. In 2008 she has integrated Grenoble Hotel School and discovered her real passion : pastry. From then she worked in prestigious hotels and restaurants in France as well as MaisonLadurée.In 2014 she arrived in Dubai and worked on the opening of the second Laduréeboutique , before joining Starwood group in their 3 hotels complex project’ in 2015. A huge challenge that did not intimidate Honorine who is now Complex Pastry Chef, supervising the operations for all the outlets of the 3 hotels and dealing daily with a team of 46 people.
