I received an Alain Ducasse dessert cookbook from my husband many years ago. I consider myself an able baker, but to tell the truth, I think there were two recipes from a book of about two hundred recipes that I could attempt, but oh my what amazingly lovely desserts they were. I always said that I must learn to make more of his desserts as they are so richly rewarding when you figure them out. So here I am, I am going to try to make several of Alain’s recipes and on the way hopefully break them down into much more accessible recipes while not losing the awesomeness of Ducasse.
Alain Ducasse was born in France, he is one of the most accomplished chefs ever, with many of his restaurants holding 3 Michelin stars (the top-ranking award for a restaurant). He has produced many books, but the one I’m going to break down is Grand Livre de Cuisine – desserts and pastries. The book reads like a book aimed at a pastry chef attending a top-rated pastry school and with 10 years of experience under his belt. The book asks you to make things like trimoline, 30° Baumé syrup and uses ingredients like paillete feuiletine, ivory couverture, stabilizer and pastry cream. In one recipe I am going to tackle he uses 5 different types of coffee! His desserts are so complex and have so many different elements that they have construction diagrams.
I will be simplifying these recipes; substituting ingredients where the quality of the end result will still be high. Taking out the need for equipment a regular household kitchen wouldn’t have and generally making these recipes, recipes most people could make on a weekend afternoon. If you take this journey with me, we will learn and dessert repertoire some delicious elements that are both simple and delicious such as almond nougatine, Chantilly cream and praline crunch to name a few.
Wish me luck.