France to fork

Didier Guyon, the topmost liked and experienced chef is a culinary expert, and started his career at the tender age of 12 as a pastry and baker. A French national, with 42 years of experience with various chain hotels and cruises, Didier's first appointment as executive chef came in 2005. After that, the award winning chef showed his magic to many gulf area residents in UAE, Oman, and Kuwait, for a dozen years. His rich experience and passion for food have earned him popularity in France as well.

His weakness for Italian cuisine and passion for international cuisine have made a perfect blend for food critics and enthusiasts. Holiday Inn Dhaka City Centre is very excited to welcome Chef Didier Guyon. 

This Valentine's Day, Chef Didier shares some of his lovely recipes.

HEART SHAPE NOUGAT CAKE

Ingredients

For Biscuit Dacquoise—                                                                          

150gm almond powder

225gm sugar        

For cocoa biscuit—

375gm egg white

480gm sugar

300gm egg yolk

150gm cocoa powder

For Meringue—

300gm egg white

75gm sugar

For mousse nougat—

175gm honey

100gm egg white

15gm sugar

5gm gelatin

25gm cherry

125gm almond slices (tossed brown)

50gm pistachio, chopped

50gm hazelnut, chopped and grilled

300gm whipped cream

For glaze—

300gm cream

400gm white chocolate chips

62.5gm water

37.5gm oil

8gm gelatin

½ tsp pink food colour

Method

Whisk egg white in a bowl, and when it starts to foam, slowly mix in the sugar, and keep whisking until the meringue forms. 

Now add egg yolk and cocoa powder in the meringue and mix gently.

Put the mix on a tray lined with baking paper, and toss in the oven for 15 minutes, at 170° C. Take out and set aside.  

For the mousse, put honey in a pan and cook at 130° C (use a thermometer).

Whisk egg white with sugar till the meringue becomes strong and add honey on the same temperature, whisk till cold.

Put gelatin in cold water, melted in microwave, and then spread over the meringue, then add whipping cream and then the dry fruits.

When the cream is ready take the ring with the biscuit, and put a layer of cream on top, out another layer of biscuit and finish with a layer of mousse. Keep in the freezer.

For the glaze, place white chocolate chips and cream in a saucepan on 90° C. Allow white chocolate chips to melt in the cream, stirring regularly. Remove the saucepan from the heat and mix until glaze is smooth. Add a pinch of the pink food colour for a light shade.  

Take the mousse cake out from the freezer, and evenly spread the glaze on it, and keep in the refrigerator for a while, to set. Enjoy!

SMOKED SALMON BRUSCHETTA

Ingredients

150gm brown Bread

227gm salmon, smoked and sliced

100gm cream cheese

50gm sour cream

1 bunch fresh chives, chopped fine (save half to mix into cream cheese and sour cream)

1 ripe avocado

1 clove garlic, halved

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

flaky sea salt, for sprinkling

Lemons 

Method

Scoop half the avocado out into a shallow bowl, and use a fork to make a chunky mash. Season with salt and pepper.

Toast the bread slices. Lightly rub bread slices with the garlic cloves, and brush with some olive oil.

Divide and spread the mashed avocado evenly on the toasts. Lay a piece of smoked salmon flower over the avocado.

Top with a sprinkle of a pinch of flaky sea salt, a few grinds of pepper and some chive. Serve with lemon wedges on the side

STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE

Ingredients

For digestive pastry—

400gm digestive biscuits

75gm cocoa butter/normal butter

For cheesecake batter—

500gm Philadelphia cream cheese

400gm yoghurt

400gm liquid cream

160gm sugar

25gm lemon juice

16gm gelatin

For strawberry jelly—

250gm strawberry puree

25gm sugar

10gm gelatin

Method

Crush the biscuits, mix with the butter and spread in a baking frame.

Beat cream cheese with the yoghurt and sugar, and stir in cream at room temperature.

Soak the gelatin in cold water, and when it softens, put it in the microwave and let it melt. Heat strawberry puree with the sugar and mix it with soaked gelatin.

To assemble, pour the cheesecake mix on the prepared base and allow to set in the freezer for 1 hour. Spread strawberry jelly on top of the cake and allow to set for 30 minutes.

OREO MOUSSE CAKE

Ingredients

250gm sugar

250gm cream cheese

60gm Labneh

1L + 375gm whip cream

250gm Oreos

300gm milk chocolate

30gm gelatin

For cocoa biscuit—

375gm egg white

480gm sugar

300gm egg yolk

150gm cocoa powder

For the glaze—

300gm cream

400gm white chocolate chips

62.5gm water

37.5gm oil

8gm gelatin

Method

Whisk egg white with sugar till the meringue becomes strong, add egg yolk and cocoa powder in the meringue and mix gently.

Put the mix on a baking paper lined tray and bake at 170° C for around 15 minutes. Take out and keep aside.

For the mousse cake, mix 375 gm cream cheese and hot cream (at 80° C), and then add labneh and gelatin.

Separately whisk cream and sugar and add to the first preparation.

Place cream in a saucepan, on 90° C heat, and put white chocolate chips in it. Allow white chocolate chips to melt in the cream, stirring regularly. Mix until glaze is smooth. Add color and keep that in the refrigerator.

To assemble, break the Oreo biscuit coating with milk chocolate and pour into the preparation. Take a baking cake dice with chocolate sponge cake on the bottom, and put the mixed Oreo mousse on top. Keep in the freezer to set and finish with glaze on top. Spread on the mousse cake that was kept in the freezer and enjoy!

TRIANON CAKE

Ingredients

Cocoa biscuit—

375gm egg white

480gm sugar

300gm egg yolk

150gm cocoa powder

For mousse chocolate—

(Pâte à bombe-mousse)

80gm water

225gm sugar

325gm

500gm chocolate (good quality) 

112gm butter, melted

550gm cream

For chocolate glaze—

200gm cream

300gm sugar

400gm chocolate chips

62.5gm water

37.5gm oil

Method

Whisk egg white with sugar till the meringue becomes strong, then add egg yolk and cocoa powder and mix gently.

Pour the mix on a baking paper lined tray and bake in the oven at 170° C for around 15 minutes. Take out and keep aside.

For the mousse, take water in a pan and melt sugar in it in 123° C. Mix egg yolk with it and whisk until cold. Melt chocolate with butter, and pour into the mix, and then add cream. Mix until smooth

To assemble, take a baking dice, and according to its shape, cut out 2 slabs of biscuit that was made earlier. Put one biscuit slab at the bottom, and gently pour chocolate mousse, and put the second biscuit slab on top of it. Keep in the freezer to set.

To make the glaze, place cream in a saucepan on 90°  Cheat and put chocolate chip and sugar in it. Allow chocolate chips to melt with the cream, stirring regularly. Mix until glaze is smooth with a little oil for better consistency, and keep in the refrigerator.

Spread on the mousse cake that was kept in the freezer and let set.

For final decoration,take out the cake from freezer and put the mirror glaze on top. When the glaze is set, you can decorate the cake as you want, with dry fruit or with icing.

Recipe: Chef Didier Guyon

Photo courtesy: Holiday Inn Dhaka City Centre