Le mystère du Mont-Blanc....

This article is part of "The Chestnut Series":
http://lafleuraucacao.blogspot.com/2009/10/autumn-ingredient-for-chilling.html

Sweet and savoury bites with chestnuts should be anything but foreign to those who spent their childhood in Asia. Their passion for these sweet succulent fruits has reached the obsession level, yet never plateaued at their creative constructions with this jewel. From savoury soups within the Chinese medicinal culinary bible, to the velvety luscious sweet version, from the sweet roasted chestnuts with their mesmerising scent escaping through the cracked shells, to a piece of pastry where the crispy meringue, smooth puréed chestnuts and Crème Chantilly melt into a harmonious sensation, it is hardly a challenge to discover one invention that suits your palette.


Remembering my dislike in Mont-Blanc as a child is a thought that is as ancient as it foreign. My debut to this pâtisserie was with a cake slice that was assembled with two dominating sponge layers adhered with whipped cream and layers of puréed chestnuts that were minuscule in volume. It took an adventure in Paris, a Pâtisserie across from Musée Du Louvre, Angelina, to win my heart over this time-honoured French Dessert (there is almost nothing as poetic as devouring this treat on a wooden bench within the Jardin des Tuileries!).



A Mont Blanc (Italian Montebianco) is a cake or tart made of puréed chestnuts and whipped cream, often on a meringue base, and gets its name from the Mont Blanc mountains. Often sugar or cream will decorate the top of a Monte Blanc to resemble snow-capped mountains. It is a popular dessert in Hungary. In Hungary it is known as "gesztenyepüré" (literally chestnut puree).

This dessert dates back to 1475 in an Italian cook book from 1475, and was often served in the home of Cesare and Lucrezia Borgia. It became popular in France in the 17th century. Some sources claim that the cake was either invented at the Angelina cafe in France or in the Jiyūgaoka district of Tokyo.



Originally Mont Blancs were yellow, by using chestnuts sweetened through a pickling process. However, it has become increasingly more common to find light, or even dark brown Mont Blanc, utilizing the true colour of the chestnut.

The modernisation of Mont-Blanc has incorporated the use of Autumn pickings from the garden, such as pumpkin, squash, and purple yam in place of chestnut. Though I am often fond of fusion ideas, chestnuts can never be replaced in a true Mont-Blanc!

It has been an adventure to be on a quest to discover nouvelle patisseries that feature the Mont-Blanc, and here is one of my favourites, from Le Tao patisserie in Otaru, Hokkaido, Japan. Please do share with me of your own favourites!



....traditional meringue base, with whipped cream that was lighter than Crème Chantilly, and chestnut puree that was made with Japan origin Marrons. The fragrant of this fruit was lingering on your taste buds after every bite. Délicieux~!

Recipe: Chestnut Ice Cream....the collusion of the warm against the cold

This article is part of the Chestnut Series!
http://lafleuraucacao.blogspot.com/2009/10/autumn-ingredient-for-chilling.html

An inspiration from my visit to Hokkaido....


Sometimes the senses from the ice cream trickling down your throat that much more exciting while walking against the chilling wind....


Chestnut Ice Cream

Makes 2 quarts

1 quart milk
7/8 cup heavy cream
10 egg yolk
1 1/4 cup sugar
8 ounces chestnut puree
1 ounce rum
10 sweet roasted chestnuts or Marron glacé - chopped into bite size


1. In a saucepan, bring the milk to a boil. Add the cream. Bring to boil again. (Do not cook after the liquid has reached the boil.

2. In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until the mixture is a very pale lemon yellow, and a ribbon forms when the whisk is lifted from the mixture.

3. Pour the hot milk and cream into the eggs, and mix thoroughly. Add chestnut puree and rum.

4. Return the mixture to the saucepan. Over low heat, stir it with a wooden spoon until it thickens slightly and coats the spoon - about 5 minutes. DO NOT BOIL. (To be certain the mixture is ready: With a finger draw a thin path through the mixture on the surface of the spoon; the mixture is ready when the path will not close up.)

5. Pass through a fine sieve. Refrigerate until cold, then churn with ice cream maker.

6. Stir in the chopped chestnuts when ice cream has completed churning.

Bon Appetit!

Sometimes it takes a desperate situation for the invention of a gourmet's adventure....

Stumbling upon my friend's travel blog has invoked fonded memories of strolling along Hokkaido's food markets.


A place that is well known for the exquisite sea urchin (uni or うに-雲丹), the monstrous giant red king crab (tarapa kani or 鱈場蟹), the creamy and luscious sea scallops (hotate gai or ホタテ貝), and various fruits with scents and tastes that have been engineered by the Heavens, it is this cured fish that topped the list of inspirations for this culinary adventure, the "Overnight Cured Flower Crucian Carp" originated from Japan's Chiba Prefecture (日本千葉縣一夜干の花鯽魚).


Prior WWII, the Flower Crucian Carp (花鯽魚) was considered as the "poor men's fish", due to its quick spoilage nature. As natural resources became scarce as the war began, this carp was distributed in the northern regions as dietary protein. A restaurateur of an Izakaya chain in Hokkaido took this as an opportunity to explore the use of this fatty fish, from preservation to recipes execution, created a dish that, not finding it on a Izakaya menu in Japan would be a challenge!

The preservation procedure is rather unique but simple. Unlike most cured fish, it takes only one night to dry. The fish is first cleaned and gutted, then soaked in salted water. The salted fish is then hung to air-dry overnight to remove excess water, and therefore concentrate the rich oil and flavour within the fish. The cured fish is either sold in the wet market, or vacuum-packed for distribution within Japan.





Due to its richness in fat this cured treat is often prepared by passing over a charcoal grill. With such a simple treatment comes with an unexpected delight in all senses, that words can hardly make justice. This dish shared the freshness of the uncured cousin. The slightly firmer but extremely moist texture of its flesh balances well with the crispy charred yet slightly gelatinous skin. But I believe it is the aroma from the carbonisation of fish oil that solidified this culinary experience.



It takes a desperate situation for the invention of scientific preservation, but it takes an artist to transform an underprivileged ingredient into a dish that would satisfy a gourmet!

Reflection: Our repertoire of food and ingredients....

It is never a difficult task to begin a microscopic analysis on recent conversations with friends while you are ill in bed =P

This conversation began on pictures of the spiny crustaceans I sampled during my trip to Hokkaido, Japan....

The topic: our willingness to expand of our repertoire of food and ingredients

The panel of speakers: 2 Asian foodie vs 2 American foodies

The verdict....wouldn't be that difficult to guess....

As a person whom is privileged to grow up in a place with a history can be shared through its cuisines, a culture embraces an eating philosophy that all moving creatures with their backs facing the Sun can be consumed, and a culinary belief where the distinction of textures between the various cuts within a slab of beef brisket should be cherished; it was difficult at first for me to understand how one would deliberately restrict their knowledge in ingredients....ie shrimps only come headless and edible chicken parts only consist of muscles. My fascination on foreign and odd looking bites, could be one's nightmare.


As I began unfolding my "fresh" sashimi experience, me peeling the flesh of a Pudan Shrimp (ボタン海老 - 牡丹虾) off its skeleton when it was still very much alive, my friend from the other side of the panel simply looked horrified.

As I began to dissect this conversation, I came to realise, culinary experience for some of us including myself, is something that we thrive to gain. There is nothing more thrilling than seeing the unfamiliar and the strange. It is almost like an addiction, an sensory experience that would give us cognitive pleasure.

However, if this sensory exposure or imagination of a foreign food could yield an experience so alarming and fearful, the gustation of flavour would simply be overwhelmed and most likely be affected in a negative aspect. If that is the case, why are we still criticising those for not being adventurous in culinary experience?

I too do have intense struggles when faced with certain types of food. My most recent experience would have to be the Pork Lung Soup I savoured during my trip to Hong Kong. Organ meats are definitely a challenge for me, but as Mr. Choi Lan (蔡瀾先生 - a famous food critic in Asia, and someone I very much admire) said, you must let down your mental guards when it comes to food; you have to taste it and taste it again before you presume your likings, and then you will be able to open yourself to all that this world has to offer.

And my verdict on the soup? It was honestly the most unimaginable experience. The flavour was delicate yet complex. The 5 tastes were perfectly balanced, and the combination of pork and Chinese almonds brought out the natural umami from all the ingredients. The lung pieces themselves matched very closely with sweetbreads in its texture, minus the intensity of game flavour. Délicieux!

What's your insight on this? I will leave here another picture of a dish I often dream of....

A little taste of Hokkaido - Nouvelle Pâtisserie Japonaise Kitakaro 北菓楼

Nouvelle Pâtisserie Japonaise Kitakaro 北菓楼

One of the notable pâtisseries from my southern Hokkaido trip....and being situated in Otaru 小樽, the history and hospitality of the location only made Kitakaro that much more memorable. This gem hides within a gray stone complex, and if it wasn't for the honey floral aroma that disbursed from within, I would have mistaken it for a historical Japanese bathhouse, grand but eccentric....


As I walk inside the tunnel that spanned the broad walls, the welcoming lights emerged into sight, followed by elegant displays of their signature sweets. The aroma intensified....unique combination of fragrance from honey, eggs and flour could only be the results of on-premise baking! With a few broken Japanese phrases, and a little squeezing through the immense crowd waiting to exchange their gold for the delectable, I have arrived to the kitchen for the demonstration of their most priced item - Baumkuchen 妖精の森, which translates to "The Fairy Forest"....the tree-ring pattern of the cake represents the forest, whereas the golden sheen on the cake, the inviting aroma, and the exquisite flavour of this signature piece could certainly live up to the enchanted beauty of fairies.

With just one tasting, I was sold....the delicate flavour of maple and honey balanced well with the sweetness and buttery richness of the cake. It was moist yet light in texture....delightful with a cup of Earl Grey and lemon *will speak more about my devotion to Earl Grey as an ingredient later....

The Japanese are known to have intricate inspirations for their machinery designs....and they have done it again....a special oven just to achieve the perfection of 妖精の森....words alone wouldn't do justice here....heh....please check out the video featuring the making~!