Cordon Bleu Life

Génoise Confiture

Gather:

Chemisage

1 oz. Flour

1 oz. Butter

Biscuit Génoise

3/4 oz. butter

5 oz. Flour, sifted (tamiser)

(4) Eggs

(2) Egg yolks

5 oz. Sugar, granulated

Glace Royale

Powered sugar, sifted (tamiser)

(1) Egg white

Juice of (1) Lemon

Montage

Almonds, blanched, sliced, toasted

Raspberry jam, with seeds

Simple Syrup

5 oz. Sugar

5 fl. oz. Water

Prepare:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C).

2. Butter an 8 in. (20 cm) cake pan/mold (moule à manqué) and place it in the freezer for 5 minutes to set the butter. Butter the mold a second time and coat it in flour (chemiser). Tap off any excess flour and reserve the mold in the refrigerator.

Génoise

1. To obtainthe correct amount of biscuit génoise use the ingredients list in this recipe following the method on pages 403 – 404 in Cuisine Foundations.

Simple Syrup

1. Combine the sugar and water in a small pan. Bring to a boil and cook until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

Glace Royale

1. Sift (tamiser) the powdered sugar into a large mixing bowl and make a well in the center. Whisk the egg white and lemon juice in a small mixing bowl until frothy. Pour the mixture into the well with the powdered sugar. Whisk all of the ingredients until they form a smooth consistency. Cover the bowl with a moist cloth and reserve until needed.

Montage

1. Spread the sliced almonds out onto a baking sheet and bake them until they are lightly golden (5 to 10 minutes). Set aside.

2. Cut a cake board into an 8-inch circle and spread a small spoonful of raspberry jam in the center to hold the génoise in place.

3. Turn the cake over so the domed side is on top and trim it flat with a serrated knife. Turn the cake over onto the cake board. Score the cake around the side with a bread knife, marking a guide line that indicates 2 even layers. Following the guidelines, slice around the cake, slowly cutting deeper, until there are 2 even layers. Lift the top half and set aside. Using a pastry brush, wet the entire surface of the bottom layer with syrup to imbibe it (puncher). Place a large spoonful of raspberry jam on the bottom layer of cake and spread it out to the edges using a metal spatula. Place a second layer on top and press it down lightly. Smooth away any overflows of jam with a metal spatula. Score the top of the cake with the tip of a small knife and imbibe it (puncher) with syrup.

4. Place the cake on a wire rack set over a baking sheet.

5. Heat the jam in a medium saucepan over medium heat until it has the consistency of a thick syrup. Meanwhile, spoon some glace royale into a paper cone (cornet) and snip off the end. Pour the jam onto the cake to coat it and immediately pipe a spiral of glace royale from the center to the edge of the cake. Drag a toothpick from the center outward every 45º around the cake (forming 4 evenly spaced spokes). Drag the icing in the opposite direction between each spoke to form a web pattern.

6. Press the toasted almond slices to the sides of the cake to cover them.

7. Let the cake rest for 10 minutes in the refrigerator to set the raspberry jam.

Poaching halibut in a saffron-infused stock creates a vibrant dish that is delicately infused. This light dish is completed with the contrasting texture of baby vegetables and the zing of the aioli sauce.

  GATHER

4 x 120 g halibut fillets

1 pinch saffron threads

Aïoli*

Baby vegetables

300 ml fish stock

salt

8 baby turnips, peeled

8 pearl onions, peeled

8 baby carrots, peeled

8 asparagus tips, sliced lengthways if large

50 g fresh shelled green peas

5 g butter

white pepper

chervil leaves

  PREPARE

Trim the halibut fillets and remove skin. Refrigerate.

*Make Aïoli

In a pan, bring the lightly salted fish stock to a boil, and cook the turnips until tender when pierced with a knife, about 15 minutes.

Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Repeat with pearl onions and baby carrots. Reserve the fish stock.

Bring a pan of salted water to a boil, and cook the asparagus tips, 1 to 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer into iced water, drain and set aside with the other vegetables.

Add the peas to the asparagus cooking water and cook for about 5 minutes; drain and add to the cooked vegetables.

Add the saffron to the reserved fish stock, bring to a simmer. Gently lower in the halibut fillets and poach until cooked, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove the fish.

Heat a pan with two spoonfuls of water and the butter. Add the vegetables to reheat. Season.

  SERVE