| July 31, 2010 05:16 AM | ||||||
| JULY 2006 | ||||||
GRAND MARNIER MOST INNOVATIVE DESSERT |
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Deborah Racicot About Deborah Racicot While attending Gordon College, Racicot took a job as a waitress. She quickly learned that front of the house positions did not satisfy her—she preferred the excitement of the kitchen. Racicot began to read cookbooks, food magazines, and explore all types of restaurants to acquire more knowledge about the restaurant industry. She taught herself the art of recognizing distinct ingredients and flavors. She also realized that many chefs methodically constructed their main courses to near perfection, but the desserts seemed to fall short of a "grand finale." The restaurant she worked at was no exception. Taking the initiative, Deborah created a few desserts, which were then permanently added to the menu. This experience would prove that Racicot had more than just a knack for the culinary industry. |
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Racicot's advent into the world of sweets came when a manager at Seattle's Italia approached her after tasting a dacquoise cake she had made for a friend's birthday party. What was meant as a simple gift became the tool that landed Racicot as their head pastry chef. This "incident" became a clear sign that desserts were to be her new focus. After a year, Racicot moved to New York, seeing it as the place she could truly make her mark. She started as a floor manager at Savoy in Manhattan, volunteering her free time in their pastry department often working 13 to 15 hour shifts. With no formal training, Racicot's culinary education came under the guise of some of New York's most noteworthy chefs. From lessons in flavor by Claudia Fleming at Gramercy Tavern to constructing spectacular presentations under Richard Leach at La Cote Basque, each experience gave her the skills that would set her apart in the intensely competitive kitchens of New York City. Word soon got out about Racicot's exceptional skill. Marcus Samuelsson of Aquavit turned over his pastry department to her and it wasn't long after that Terrence Brennan requested she join Picholine. This three-star outpost allowed her to pursue her ongoing quest of "finding the perfect combination of flavor and art" in her desserts. Working as executive pastry chef at Picholine and as a consultant at Artisinal, Racicot invented desserts that reflected her New England upbringing. Her signature apple cider beignets are derived from a recipe that her mother prepared on cold Vermont mornings. After four years at Picholine, Racicot decided to put her strong management skills and creative talent to use as head pastry chef at Gotham Bar and Grill. "Leaving Picholine and long time friend Terrence Brennan wasn't easy, however, I see an opportunity to grow and learn with every change I make. Working with Alfred Portale is no exception." Racicot's main focus at Gotham is to consistently create new additions to the dessert menu, taking out old classics while discovering new ones. "Desserts go in and out of style, kind of like fashion. I watch for these changes. I want my pastries to be the flawless ending to an impeccable meal."
RECIPE Carrot Hazelnut Cake
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease a 10 by 10-inch square pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Finely grate carrots on a finest side of a box grater. Grate apples more coarsely using a larger side. Toast hazelnuts and chop finely by hand or using a food processor. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix sugar, oil, and eggs for 3 to 5 minutes until creamy. Sift together dry ingredients and add to the egg mixture. Fold in nuts, grated carrot, and apple by hand. Pour the mixture into the pan and bake for approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour. Cool completely, then unmold and wrap in plastic wrap. Freeze cake, inverted, for at least 4 hours or overnight. Carrot Mousse
In a small saucepan bring carrot juice, sugar, lime, and salt to a simmer and add gelatin sheets. Stir to dissolve. Let the mixture cool completely. Whip cream to soft peaks and gently fold into the cooled carrot mixture. Chill until thickened just slightly. Cream Cheese Mousse
In the bowl of a stand mixer, paddle cream cheese and confectioners' sugar until completely smooth. (Warming the cream cheese slightly helps it to cream more nicely.) Set the mixture aside. Place sugar in a small saucepan and add enough water until the mixture reaches the consistency of wet sand. Cover the pot until the sugar dissolves, then allow it to cook, uncovered, until it reaches 121 °C. While sugar cooks, place egg yolks in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip until thick and ribbony. On low speed, slowly pour sugar into the yolks. Increase the speed to medium and continue mixing until yolks are thick and have cooled to room temperature. In a separate bowl, combine heavy cream and vanilla extract and whip to soft peaks. Gently fold cream cheese mixture into the yolk mixture. Then, fold in heavy cream to combine. Chill until thickened just slightly. To Finish the Cake Remove cake from the freezer and cut into 1 1/4-inch thick slices using a ruler as a guide. Cut these strips into 4-inch long pieces, trimming the edges to form a neat rectangle. Using a 3/4-inch round cutter, cut three circles from the center of the cake. Lay the pieces flat on a parchment paper lined sheet pan and freeze for at least one hour. Make sure both of mousses have chilled long enough to thicken just slightly or they will be too runny. Using a pastry bag with a very small hole, slowly pipe carrot mousse into the two holes nearest to the edges of the cake. Pipe cream cheese mousse into the center hole. Let the cake set up in the freezer for about 1 hour. Milk Chocolate Feuilletine
Microwave chocolate for about 1 minute until melted. Microwave cocoa butter for 1 to 2 minutes until melted. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine chocolate, cocoa butter, and hazelnut paste until well mixed. Add feuilletine and mix to combine. Spread the mixture onto a very flat sheet pan lined with parchment paper and place it in the refrigerator until set, about 5 to 10 minutes. Use a ruler to cut 1 1/2 by 4-inch long pieces, equal to the dimensions of the sliced cake. Hazelnut Ice Cream
In a saucepan, combine cream, milk, hazelnuts, and half (100 grams) of the sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil then blend with a hand mixer to break up the hazelnuts. Steep for 10 minutes. Place the hazelnut paste in a bain marie placed over an ice bath. Reheat the milk mixture. Whisk egg yolks and remaining sugar together in a bowl. Continue to whisk while tempering the eggs with the hot liquid. Return to the pan and cook until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Transfer mixture to an ice bath and stir occasionally until the mixture has cooled. Strain though a fine sieve and process in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer's instructions. Carrot Sauce
Combine juices and honey in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. In a bowl thoroughly combine sugar and pectin. Slowly pour into juices while whisking constantly. Cook over low heat for 3 minutes or until the mixture thickens. Cool completely then strain. Green Apple Sauce
Bring puree to a simmer. Combine sugar and Vitpris together and slowly whisk into the puree. Allow mixture to simmer for 3 minutes or until thickened. Strain through a fine sieve and cool over an ice bath. To Serve
Place a sheet of milk chocolate feuilletine onto a plate and top with a piece of defrosted cake. Place a small scoop of hazelnut ice cream into a bowl of feuilletine and roll around until evenly coated. Place the feuilletine-covered ice cream on top of the cake. Decorate plate with carrot and green apple sauces. |
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