In the spirit of collaboration, Remy Martin has partnered with French two-star chef Jean-François Piège to pursue excellence. Eight new food pairings, savory and sweet, have been created, showcasing the aromatic elegance of XO, Club and 1738 Accord Royal. Jean-François Piège and cellar master Baptiste Loiseau work together to taste the dishes and verify the pairings.
For one pairing, Jean-François combined the flavors of Remy Martin XO with his signature dessert, Le Blanc à Manger, subtly evoking sweetness and vanilla.
Le Blanc à Manger
Serves 8
Preparation time: 1hr
Cooking time: 25mins
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons of crème anglaise for each Blanc-Manger
For the caramel circles:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (200g)
1/5 cup glucose (60g)
1 2/3 cups water (40cl)
For the blanc-mangers:
Creamed butter for the circles
5 egg whites
1/2 cup powdered sugar (50g) + a little extra for the circles
Method:
To make caramel rings: Combine powdered sugar, glucose, and water, then heat to make caramel. Pour the mixture onto a silicone mat or parchment paper and cool.
Preheat oven to 180°C.
When the caramel hardens, grind it to a fine powder. Using a small sieve, use a 5 and 6 cm diameter template to sift the powder onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in the oven for a few seconds to melt the caramel into rounds. Remove from oven and reduce temperature to 90°C (200°F).
For the Blanc crib, butter 8 circles 5 to 6 cm in diameter and sprinkle with sugar. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Add sugar. Take a piping bag and run the egg whites down the center of the circle and up the sides, creating a well in the center. Carefully place 1 tablespoon of English cream into this hole, then cover with more egg whites and smooth with a spatula.
Bake for 10 minutes, then remove the pudding from the oven and let it rest for 1 minute before carefully removing it from the circle.
Place a blanc crib on each plate and carefully place the caramel rings on top.