CHEF’S BITES
Gerard’s
Tarte Tropezienne Treat your loved ones to a famous Saint Tropez dessert. Nicola Monteath learns to create this delectable recipe with Gerard Raymond of Gerard Cafe Dubai Tarte Tropezienne MAKES 1 "2)/#(% 0!3429 500g all purpose flour 1 tsp salt 75g sugar 25g powdered milk 25g fresh yeast 125g softened butter 125ml water 4-5 eggs stone sugar flaked almonds icing sugar for dusting CREAM sugar syrup custard cream whipping cream (without sugar)
1 Mix flour, salt, sugar, powdered milk, fresh yeast and butter. Slowly add water and three beaten eggs into a food processor (with a pastry hook) for 15 to 20 minutes until soft and elastic. Let the dough rest for an hour in a bowl and cover with a napkin, to allow dough to rise. 2 Flour a hard surface before cutting the dough in half and shape into balls. Let it sit for 15 minutes. Freeze one of the halves to make another brioche. 3 FOR THE CREAM: Boil five parts of water and two parts of sugar to create the syrup. In another bowl, mix 1kg custard powder with 200ml cold water thoroughly.
58 BBC Good Food Middle East March 2012
4 Roll dough out on a flat surface so that it is round (1 cm thickness). Place on a tray and leave to rise for an hour until it is 1 inch/2.5cm thick. Using a pastry brush, gently glaze the top of the pastry dough with a beaten egg and make sure not to press hard. Sprinkle with stone sugar (if not available use regular sugar). Sprinkle flaked almonds and bake at 160 degree Celsius for 15 -20 minutes until golden. 5 Once dough turns into a rich brown colour, let it cool before slicing horizontally into half. Drizzle sugar syrup on bottom half of the brioche. 6 Mix equal quantities of custard cream and whipping cream in a bowl until cream becomes light yellow. When mixed thoroughly, spread cream evenly onto the brioche. 7 Replace the top layer with the other half of the brioche and refrigerate for an hour or two before serving. 8 Dust icing sugar on top and serve.
A LEGACY IN DUBAI Ever since its launch in 1981 at Al Ghurair centre (the first shopping mall in Dubai), Gerard Cafe has grown tremendously with six branches now located all over the UAE. When chatting with the cheerful founder and pastry chef Gerard Raymond, we find out about the changes in cafe culture that he has noticed from the 80s and now; “There were few cafes to select from and customers were predominantly men, as women did not mix much in those days. However, this has now changed and we can see all sorts of customers at our cafes. Furthermore, the concept of 'coffee' has increased amongst all ages, and there it is not only restricted to a few customers. I would like to add, although cultures have evolved, Gerard Cafe still holds loyal clients from back in the day at various branches with the newer generations of their families too.”