THE PÂTISSERIE MASTER

French pastry chef and chocolatier, Pierre Hermé, discusses his latest collaboration and how it paves the way for pastry chefs

Pierre Hermé is no stranger to the world of pastry. Named The World’s Best Pastry Chef in 2016 by San Pellegrino’s 50 Best organization, Pierre Hermé inherited four generations of Alsatian pâtisserie tradition, yet he pursued formal training with French pastry Chef Gaston Lenôtre at the tender age of 14. Known for designing pastry with artistic precision – he begins with sketches and diagrams - Pierre Hermé continues to revolutionize macarons, bringing forth modern flavour profiles with complex textures and aromas. The pâtisserie legend recently launched four Gourmandise Raisonnée desserts with celebrated pastry chef and founder of the Valrhona pastry school, Frédéric Bau, in collaboration with nutritionist Thierry Hanh. Here, Pierre Hermé tells us more about the alliance while divulging his love for macarons.

How did you get started in this field?

I was born in a bakery and so in the family, I am part of the fourth generation to pursue this career. It was my father who certainly influenced me. From the age of nine, I knew I wanted to become a pastry chef. I then started an apprenticeship at the end of the 1970s and that changed my knowledge of the profession and got me into it.

How did you realize macarons were the dessert you wanted to excel in?

When I learned to make macarons, I didn't like macarons. I thought they lacked flavour because, at the time, they were made with

two shells and a little touch of ganache to attach them. I wanted to work on macarons because I felt they were limited in their potential. When I started there were a few flavours: chocolate, raspberry, coffee and vanilla. This made me want to bring a form of creativity to it. The first macarons I created was the one with rose, then there was the Mogador, the lemon macaron. The one I am most often talked about is the Mogador. It is quite consensual because it is original - milk chocolate that softens the acidity of passion fruit, which brings out the flavours - and at the same time, very pleasant and easy to apprehend, so it became one of the favourite macarons. Then the infiniment chocolat and infiniment caramel macarons are part of the range. In the store, we always have 18 macarons flavours, which include the range "infiniment" with flavours that I try to sublimate and magnify in my way. Then there are the "signature" macarons, Ispahan is part of the signature macarons in the same way as Mogador and also "Creation" selection. There will be an infiniment grapefruit macaron, infiniment orange and infiniment praline, an infiniment chocolate macaron that's very rich with Ecuador chocolate, and more are currently being developed.

Of all your career highlights to date, which one are you most proud of and why?

The one I'm most proud of is the next pastry I'm going to make. I am currently working on a coffee flower macaron that we use in the brew and from local Moroccan coffee producers. That’s the one that is in the works, being created, and that I am passionate about now.

What do you look for when tasting a dessert?

Our job as pastry chefs is to give pleasure and emotions to those who come to discover your cakes and sweets. We always say salty for nourishment and sweet for pleasure, and for me, it is extremely true because it reflects what our job is. We are here to give pleasure to those who come to taste our products. It is our role to offer clients the choice between ultra-rich

“Our job as pastry chefs is to give pleasure and emotions to those who come to discover your cakes and sweets. We always say salty for nourishment and sweet for pleasure.”

pastries and a pastry that is reasonable. These two alternatives will determine the future of our craft. The common denominator between traditional recipes and sensible ones is taste.

Where do you get your inspiration from?

My only criteria is inspiration. I am inspired by my ideas, my readings and a discussion with someone. I will give you an example. The story of the decaffeinated flower macaron, I discovered it a few years ago and was not very interested. I recently worked on the development of a scented candle in which I wanted to highlight the smell of a decaffeinated flower, and by ricochet, I wanted to highlight and test the decaffeinated flower macaron. It gave me the idea to work on it. Going further, I said to myself that it would be interesting to work on a hazelnut praline with pieces of coffee crushed inside and I am working on that now.

What I did at La Mamounia Marrakech, as I moved forward, I created a small cake that takes the flavours and textures of the horn of gazelles but in the form of cakes. Through my travels, I found Moroccan coffee during a visit to the market and so I made a Moroccan coffee pastry. I was inspired by the flavours of Morocco, and I made a cake called Navzat garden (with orange blossom, orange, lemon and honey). These are flavours inspired by Morocco, but I make this cake everywhere.

Last summer I made a brand-new collection of cakes that I called Japonisme, as a tribute to the Japanese culture. I created a whole collection of cakes that are inspired by my trips to Japan, a new range that to me represents my experience in Japan in taste and shape with new gourmet expressions. You can be inspired by everything around you if you are curious enough. You can find ideas from nature, architecture and your exchange with people from around the world through travel.

What can we expect from you in line with creating gorgeous-looking, delectable and wholesome pastry?

Valrhona has gathered chefs from the MENA Region to share its vision of responsible cuisine through innovation in gourmet products, and to respect people's health and the planet. Why is this of significance to you?

In the future of pastry, we are working on recipes as we practice them today. I think that our customers also expect us to work on different levels, on notions of vegan pastries, more affordable in terms of calories (following the Reasoned Gourmandise philosophy of Frédéric Bau), and they also expect us to work on gluten-free pastries. I think that people want us to consider their food preferences. For me, this work on "Reasoned Gourmandise" is extremely important because it is an act of creativity and the pastry-making of the future.

It's not so much about working with different ingredients but rather keeping the same angle. The taste always comes first in every creation while implementing a conscious choice in ingredients and its balance. This is an idea that Frédéric Bau has been pursuing for more than 20 years and I needed to address it. An exercise that requires both a lot of hindsight and the help of outside expertise, in particular the work of the nutritionist and specialist. We had to compare our points of view with that of the

nutritionist. The example Frédéric uses is that of custard and is very telling. Custard coagulates just as well with egg white as with egg yolk, except that there are no lipids in the egg white, whereas there are many in the egg yolk. These notions must be integrated and worked on, therefore having created the first book of its genre is a chance for the next generation. It is a reference that needs to keep growing with more recipes and creations.

Your take on the Middle East's pastry market and macarons in the region.

When we make Pierre Hermé cakes in Qatar, we make them like those in Paris. I am not adapting my pastries or way of thinking, baking, or creating, to a market or trends. I believe our role is to suggest, to propose something new to our customers and to surprise them. However, we do make a few exclusive cakes for certain countries, for example in Qatar, we made a cheesecake with dates and lemon, and also one with Earl Grey tea.

Advice for the new generation of pastry chefs.

What is important is quality, of course, creativity, originality, and differentiation. Differentiation can be expressed simply by quality. Having an extraordinary quality is a way to differentiate yourself. You must not try to do what the neighbour does, it is crucial. You have to be yourself. I see chefs that tend to do what people ask, and I think our role is to propose new things that arouse their curiosity, their desire and envy. For instance, Ispahan wasn't sold much when I first launched it. And suddenly, after four years, it became the favourite cake in our boutiques all over the world. If I hadn't been persistent, Ispahan would never have taken off, and its “career” would have come to a halt. Of course, it is necessary to analyze sales, but not only that. When you think that a flavour is interesting, you must push it toward the consumers.

GET TO KNOW THE CHEF

Your favourite dessert The Tarte aux Quetsches; a shortcrust pastry, Alsatian damson plum, sugar with Ceylon cinnamon. My father used to make it. It's a childhood memory that is still with me, I have tried to make it as good again but never succeeded.

A Middle Eastern pastry you’re fond of Cornes de Gazelles for its combination and the scent of orange blossom.

Favourite culinary destination When I travel, I am always interested in the local culture. I like to go to markets as I find it fascinating. It allows me to discover products, new culinary practices and traditions. I do this everywhere I go. Destinations such as Italy, Morocco, Japan and France, to name a few, are always a source of inspiration.

Any plans for this region?

We have other projects but for the moment nothing concrete or completed. In Qatar, we opened a month ago. We have been in Qatar for eight years and our local partner has decided to offer both pastries and a savoury menu to its customers, which will start in a few months.