Feed your inner Francophile this Bastille Day

By MiNDFOOD

Feed your inner Francophile this Bastille Day
French-born chef, restaurateur and Bulla brand ambassador Guillaume Brahimi shares his secrets to French cuisine and a recipe for the ultimate honeycomb dessert.

What would you say are the simple foundations for French cuisine?

Following seasons and using produce accordingly are the simple foundations for French cuisine. In winter, I am using truffles, a beautiful selection of root vegetables and a selection of good quality cream products throughout my menus.

If there was one rule for French cooking, what would it be?

The one and only rule for French cooking is to respect the produce. Knowing what to buy and when seasonally, is always reflected in French cuisine.

How would you describe a typical French meal?

In a word – delicious! Sitting down to a long lunch on the weekend with friends and family. The table filled with a selection of delicious green salads, roasted vegetables and a beautiful whole roast chicken.

What are your three favourite French dishes and why?

Roast Chicken, as to me, it represents home; Lemon Tart with Bulla Dollop Cream – this popular French classic dessert is my go to dessert; and cheese – it is hard not to enjoy a beautiful cheese plate at the end of the meal. Camembert, Comte and Roquefort are my favourite.
 
What would you say are the four top ingredients for French cooking and why?

First would definitely be butter, you can’t cook French cuisine without butter; Bouquet Garni, you’ll find these bundle of herbs in every kitchen in France as it is the basis of so many recipes, crème fraiche – I just love finishing a sauce with a touch of Bulla Crème Fraiche, and salt – an important ingredient to finishing any dish.

Is there one dish or meat that is commonly served in every household?

Roast Chicken with potato mash and bread and butter!

Recreate Guillaume Brahimi’s Caramel Cream, Honeycomb, Caramel Sauce and Apples – recipe below

honeycomb

Serves 4

100 g caster sugar
400 g Bulla Thickened Cream
1 vanilla bean, split and seeds removed
4 Granny Smith Apples
50 g butter
50 g dollop cream

Caramel Sauce
120g sugar
20g salted butter
75m Bulla Cooking Cream
1 vanilla pod
Pinch salt

Honeycomb
100 g caster sugar
50 g golden syrup
40 g glucose
10 g bicarbonate soda

Place sugar in a pot and place on medium heat, stir occasionally with a wooden spoon when sugar reaches dark caramel colour add thickened cream and vanilla bean, mix together and place into a bowl and chill.

For the caramel sauce. Repeat the caramel process again, place 120 gm sugar in pot, place on medium heat, when sugar is dark caramel add butter, cream and vanilla, whisk together, allow to simmer together for 5 minutes, remove from heat, allow to cool to room temperature, add salt.

For the honeycomb. Place sugar, glucose and golden syrup in a large pot, take mixture to 150 degrees, very carefully add bi carbonate soda and stir it very gently (it will get very large).

Pour honeycomb onto grease proof paper and allow to set. Once cold keep in airtight container.

Cut apples into sixths and turn the edges. Place a pan on heat, add butter and apples and caramelise.

When cream is completely cold and set, remove from fridge and whip until firm. Place apple on the bottom of the plate and spoon on caramel cream, roughly chop the honeycomb and sprinkle over the top.

Spoon caramel sauce over the desert, pipe dollop cream in dots over the dessert.

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