Chef Anees Khan is bringing home a new menu after his masterclass with pastry genius Eric Perez in Bangkok
Chef Khan has reinvented the mille feuille, a flaky pastry with vanilla or caramel cream, by giving it a softer base
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Eighteen professional chefs from India huddle around pastry genius Eric Perez as he empties a tray of ice on a tabletop. "If he pours chocolate on it, it will condense due to water from the melting ice," Chef Anees Khan, founder of Bandra’s Star Anise Bakery and a participant at the four-day baking programme at Macaron Pastry Training Centre in Bangkok, thinks to himself.
Chef Anees Khan, founder of Bandra’s Star Anise Bakery, learnt the science behind timing, temperature and measurements, during a four-day baking programme in Bangkok. Pics/Sneha Kharabe
But, Perez, who founded the school in 2004 after a glorious career across the world, has other plans. He covers the tabletop with clean wrap, before pouring the chocolate for tempering.
This is one of the many tricks that the participants mastered during the workshop, held from July 4 to 7.
"A chef goes about doing the same things day in day out, and begins to rely on judgement instead of temperatures. But, simple and effective procedure is the key, as Perez puts it," says Khan, who joined the class to touch base with what was trending in the pastry world.
Chef Khan has reinvented the mille feuille, a flaky pastry with vanilla or caramel cream, by giving it a softer base
Perez, who is half Spanish and French, started his baking journey at the age of 15 in Toulouse, France. At the programme, he had a hands-on training planned for the group.
On day one, the group was divided into three teams. The teams would create desserts over the next four days. "The school runs a patisserie outside its premise. Most of what we made was sold off the counter," says Khan.Individual recipe folders and thorough instructions turned the bakers into science students, as timing, temperature and measurements became the crux of every process. "As we weighed and measured ingredients, Perez observed from a distance," recalls Khan, whose first task was making the classical macaroon on a religeiuse choux pastry. "We even learned to create one in the form of a rectangular cylinder shape."
Perez, who has worked at hotels such as the Ritz Carlton (1988-2000), and has won a silver and bronze at the Coupe du Mondepastry World Cup held in France in 1996 and 1998 respectively, has a modern plating approach to classical dishes.
That could be the reason why he makes tiramisu in a microwave, says Khan. "I told the chef that traditionally one whips the egg yolks and sugar in a double boiler. In a microwave, there’s a high chance of overcooking the egg," narrates Khan. But, Perez surprised him. All it took was heating the eggs for two minutes in the microwave, while whisking it twice at regular intervals, after which it went into the blender for another two minutes. Perez explained that the eggs should be cooked above 65°C, to kill the salmonella, says Khan.
Creams and meringue
Revelations didn't end here. The team also learned simple things like using water-absorbing pectin instead of gelatin. "When I make layered desserts, my jelly layer would sometimes give out water. This is because gelatin doesn’t absorb water," says Khan, adding that he can now put the new lesson to use.
He also tried his hands at making Italian meringue. "Unlike a French meringue, where you whip up egg whites, sugar and fold in almond powder, here, you need to cook the sugar in water at 118°C. This is then added to the egg white, while it is in the blender," he adds.
Around town
While the sessions were held from 9 am to 4 pm, Khan spent his evenings visiting patisseries in Bangkok. "I realised that local bakers do not waste time on elaborate flavours and serve what the customers want," says Khan. Mumbai desserts, on the other hand, do not have distinct flavours. "Now it boils down to simple offerings. And that is what you will see in our new menu next month," says Khan.
Some existing dishes on Khan’s menu will get a blast of change. These include the mille feuille — a flaky pastry with vanilla or caramel cream. "Till now, our base used to be hard, but I am going to give it a melt-in-the-mouth soft base," says Khan, who is also planning a caramel cheesecake, a passion fruit-raspberry slice dessert and a religieuse (choux pastries). "Now, my resoution is to play fair by every degree," he says, admitting he has ordered a set of thermometers for the kitchen. And, on his wish list of kitchen "toys" is a blast freezer. "I can’t wait to experiment with frozen garnishes," he signs off.
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