Chandeleur: 10 chefs' spreads to try out

Nell Giroir | 1/25/25, 9:31 AM

With Chandeleur just around the corner, chefs are invading the world of spreads with unique creations in a variety of flavors. Discover a gourmet selection to enhance your crêpes.

To celebrate Chandeleur, a number of pastry chefs are reinventing the traditional spread. From praline to intense chocolate and peanut, chefs such asAlain Ducasse and Aurélien Rivoire play with tastes and textures, with creations that are sometimes as creamy as they are crunchy. These spreads can be used to enhance your crêpes or eaten with a spoon. Here's our selection to vary the pleasures.

Christophe Michalak's Peanut Takatartiner

inside, chef Christophe Michalak has slipped peanut praline, gianduja and milk chocolate. Price: 14.90 euros per 200g

Where to buy available online or in store
www.christophemichalak.com

Tradition spread by Jean-Paul Hévin

inside, chef Jean-Paul Hévin has slipped hazelnut and caramelized almond praline, cocoa paste and vanilla extract. Price: 18 euros per 200g

Where to buy available online or in store
www.jeanpaulhevin.com

Crunchy hazelnut spread by Alléno & Rivoire

inside, chefs Yannick Alléno and Aurélien Rivoire have slipped hazelnuts, crunchy chocolate pieces, 66% dark chocolate and 40% milk chocolate. Price: 20 euros 240g

Where? Available online or in store
www.choc olat-allenorivoire.com

Praliné Noisette & Amande by Alain Ducasse

inside, chef Alain Ducasse has slipped almond and hazelnut praliné, chocolate and fleur de sel, for a slightly grainy texture. Price: 20 euros per 250 g

Where to buy Available online or in store
www.lechocolat-alainducasse.com

Alléno et Rivoire - Alain Ducasse

Jeffrey Cagnes' Cacao Noisette

inside, chef Jeffrey Cagnes has slipped a blend of chocolate and hazelnuts. Price: 9.90 euros per jar

Where to buy Available online or in store
www.jeffreycagnes.fr

Pierre Marcolini's Nutcracker

inside, chef Pierre Marcolini has added Piedmont hazelnuts, cocoa powder and a touch of salt. Price: 14.90 euros per 350g

Where to buy Available online
www.marcolini.com

Cagnes Marcolini

Lutetia Chocolate Hazelnut Paste

inside, Nicolas Guercio has added Piedmont hazelnuts and Valrhona chocolate. Price: 12 euros per 105g

Where to buy pick up atHôtel Lutetia reception
www.laboutique.hotellutetia.com

Pierre Hermé's Infiniment praliné noisette

inside, chef Pierre Hermé has slipped hazelnut praliné, caramelized hazelnut chips, cocoa beans, vanilla extract and fleur de sel. Price: 15 euros per 220g

Where to buy Available online or in store
www.pierreherme.com

Lutetia Pierre Herme

Skulptur Caramel Praline Hazelnut Paste

inside, chefs Olivier Nasti and Jordan Gasco have slipped caramel praliné with Piedmont hazelnuts.

Where to buy pick up in store
www.skulptur-la-chocolaterie

©Ilya Kagan

Paul Bocuse's pink praline spread

inside, Maison Bocuse has slipped pink praline, cream and glucose. Price: 8.60 euros per 210g

Where to buy Available online or in store
www.maisons-bocuse.com

These news might interest you

Food & Health

"Invited to take part in the world cassoulet championship, chefs Timothée Deguingand and Nicolas Ferrand from the Pampa restaurant in Lyon's Pullman hotel foundthemselves competing against three teams from Toulouse and one from the Tarn region. And they won! On January 20, 2025, the competitors faced off at the 9ᵉ edition of the competition, at the Rex, in Toulouse. During this evening organized by Les Chevaliers du Fiel, the chefs had to offer their cassoulet to 150 people. The two Lyon-based chefs competed against Toulouse-based establishments La Maison du Cassoulet, Le Bibent and Maison Pardailhé, and Cuq en Terrasses, in the Tarn region. It wasn't a foregone conclusion. Timothée Deguingand, executive chef at Pullman Lyon since its opening, and Nicolas Ferrand, head of banqueting, offer their restaurant's menu the fruit of a Franco-South American fusion. "But the restaurant world is a small one! The manager of our hotel used to work in Toulouse, so some people told him that a candidate had withdrawn for the world cassoulet championship, and that's how we got there!" says Nicolas Ferrand. A traditional recipe For this competition, the candidates had to propose a traditional cassoulet. The two chefs took their inspiration from Prosper Montagné's 1929 recipe. "We interpreted it while respecting tradition," explains Timothée Deguingand. A lot of research and testing went into the final version. The head of banqueting explains: "We changed the broth three times to finally make a mix between vegetable and animal" A cassole was also lent by the organization, "It's very important to use this glazed terracotta dish." The importance of breaking the crust According to the chefs, the most important step in the recipe is the gratin. The cassoulet must be baked several times: "We bake it once, break the crust and bake it seven more times". Nicolas Ferrand explains the previous steps: "The cassoulet is assembled with all the meats in layers: a layer of beans, then beans mixed with rind, pork shoulder, shank, pork belly, Toulouse sausage and duck confit." For the competition, the two Lyonnais didn't have access to on-site kitchens. So they vacuum-packed their preparations. "A handicap turned into a strength", smile the chefs. during cooking, the white beans absorb the broth and fat from the duck confit, rind and sausage. It's this alchemy that gives cassoulet just the right amount of fat and flavor. Nicolas Ferrand explains: "All traditional stews that require a lot of cooking are even better when cooled and reheated. There's a new exchange of flavors that creates an osmosis". Today, the two cooks offer "la cassole pampa" on the menu of their restaurant. "A revisited version of the cassoulet with South American flavors, with rind, a tangy, spicy chicken broth that spices up the Tarbais beans, and chicharrón, pork belly marinated in spices and fried. With coriander and red onion. It's crunchy and comforting!" enthuses Timothée Deguingand.

Read

Food & Health

Forgotten fish: an underestimated treasure for our plates and our oceans

Christopher Coutanceau, chef-fisherman in La Rochelle, explains why we should abandon salmon and cod for "less noble" species such as horse mackerel and sardines.

Read

Food & Health

Do you know this technique for harvesting truffles?

The black truffle season began in November and will last until February. It's the perfect time to try your hand at harvesting this prized mushroom.

Read

Food & Health

10 Gault&Millau addresses for Italian food

January 17 is Italian Cuisine Day. To mark the occasion, Gault&Millau has compiled a list of the 10 best addresses in the Yellow Guide.

Read

Craftsmen & Know-How

Why do we eat oysters at Christmas?

Do you know why we eat oysters at Christmas? Find out here, along with a list of the best places to buy them!

Read

Food & Health

Sho, the broth, hot!

A start-up has just unveiled a new range of concentrated broths and culinary bases formulated from natural, exclusively plant-based, fermented ingredients, designed by chefs for chefs.

Read