Cristhian Ohnet in 5 pastries

Cristhian Ohnet arrived in France almost five years ago for a simple three-month internship at La Mirande in Avignon. Hired to work in the kitchen alongside Florent Pietravalle, he changed direction three years ago, turning to the sweet side of the restaurant. At the age of 28, the Bolivian-born pastry chef has come up with desserts of rare inventiveness, playing with fermentation, vinegar and reductions - a nod to his early days in the kitchen and the distinctive world of his mentor, Florent Pietravalle. Today, Cristhian Onhet reveals the secrets of five desserts that he believes represent his love for the product.

Citrus rice pudding

Rice pudding is a delicious dessert that evokes childhood. To bring it freshness and bitterness, Cristhian Onhet had the idea of revisiting it with citrus fruits from Damien Blasco (a producer in Perpignan). "We've been working together for three years now, and he always gives me great products. Here, I've prepared a rice pudding infused with lemon zest, an airy rice mousse infused with citron, puffed rice and lemon caviar. It's a very simple pre-dessert, which refreshes the palate and makes you want to tackle something more gourmet afterwards", assures the pastry chef.

Florian Domergue

The Damask rose

For this second dessert, the pastry chef had fun working with Mélanie Brochain's Damask rose. "She supplies us with lots of herbs and shoots. One day, she told us she had a lot of roses, so we wanted to do something with them. I fermented the roses with salt and water. I made jam with the petals, to which I added a little lemon juice to get a gorgeous color. I then made a rose ice-cream and an almond mousse for sweetness. The fermenting water, which has a very particular taste, was transformed into espuma for a little saline touch, and I made a rose coulis. Finally, I picked out the most beautiful petals and coated them in egg white and sugar to crystallize them.and sugar to crystallize them, and made meringues in the shape of petals, which I flavored with dried rose petals. It's really a dessert I like to make, very product-oriented", says Cristhian Onhet.

Figs

In keeping with the idea of a single-product dessert, La Mirande 's pastry chef was keen to sublimate Arthur Baud's fig from every angle. "Florent and I went to visit him, and it's incredible, because he grows over 300 varieties. First we made a fig leaf ice cream, then a fig sorbet. We spread out the two preparations to roll them up like a spiral and serve this with fig juice. In the other small plate, we have a roasted fig glazed in its own juice and small basil flowers. Finally, on the dried leaf, we pay homage to the work of the grower with a sun-dried fig with a stewed interior. It's very simple, very raw", comments Cristhian Onhet.

Florian Domergue

The corn

For this dessert, the pastry chef at La Mirande in Avignon relied on corn from Fabien Dumont in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. "Theidea was to reproduce something similar to a small bowl of cornflakes," laughs Cristhian Onhet. "First I fermented some corn, and after a while it developed vanilla flavors and aesthetics (in a much bigger way). I then cut it in half like a bean and inside, you got a very fatty, very concentrated paste. I made a little cornmeal dough with water, sugar and salt, and baked it in the oven... It gave a slightly puffed texture, like cornflakes. Next came a cream made with centrifuged corn juice, to which I added a little sugar. The dessert also features popcorn ice cream, topped with caramel for a 100% corn dessert!" This plate, which is proving very popular with customers, should be a regular feature on the menu.

Florian Domergue

Quince

The story behind this latest dessert is quite original. "There'sa window opposite the pastry laboratory, through which you can see a quince tree and a laurel tree. I often look out of this window to escape a little, and little by little, I got the urge to make a dessert with these two elements", recalls Cristhian Onhet. The dish consists of a panna cotta infused with bay leaf, quince jelly, sheep's milk ice cream and a highly concentrated quince juice that the chef runs through a kakigori machine. "This is a Japanese specialty that makes ice shavings. The texture is very different from the ice cream we usually eat, and it's very beautiful," says the pastry chef. "In Bolivia, the machine is also used to make a cinnamon granita to accompany cheese empanadas. So I wanted to add a little ewe and quince cookie to go with this ice cream."