Pierre Hermé in 5 desserts
Pierre Hermé, one of France's leading pastry chefs, talks about his finest creations and what he has yet to achieve. Discover the gourmet universe of the Picasso of pastry-making.
A visionary of modern patisserie, Pierre Hermé is constantly pushing back the boundaries of taste. World-renowned for his daring combinations and iconic macaroons, the pastry chef nicknamed the Picasso of patisserie never dwells on his past successes. "I'm not interested in what I've done, but in what's still to come. I like to challenge myself and come up with new ideas." Focus on the emblematic creations that have marked his career - and our palates.
The creation that marked a turning point in his career: the Ispahan flavor
Three ingredients, one alchemy: lychee, raspberry, rose. Ispahan has become Maison Hermé's signature combination, explored in all forms - from macaroon to croissant, chocolate or even drink. "It's really the recipe I've reinterpreted the most", an olfactory and gustatory intuition that continues to prove a must-have in his pastry range.
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The most popular pastry: 2000 Feuilles
on the eve of the year 2000, the patissier was asked: what cake would he create for the new millennium? His answer: a redesigned millefeuille, both technical and generous, with crisp, caramelized puff pastry, Piedmont hazelnut flaky praline and praline mousseline cream. Renamed "2000 Feuilles", it immediately won over - and continues to do so. "It's still just as successful 25 years on", confides the chef.
laurent Fau
His favorite pastry: the infinitely vanilla tart
If Pierre Hermé were to give in to temptation, it would be for this tart devoted entirely to the aroma of vanilla. A quest for perfect taste, built on a subtle trilogy of vanillas: Madagascar, Mexico and Tahiti. All orchestrated in a harmonious interplay of textures - shortbread dough, ganache, soaked cookie, mascarpone cream. "It's so vanilla..."whispers the master pastry chef, like a gourmet confession.
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His Madeleine de Proust: the quetsche tart
It's a deep-rooted childhood memory, an Alsatian reminiscence with an end-of-summer taste. "My father used to make a very simple tart, with shortcrust pastry, a few cookie crumbs, quetsches placed directly on the bottom and a touch of cinnamon sugar", Pierre Hermé recounts with tenderness. A modest, crude recipe that he has tried to recreate several times, without ever managing to match its emotion. A childhood sweetness, inimitable because inseparable from memory.
The pastry he's most proud of: the next one
For Pierre Hermé, pride lies less in a finished work than in the perpetual motion of creation. "His favoritepastry? That which has yet to be invented. A demanding, innovation-oriented vision that makes his work so unique.
