Chocolate tart, its history and our selection of the best addresses

In the 60s, Gaston Lenôtre designed a nougatine tart base filled with a dark chocolate ganache, which he also adapted to coffee. It wasn't until the creations of Jean-Paul Hévin and Robert Linxe - founder of La Maison du Chocolat - that the chocolate tart as we know it today appeared. It's impossible to ignore this simple-looking cake, but it requires a great deal of know-how. In keeping with the fundamentals of this gourmet tart, pastry chefs have gone to great lengths to interpret it in a thousand different ways. Gault&Millau went to meet them.

Infiniment chocolat tart, Pierre Hermé Paris

For a number of years now, Pierre Hermé has been offering plant-based pastries, and recently launched an Infiniment chocolat tart. " I wanted to rediscover the density and depth of my friend Pierre-Yves Comte's Hacienda Eleonor pure-origin chocolate from Ecuador. Devoid of ingredients of animal origin, the chocolate notes are exacerbated, the texture of the chantilly more evanescent."A tart you'll want to try out in store, as well as in his latest book, Pâtisserie végétale, published by Éditions Solar. An infinitely gourmet recipe.
► www.pierreherme.com

Sweet N Strong tart, Adrien Bozzolo, Le Mandarin Oriental, Paris

In homage to his grandmother Nicole, he imagined this vertical chocolate tart that is both sweet and strong. "I wanted an intense dark chocolate tart. The sweet pastry is made with caramelized cocoa nibs, and I add a Grand Cru 85% dark chocolate cream and a light chocolate mousse.I add a touch of Jamaican pepper to round out and bind each element."Adrien's tarts are as recognizable as a thousand others. True works of art, they can be interpreted in a thousand ways according to the seasons and the Mandarin Oriental chef's desires.
► www.mandarinoriental.com/fr/paris

Chocolate tart, Julien Dechenaud, Vincennes

Julien Dechenaud 's chocolate tart is a weekend favorite with Parisians. A crisp chocolate shortbread pastry topped with a homemade praline with hazelnuts from Lot-et-Garonne and a creamy pure Venezuelan origin. "I wanted an ultra-gourmet tart. The praline contains 70% hazelnuts and contrasts with the dark chocolate" On top, he adds a disk of cocoa chocolate for a light crunch reminiscent of his chocolate bonbons. Sensations guaranteed!
► www.juliendechenaud.com

Chocolate tart, Mathieu Turonnet, Noisette Pâtisserie, Biarritz

All that was missing was a chocolate tart to complete his collection at Noisette Pâtisserie made daily at flux tend to guarantee freshness. "I wanted something raw and strong. So I made a sweet cocoa pastry, topped with a dark chocolate crunch and a hazelnut praline insert. Very long in the mouth, dense like a ganache, but also light, this chocolate tart is enjoyed as you would a chocolate bonbon.
►www.facebook.com/noisette.patisserie.biarritz

Chocolate tart - peanuts, Desty Brami, Madeleine by Ferrières, Ferrières-en-Brie

A master of gourmet treats, Desty Brami, executive pastry chef at Château de Ferrières, offers a chocolate tart that he enriches with caramelized peanuts. "I make a dark chocolate and milk chocolate ganache, add a salted butter peanut caramel, and on top of that, a caramelized peanut ganache. on top, a gianduja ganache and a few whole caramelized peanuts, it's pure indulgence."Bite into it!
► www.madeleinebyferrieres.fr