Last weekend, the first chocolate and pastry fair was held at the Anse Marcel Beach Resort, organized by the Saint-Martin association of chefs and restaurateurs. We took this opportunity to ask the chefs present, including two Meilleur Ouvrier de France (Best Craftsmen of France), if they had any advice for aspiring pastry chefs or master chocolatiers. It was also a chance to satisfy our curiosity and discover their favorite desserts.
Sébastien Quilleré, master pastry chef and chocolatier of Saint-Martin
“Pay attention to the flavor of the chocolate, because there are many aromas you can perceive in different chocolates. For dessert, this is the one I created. I call it Guanaja; it’s a 70% dark chocolate. It’s a blend of dark chocolate and tonka bean with a small crunchy chocolate fleur de sel layer.”
Bruno Pastorelli, Meilleur Ouvrier de France pastry chef-confectioner
“I would tell them that pastry making, like confectionery or chocolate making, are wonderful professions, professions of the future, and that they are enjoyable to do. You get a lot of pleasure from it, but you also give a lot of pleasure to others. I like classic desserts, a good chocolate éclair, when it’s well made, is wonderful, and a good chocolate mousse. When you make cakes with this mousse, it’s more than just pleasant.”
Naomi Martino, master chocolatier of Guadeloupe
“I would tell them to love what they do, to do it well, and if they do it well, they will go anywhere they want. The first thing I learned to make in this profession was chocolate ganache, so my favorite dessert is ganache. It’s something very simple, it’s a chocolate base with cream usually, but it was my first contact with chocolate, so it’s ganache, as much to eat as to make!”
Serge GrangerBest Craftsman of France Chocolatier
“The advice I would give is that they should take an interest in cocoa cultivation. When you take an interest in the cultivation and processing, you’ve already taken a big step. And of course, what are we going to do with it in terms of flavor, because there are cocoas that are more bitter, more fruity, more smoky—there’s everything. You have to discover it, and the more you discover, the more interested you become, and the more things you can do, not just chocolate bars. I like all desserts, but my favorite is rum baba!”
Interview by DR
I have been checking out a few of your stories and i can claim pretty nice stuff. I will make sure to bookmark your blog.