Mont Blancs
My recipe for the classic French dessert
Recently my lifelong friend Lazuli was in London from California, and we had a wonderful few days exploring and eating. One night, at Bouchon Racine after an incredible Assiette de Bouchon, we shared some classic French desserts including one of my all time favourites; a mont blanc.
The meal reminded me how much I love classic French winter cooking, and how much beauty there is to be found in food at this time of year. In summer we can get every fresh berry bursting with juices and it becomes easy and simplistic to view winter as a food wasteland, but alongside the amazing citrus fruits that are in season now there are hardier foodstuffs like the apples and pears that have kept so well in storage since harvest, and preserved fruits like prunes that are so warming.
Chestnuts are another brilliant, and often overlooked, option at this time of year, and they work so well in this classic dessert that is both light and comforting. Named after the mountain on the French-Italian border, these meringues topped with lightly whipped cream and cognac enriched chestnut puree make a perfect end to a rich meal and always feel like a real treat. I love the kitschiness of the piped strings of puree, both heightened and tempered here with a little gold leaf.
You can make the meringues and puree in advance, but whip your cream and assemble just before dinner and refrigerate until serving. Remember; always underwhip your cream. It’s so important here where the textures are a key part of the dish.
Mont Blancs
Makes 6 individuals
