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Help with Cedric Grolet's Apple Tatin - Relatively Urgent for Christmas!

Jonathan

By Jonathan
in Pastry & Baking

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Jonathan

Jonathan

Posted
Posted

Hi guys, I'm trying to replicate (at least visually) Cedric Grolet's apple tatin linked here:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CGVOYZxJXc1/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

 

I'm wondering if anyone has any idea what the first thing he dips it in (my guess is either a gelatine based glaze or white chocolate but it seems to shatter like chocolate?) and then how to dip it in the caramel afterwards with such a thin shell and without burning the chocolate layer or having the whole thing melt and deform?

 

Any tips would be greatly appreciated, thanks!

Anna N

Anna N

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, Jonathan said:

Hi guys, I'm trying to replicate (at least visually) Cedric Grolet's apple tatin linked here:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CGVOYZxJXc1/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

 

I'm wondering if anyone has any idea what the first thing he dips it in (my guess is either a gelatine based glaze or white chocolate but it seems to shatter like chocolate?) and then how to dip it in the caramel afterwards with such a thin shell and without burning the chocolate layer or having the whole thing melt and deform?

 

Any tips would be greatly appreciated, thanks!

I cannot help with your question but perhaps having a better link will persuade others to try.

 

Here.

Anna Nielsen aka "Anna N"

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gfron1

gfron1

Posted
Posted (edited)

The first dip looks like white chocolate to me - tempered to give the mousse structure. The second is a napage or maybe just a caramel glaze. I think the first shake around is to make the sphere less perfect and more apple like.

 

ETA: The more I watch it, the second glaze is definitely not napage or gelatin-based glaze. The bubbles on the surface suggest something more rigid, but it can't be hot/warm caramelized sugar which is what it looks like. That layer has me stumped.

Edited by gfron1 (log)

Chef, Bulrush & Squatters in St. Louis, MO

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IndyRob

IndyRob

Posted
Posted

I found a couple of videos on Youtube.  The second links to a recipe but is from Bruno Albouze 'inspired' by Cedric Grolet.

 

 

 

 

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Rajala

Rajala

Posted
Posted

It's hard to say exactly with what it is, but I agree with gfron1. First it's chocolate, and the second layer is very likely some nappage based glaze, maybe with caramelized sugar to give the color and taste of caramel. I guess you could add some foaming agent to it to get some bubbles? You can see at the end of the video that it's not hard like a caramel layer would be.

 

I guess Teo might show up here and teach us a lesson? :D

AAQuesada

AAQuesada

Posted
Posted (edited)

I just can't imagine that the second dip is not hot caramel, it seems to be bubbling/foaming around the edges of the bain. The secret lies in the first dip would be my guess. Really is a great technique and beautiful

 

*Maybe i am wrong!  that second dip doesn't look like the second dip in the instagram video though.

Edited by AAQuesada (log)
pastrygirl

pastrygirl

Posted
Posted
7 hours ago, gfron1 said:

 

ETA: The more I watch it, the second glaze is definitely not napage or gelatin-based glaze. The bubbles on the surface suggest something more rigid, but it can't be hot/warm caramelized sugar which is what it looks like. That layer has me stumped.

 

Why wouldn't it be gelatin?  Couldn't you make a stronger gel and whisk it to get the bubbles.  If the object and glaze are both cool enough, could the bubbles hold as the glaze sets quickly?

Rajala

Rajala

Posted
Posted
4 hours ago, pastrygirl said:

 

Why wouldn't it be gelatin?  Couldn't you make a stronger gel and whisk it to get the bubbles.  If the object and glaze are both cool enough, could the bubbles hold as the glaze sets quickly?

 

I've gotten air bubbles in mirror glaze without even trying - if you really want to incorporate air, I don't think it would be a problem.

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pastryani

pastryani

Posted
Posted
16 hours ago, AAQuesada said:

I was thinking there might be a blast chilling step after the first coat?  thoughts..

Agree.  It must be blast chilled to withstand the heat of what looks like a hard caramel candy coating.  

 

When I was a kid there was a Mexican restaurant that made deep fried ice cream (ice cream ball coated with crushed cornflakes and fried) - so hot on top of cold is possible.

  • Like 1
gfron1

gfron1

Posted
Posted
12 hours ago, pastrygirl said:

 

Why wouldn't it be gelatin?  Couldn't you make a stronger gel and whisk it to get the bubbles.  If the object and glaze are both cool enough, could the bubbles hold as the glaze sets quickly?

I thought the video showed the spoon cracking the surface not smooshing. It happens very fast but it looks like a crisp outer layer to me.

Chef, Bulrush & Squatters in St. Louis, MO

BBC Write-up

Smithsonian magazine story

AAQuesada

AAQuesada

Posted
Posted
3 hours ago, pastryani said:

a hard caramel candy coating.  

 

I'm a big fan of occam's razor. It really looks and behaves like a hot caramel *shrug*

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JoNorvelleWalker

JoNorvelleWalker

Posted
Posted
6 hours ago, pastryani said:

Agree.  It must be blast chilled to withstand the heat of what looks like a hard caramel candy coating.  

 

When I was a kid there was a Mexican restaurant that made deep fried ice cream (ice cream ball coated with crushed cornflakes and fried) - so hot on top of cold is possible.

 

Vesta has 25% off their blast chillers at the moment.

 

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pastrygirl

pastrygirl

Posted
Posted
9 hours ago, gfron1 said:

I thought the video showed the spoon cracking the surface not smooshing. It happens very fast but it looks like a crisp outer layer to me.

 

he could be cracking the white chocolate shell just underneath

pastrygirl

pastrygirl

Posted
Posted
6 hours ago, AAQuesada said:

 

I'm a big fan of occam's razor. It really looks and behaves like a hot caramel *shrug*

 

except for the part where hot caramel would melt everything 🤪

AAQuesada

AAQuesada

Posted
Posted
1 minute ago, pastrygirl said:

except for the part where hot caramel would melt everything 🤪

 

Would it though.. are you sure? Like @pastryani said you can fry ice cream, I realize that is coated but the 'apple' is in the caramel less time that ice cream would be in the fryer. Maybe the extreme temperature change causes the bubbling and setting to happen quickly. Not saying that is for sure how they do it but it is a reasonable hypothesis.

pastrygirl

pastrygirl

Posted
Posted (edited)
23 minutes ago, AAQuesada said:

Would it though.. are you sure?

Pretty sure, yes.  Do we agree that the first dip is white chocolate?  Sugar cooked to caramel is around 325F.  You could let it cool a little and still be runny, let's say you get it down to 250F.  White chocolate melts around 100F.  If you froze the apples to buy time, you'd cool the sugar every time you dipped and cause crystallization, it would be impractical for production.  The cooler the caramel is, the thicker the shell and this looks very thin.  i just don't think the sugar would stay liquid with repeated heating, cooling, and agitation and I don't think white chocolate would stand up to even a thin coat at 250-300F.  I think the white chocolate shell is what's cracking.  I don't have any sugar, otherwise I'd make some caramel and see what happens to white chocolate :)

Edited by pastrygirl (log)
  • Like 1
AAQuesada

AAQuesada

Posted
Posted

You are probably correct! but what is going on in the other video doesn't seem to me to have anything to do with what Cedric is doing in the first video. So far I haven't heard a better explanation -maybe I missed it?

 

But on the Christmas theme I've always said Thomas was my favorite apostle :D  so i'd love to see you test it! I like to learn by trying and failing lol.

gfron1

gfron1

Posted
Posted (edited)
On 12/24/2020 at 6:46 PM, pastrygirl said:

he could be cracking the white chocolate shell just underneath

True, but...

Anyway, as you know how my mind works, I'm already plotting my version. Mine would include Hermé's 24-hour apples as an insert, and the crackle shell...well, I think I would make a dry caramel. Cool it. Throw it in the food processor. Roll the apple in it. Then hit it with a blow torch. That would do the trick - not for restaurant service but for showing off on IG. I might play with that next week.

Edited by gfron1 (log)
  • Like 2

Chef, Bulrush & Squatters in St. Louis, MO

BBC Write-up

Smithsonian magazine story

Jonathan

Jonathan

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted (edited)

Thanks for all the replies! I wasn’t game enough to try the caramel so I chickened out and went with a flocked chocolate velvet effect instead and served it on a caramel tart with brown butter ice cream (my quenelling was not great but time pressure). I still have 0 idea how the caramel layer is done but it really does look like caramel... maybe he’ll post the recipe in a book one day. If anyone is interested in the recipe shoot me a buzz and I can write it out

5D522104-921D-4252-83C4-2D5B8542C8AF.jpeg

Edited by Jonathan (log)
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