Pudding yes, but “French style”: Bocuse adapted it to culinary customs across the Alps, transforming the British “pudding” into a new signature dish.
Photo of Bocuse: Jeff Pachoud-AFP-Getty
Dessert
For the “father of haute cuisine,” dessert has always been the link between elegance and pleasure: from towers of crispy cream puffs (his famous Croquembouche) to the caramelized aroma of Tarte Tatin, Bocuse's pastries polish up the relics of the past without betraying their spirit. What's more, the brioche breaks down into a fan of thin, fragrant layers, while the creams remain voluptuous but take on an incredibly light texture.
Few people know, however, that the famous chef also chose to revisit a typically British dessert. From English simplicity to French opulence, the pudding thus became an “adopted fetish,” enriched with candied chestnuts and crème fraîche. Even more sumptuous than the original version and—we might add—more suitable for serving at the Christmas table!
Ingredients for the recipe, as reported by Marie Claire
- 500 g candied chestnut pieces
- 1 teaspoon liquid vanilla
- 100 g butter + extra for the mold
- 3 tablespoons crème fraîche
- 8 egg yolks
- 6 egg whites
- Chocolate sauce for serving
Preparation
Butter a charlotte mold.
Prepare a paste by mixing the candied chestnuts with the vanilla and butter.
Add the crème fraîche, mixing well. The mixture should have the consistency of choux pastry.
Add the egg yolks to the mixture.
Beat the egg whites until stiff, then gently fold them in.
Pour the mixture into the mold and bake in a small saucepan in a bain-marie for 30 minutes.
Turn out the pudding and serve with the chocolate sauce.
