Table Of Content

FRÉDÉRIC BAU PHOTOGRAPHS: JEAN BERNARD LASSARA This book is a page of my life, an open window to my passion, which is cuisine: a fusionist chocolate cuisine that surprises and questions. I invite you to lose yourself in this extraordinary culinary parenthesis. I dedicate this book to those who have made me, and who loyally continue to do so! Thank you to those who have given me these values, my values, in life and in my work. Through your actions you have always given me hope and confidence. You allowed me to surpass myself, to write the future, and to appreciate others. To my parents, friends, teachers, and you, Rika, my wife, I offer you this chapter of my life. 6 Original title: Fusion Chocolat. Le chocolat dans la cuisine First published in 2006 by Montagud Editores, S.A. © Second English edition: Montagud Editores, S.A., 2008 © Frédéric Bau © Jean Bernard Lassara © Eric Pahl, Michael Debbane © Montagud Editores, S. A., 2006 Ausiàs March, 25, 1º 08010 Barcelona. Spain. Phone: +34 933 18 20 82 Fax: +34 933 02 50 83 E-mail: [email protected] www.montagud.com Editorial assistant: Mari Luz Mejido Filmsetting: PC Fotocomposición, S.A. Printing: Castuera, Industrias Gráficas, S.A. Copyright Registration: NA 3396/2007 ISBN: 978-84-7212-117-1 C h o c o l a t e i n C u i s i n e FRÉDÉRIC BAU Editorial Direction CÈLIA PUJALS Photography JEAN BERNARD LASSARA Frédéric Bau’s Assistant SÉBASTIEN MICHEL Artistic Direction XAVIER CORRETJÉ Translation ERIC PAHL AND MICHAEL DEBBANE Layout RENÉ PALOMO Production Direction LUIS MIGUEL CALVO 8 CONTENTS FOREWORD PIERRE GAGNAIRE 10 PIERRE HERMÉ 12 FINDING THE WAY 14 CHOCOLATE TECHNO THE HISTORY 23 THE “BOUQUET” OF CHOCOLATE 35 THE RIGHT TOUCH 45 THE MENU 62 A CHOCOLATE FOR EVERY DISH 64 HORS D’ŒUVRES 66 COLD APPETIZERS 88 HOT APPETIZERS 110 WATER 136 EARTH 180 CHEESES 230 SWEET DELIGHTS 244 MIGNARDISES 274 BASIC RECIPES 284 FLAVOR COMBINATIONS 285 INDEX OF PREPARATIONS 296 ALPHABETICAL INDEX 298 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 300 10 PIERRE GAGNAIRE Chef Today, Frédéric Bau is one of the most brilliant pastry chefs of his generation. He embodies all the qualities (sometimes contradictory) that our time demands. His technique and his irreproachable understanding allow him to express his true creative sense. Of course, this creative sense should always be backed by a precise and rigorous manual approach. One of Frédéric’s contradictions is the apparent freedom he enjoys, all the while working at the heart of a company that does much more than simply “make” chocolate. Although Valrhona is not your typical company, combining the excellence of a product and making it meet the marketing needs of worldwide development is a rare thing indeed. This daring wager is made by none other than Frédéric, the man who symbolizes Valrhona, or perhaps vice-versa. Knowledge, ideas and philosophies are invariably diffused via human contacts that are fostered with others, and by the depth of sincerity created in those relations. What works in today’s world is inevitably passed on through the confidence of personal relations that one creates around oneself. Frédéric BAU has this talent. He loves his work, his business, his clients… and chocolate. He also possesses an innate sense of communication. His kindness, enthusiasm, and competency allow him to relate with ease, simplicity and efficiency. You have in your hands a surprising book, surprising like Frédéric. It is rigorous, extremely precise and fascinating, since after all he is discussing chocolate, chocolates, and still more chocolates. However, this is the first time such a complete and creative discussion of chocolate has entered into my own domain, that of savory foods. It is a book that you will bite into, devour, savor, and maybe even smell. Thank you Fred.