Something to treat your taste buds "Made in Serre Chevalier"
An explosion of local and gourmet flavors
Fabien Ferdinand, the Chef of the gastronomic restaurant Le Chazal, located in Monêtier les Bains, opened the doors of his kitchens for a morning to give us a local and easy to make recipe. From the harvest to the plate, a return on a fresh and rich in flavors dessert!
It's just 10:00 am, our little rattan basket in hand, we leave by the back kitchen.
Two steps away from there, the nature offers itself to us!
On the way, all our senses are awake. Fabien is looking for the little treasures that can be found around here....
Here is the Pimprenelle (a delicate little green plant, with chiselled leaves, which has the taste of cucumber) both edible and medicinal, it goes perfectly with a small salad (but it is not the subject of the day).
A few more steps.....
Here it is, the larch or king of our forests in Serre Chevalier.
It thrives particularly in our valley, so much so that it is commonly called the "Briançon Pine". Also known as the "tree of light", it loves the sun and lets it shine through its soft needles. This elegant tree can also be cooked in different ways.
It will be the star of our recipe, sharing the stage with the strawberry!
The taste buds on the alert
For your dessert you will need (ingredients for 1 person)
- 20 cl of good quality olive oil
- 20 grams of young larch needles
- 1 teaspoon of larch honey
- 3 beautiful strawberries
- French meringue tuile with larch buds and meringue shell
1st step
make a larch-flavored olive oil
Pour the 20 cl of olive oil in a blender.
Add the 20 grams of young larch needles and the teaspoon of larch honey.
Blend the whole mixture.
Strain the mixture to obtain a smooth oil.
2nd step: make a French meringue
Beat 60 grams of egg whites with 60 grams of caster sugar.
Incorporate 60 grams of powdered sugar with a maryse.
Spread the mixture on a baking sheet and let it dry for 3 hours in the oven at 70°.
Use the top of the larch bud and scrape it.
Spread the small pieces of larch buds on the meringue tray.
Use the same recipe to make meringue shells.
Take a silicone mold ball, turn it over and apply the meringue.
Let dry for 3 hours in the oven at 70°.
3rd step
In a plate, place the made meringue shell.
Cut the 3 strawberries and mix them with the larch-flavored olive oil.
Add the strawberries to the meringue shell.
Add the French meringue tiles on top of the strawberries.
The dessert can be accompanied by a sorbet to balance it out.
A sorbet with oxalis clover has the particularity of being tangy and blending perfectly with the flavors of the dessert.
Fabien Ferdinand
Fabien Ferdinand is a Chef who places his Gastronomy in the heart of the Hautes-Alpes region by working with local and gourmet products. From his restaurant at the edge of the forest, he uses no less than 20 species of plants to season his cooking.
Homemade cereal bar, to go on a hike and avoid the bar hit 😂 !
INGREDIENTS
- 75 g of rolled oats
- 25 g of quinoa or puffed rice
- 25 g chocolate pieces
- 60 g dried fruit (dates, figs, raisins cut into pieces...)
- 1 tsp of grated coconut
- 50 g dried fruit such as almonds, hazelnuts or pistachios to chop
- 75 g agave syrup, maple syrup or honey (you can mix honey and agave)
- 30 g of coconut butter or normal butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla sugar or cinnamon
If you don't have a scale 🤔 - 1 cup almond butter, coconut butter, or regular butter
- 1/2 cup maple syrup = mix all these ingredients together.
- 2 1/2 cups of rolled oats
- 1 cup of puffed rice (or any other cereal)
- 1/2 cup almonds/hazelnuts, ....
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup of dark chocolate pieces
PREPARATION
mix all ingredients. bake at 160° for 20min. Let cool 10min and cut into bars.
One bar and you're good to go!
Comforting hot chocolate
INGREDIENTS for 1 person
- 250 ml semi-skimmed milk
- 35 g of dark dessert chocolate in pieces
- 1 pinch of cinnamon powder
- 1 dash of natural vanilla flavor
Whipped cream and cocoa powder to serve
PREPARATION
Heat milk in a saucepan over medium/low heat.
When the milk is hot, add the chocolate squares and stir until completely melted. Add the cinnamon and vanilla flavoring and stir. Pour the chocolate into your Serre Chevalier cup , cover it with a dome of whipped cream and sprinkle with cocoa. Enjoy without waiting!
Enjoy!
Trout Gravlax with Larch (prepare 48h in advance)
INGREDIENTS for 4 persons
- 400g of fresh trout
- 200g of coarse salt
- 130g of brown sugar
- 4 tablespoons of larch liqueur
- 1.5 tablespoons of pink berries
- 1 bunch of dill
PREPARATION
1 - Mix in a bowl: coarse salt, brown sugar, larch liqueur, crushed pink berries and half of the chopped dill.
2 - If necessary, remove the bones and skin from the trout fillet (optional).
3 - Spread the preparation on both sides of the fish and place it skin side down in a dish. Cover and let rest in a cool place for 24 hours, ideally 48 hours. Remove the water as you go.
4 - Rinse the trout under cold water, dry it gently and cover it with the remaining chopped dill before putting it back in the fridge for at least 2-3 hours.
5 - Cut the gravlax into thin slices and serve with a squeeze of lime and a seasonal salad.
Cooking time: none!