Iced coffee parfait | Raymond Blanc Recipe

10-12 portions

15 mins

This recipe is born out of the amazing sabayon base but don't be afraid - it's not as hard as it sounds! A classic sabayon is simply egg yolks, and sugar whisked over a bain-marie until mousse-like in texture. It is then cooled very quickly in a bowl with ice before whipped cream is folded into it to create a luxurious creaminess. Then all you have to do is freeze your sabayon. Here, I have used coffee to flavour it, but you can use any flavours you choose, such as citrus or caramel. It can even be prepared up to a week in advance, so it's an easy dessert for Christmas day if you have guests who don't like Christmas pudding!

Ingredients Required

For the sabayon:

4: Egg yolks, medium, organic or free-range

50g: Sugar, caster

125ml: Sweet dessert wine

1 tbsp: Lemon juice, or to taste

150ml: Whipping cream

To finish:

75ml: Espresso Coffee (Ristretto)

For the garnish:

50g: Pistachio

30g: Almond Flakes

30g: Sugar, icing

10ml: Kirsch or Cognac

For the caramel sauce:

100ml (20+80ml): Water

150g: Sugar, caster

2g: Arrowroot, diluted in a little water

For covering the parfait:

150ml: Whipping cream

30g: Sugar, caster

1tsp: Vanilla purée

Cooking Method

Step 1

For the sabayon: In a large heatproof bowl, whisk the egg yolks, caster sugar, wine and lemon juice together for 1 minute. Stand the bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. This is called a bain-marie. (Make sure the bowl is not in direct contact with the water, or the eggs will scramble.) Whisk for 7–8 minutes until it reaches 78°C, resulting in a light, fluffy sabayon. Remove the bowl from the heat and place it over a larger bowl of crushed ice. Continue to whisk until the sabayon is cold. In another bowl, whip the cream to soft peaks and then fold it into the cold sabayon - make sure the sabayon is fully cold because even a slight bit of warmth will split the sabayon. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Step 2

To finish: In a large bowl, fold the sabayon and coffee together. Fill a mould with the sabayon, smooth the top, and freeze overnight.

Step 3

For the garnish: Mix all the garnish ingredients together, lay on a baking tray and cook for 7 minutes at 180ºC until lightly golden and crunchy.

Step 4

For the Caramel sauce: In a small saucepan on a high heat, bring 20g of the water and sugar to the boil and cook to a dark golden caramel. Add the remaining water to stop the cooking. Mix in the diluted arrowroot to thicken the caramel sauce. Cool down.

Step 5

To serve: Whip the cream with the sugar and vanilla to make a crème Chantilly. Fill a ridge-nozzled piping bag with the cream. Dip the parfait mould in hot water for four to five seconds and, using the point of a knife, pull the iced parfait onto a cutting board and pipe the whipped cream over the parfait. Return to the freezer for 15 minutes to set the cream. Using the blade of a hot knife, slice the parfait and arrange in the middle of a cold plate. Drizzle the caramel sauce around and sprinkle with the toasted pistachios and almonds.

Chef's Tips

"For the garnish: You can use any mixture of nuts, seeds, dried fruits, or spices: Nuts – brazil, pecan, walnut, hazelnut Seeds – sunflower, pumpkin, sesame, Dried Fruits – cranberry, blueberry, raisin, golden sultanas, Spices – cinnamon, star anise, nutmeg, allspice, mace." "Making the caramel: Taking the caramel to a dark golden brown is important; it will reduce the sweetness and give a better caramel flavour. If the caramel is too light or blond, it will be far too sweet and devalue the dish."

Voila!

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THIS RECIPE IS ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK KITCHEN SECRETS

Raymond’s love of delicious food is lifelong. Years of experience have given him a rich store of knowledge and the skill to create fantastic dishes that work time after time. With a range of achievable and inspirational recipes for cooks of all abilities - and useful tips throughout - this book brings Gallic passion and precision into the home kitchen.