Recipes from professional Chef Tallyrand:

BAVAROIS - BAVARIAN CREAM RECIPE

This week’s recipe is another one from the file, ‘Life is strange’ . . . David forwarded me a request from a G Walsh saying “I am trying to find a recipe on how to make a Bavarian creme filling for a cake. I have searched to no avail, please help” . . . Well, G search no more!

I have just spent the week with my trainee chefs not only discussing this recipe in theory, but also practicing it in my training kitchen as they have to produce from scratch; meaning filleting the fish, making fresh fish stock for the sauce etc, three portions of the following menu (within 4 hours) for their final assessment on November 5th:

Paupiettes of sole with shrimp farce
White wine velouté sauce

Broccoli Hollandaise
Braised rice

Orange bavarois with a crème Anglaise

Bavarois is the French name for Bavarian cream, it is a delicate cream dessert with a crème Anglaise base made from either milk, cream or a fruit puree and then aerated with whipped cream and whipped egg whites before being set in the refrigerator with gelatine. It may be a straight vanilla or combined with additional flavourings; such as chocolate, coffee or liqueurs, served on its own as an individual dessert or as a filling for a variety of charlottes, tortes, cakes etc.

I am giving four recipes this week; as Bavarois may be set with either leaf gelatine or gelatine crystals and the recipes for them are slightly different and I would hate to give you a recipe for leaf gelatine if you can only purchase the crystals. I have also included recipes for the two ways of producing flavoured Bavarois; with essences and with a fruit purée.

My trainees are also producing a luncheon menu next week, to be served to other trainee chefs. They are going to serve the final menu of the Titanic; they thought it would be nice if I would / could do a centrepiece for the table; ice carving or margerine sculpture. As I could not get the specialised ice required, I am also busy this weekend crafting a margerine sculpture. But more of that next week . . . so stay tuned for photos of the luncheon dishes and the margerine sculpture next week! Until then, have a crack at this wonderful dessert and if you have any questions on it, remember to email me at tallyrand@xtra.co.nz or just click on the ‘Question for Tallyrand’ link here at Hub-UK.

Basic Bavarois (using gelatine crystals)

Ingredients for Bavarois

eggs	5	pc
castor sugar	100	gm
milk	500	ml
vanilla pod or essence		sq
gelatine crystals	25	gm
cream	200	ml

How to make Bavarois

1.	Bring the milk with the vanilla pod (split lengthways) or essence to the boil
2.	Place the yolks and sugar into a bowl and mix well until light in colour and all sugar has dissolved
3.	Temper the egg mixture by slowly adding half the hot milk to it while constantly stirring.
4.	Stir the tempered egg mixture into the remaining hot milk, and continue to cook over medium heat stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens slightly, enough to coat the back of a spoon.
5.	Thoroughly dissolve the gelatine in boiling water (approx 100 mls), add to the hot egg mixture and stir until the gelatine is fully melted/dissolved (ensure all the dissolved gelatine has been scraped out of the container used)
6.	Place the saucepan in an ice bath and cool the mixture until it just starts to set (room temperature - approx. 18ºC). If the mixture cools below this temperature, the gelatine will begin to set and will not fold smoothly into the whipped cream
7.	Whip the cream to soft peaks and fold it into the gelatine mixture followed by the egg whites (whipped to soft peak stage)
8.	Use as directed to fill cakes, or pour into moulds and chill well before serving

Chef's Tip for Bavarois

The cream maybe whipped ahead of time.

The egg whites should be whipped as close to the point of using as possible. Once whipped they will hold for only approx. 15 minutes only and then revert back to liquid - they cannot be re-whipped !

Due to the small amount being made with this recipe, if the full amount of gelatine is not added (left sticking to the inside of the container) the bavarois will not set fully and may fall apart when removed from the mould.

Basic Bavarois (using leaf gelatine)

Ingredients for Bavarois

eggs	5	pc
castor sugar	100	gm
milk	500	ml
vanilla pod or essence		sq
leaf gelatine	8	pc
whipped cream	200	ml

How to make Bavarois

1.	Place the gelatine sheets in cold water to soften and set aside
2.	Bring the milk with the vanilla pod (split lengthways) or essence to the boil
3.	Place the yolks and sugar into a bowl and mix well until light in colour and all sugar has dissolved
4.	Temper the egg mixture by slowly adding half the hot milk to it while constantly stirring.
5.	Stir the tempered egg mixture into the remaining hot milk, and continue to cook over medium heat stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens slightly, enough to coat the back of a spoon.
6.	Remove the gelatine sheets from the water and squeeze dry, add to the hot egg mixture and stir until the gelatine is fully melted/dissolved.
7.	Place the saucepan in an ice bath and cool the mixture until it just starts to set (room temperature - approx. 18ºC). If the mixture cools below this temperature, the gelatine will begin to set and will not fold smoothly into the whipped cream
8.	Whip the cream to soft peaks and fold it into the gelatine mixture followed by the egg whites (whipped to soft peak stage)
9.	Use as directed to fill cakes, or pour into moulds and chill well before serving

Basic Fruit Bavarois - Orange (sufficient for 5 portions)

Ingredients for Bavarois

orange	1	pc
orange juice	50	ml
orange liqueur: Grand Marnier / Cointreau	50	ml
eggs	2	pc
castor sugar	50	gm
milk	250	ml
orange essence	1	tsp
leaf gelatine	4	pc
cream	125	ml

How to make Bavarois

1.	Place the gelatine sheets in cold water to soften and set aside
2.	Zest and juice the orange, add the extra juice and liqueur, reduce to 30 ml
3.	Bring the milk with the orange essence to the boil
4.	Place the egg yolks and sugar into a bowl and mix well until light in colour and all sugar has dissolved
5.	Temper the egg mixture by slowly adding half the hot milk to it while constantly stirring.
6.	Stir the tempered egg mixture into the remaining hot milk, and continue to cook over medium heat stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens slightly, enough to coat the back of a spoon.
7.	Add the reduction (with or without the zest). It is important that the Anglaise is tasted at this stage and corrected if needed; it should be fairly strong (see chef notes)
8.	Remove the gelatine sheets from the water and squeeze dry, add to the hot egg mixture and stir until the gelatine is fully melted/dissolved.
9.	Place the saucepan in an ice bath and cool the mixture until it just starts to set (room temperature - approx. 18ºC). If the mixture cools below this temperature, the gelatine will begin to set and will not fold smoothly into the whipped cream
10.	Whip the cream to soft peaks and fold it into the Anglaise
11.	Whip the egg whites (to soft peak stage) and fold through the Anglaise
12.	Use as directed to fill cakes, or pour into moulds and chill well before serving

Chef's Tip for Bavarois

The Anglaise must be have a strong orange flavour: when the cream and egg white is added this will dilute the flavour. Also when food is chilled, flavours strength decrease. So this stage is the last chance to correct/increase the flavour and more reduction added.

The zest will help increase the orange flavour intensity.

The cream maybe whipped ahead of time.

The egg whites should be whipped as close to the point of using as possible. Once whipped they will hold for only approx. 15 minutes only and then revert back to liquid - they cannot be re-whipped !

Due to the small amount being made with this recipe, if the full amount of gelatine is not added (left sticking to the inside of the container) the bavarois will not set fully and may fall apart when removed from the mould.

Fruit Bavarois - using soft fruits

Ingredients for Bavarois

fruit purée	500	ml
eggs (separated )	4	pc
sugar	100	gm
gelatine leaves	8	pc
whipped cream	250	ml

How to make Bavarois

1.	Place the yolks and sugar into a bowl and mix well
2.	Bring the fruit puree to the boil
3.	Temper the egg mixture by slowly adding half the hot puree to it while constantly stirring.
4.	Place the gelatine sheets in cold water to soften; remove the gelatine sheets from the water and squeeze dry and add to the warm mixture, stir until the gelatine is fully melted/dissolved.
5.	Place the saucepan in an ice bath and cool the mixture to room temperature - approx. 18°C (If the mixture cools below this temperature, the gelatine will begin to set and will not fold smoothly into the whipped cream)
6.	Whip the cream to medium peaks and fold it into the gelatine mixture. If whipped egg whites are also being incorporated, fold them into the sauce alternately with any desired flavouring.
7.	Use as directed to fill cakes, or mould and chill.

Chef's Tip for Bavarois

If cooling down a liquid in a bowl over ice, sprinkle salt over the ice, it will intensify the coldness and stop the ice from melting so fast, thus cooling down your liquid much quicker.

Fruit essences, juice reduction or liqueurs can also be added to this recipe to increase or add flavour (but no more than 100 ml or it may not set).

Enjoy and bon appetit . . . . .

Published 05 November 2001