[Paris pastry / 巴黎甜點] Nicolas Paciello 主廚（Fouquet’s）的聖誕節蛋糕創作 / Yule log 2019 of Nicolas Paciello for Fouquet’s (for English, please click “see more”)
前兩天應邀參加 Hôtel Barrière Le Fouquet's Paris 的下午茶體驗，今年九月剛剛離開 Hotel Prince de Galles 加入 Fouquet’s 的甜點主廚 Nicolas Paciello 向我們介紹他過去兩個月幾乎沒日沒夜辛勤工作的成果—— Retaurant Le Joy 的全新下午茶套餐以及今年的聖誕節蛋糕。
1899 年由 Louis Fouquet 創立的 Restaurant Fouquet's Paris 位於巴黎香榭麗謝與喬治五世大道交口，原本是一個酒館、餐廳。採用創始人 Fouquet 的家族姓氏，後面再加上「’s」的英美式用法，賦予它不少時髦意味。今年適逢 120 周年慶的 Fouquet’s 在巴黎是非常知名且歷史悠久的餐廳，每年被譽為「法國奧斯卡」的凱薩獎頒獎典禮餐會都是在這裡舉行，1990 年，Fouquet’s 餐廳也被列為法國歷史遺跡。1998 年，法國賭場與酒店集團 Barrier 買下 Fouquet’s 餐廳與旁邊六棟建築物、創立 Hôtel Barrier Le Fouquet’s Paris，從此 Fouquet’s 變成為一個包含豪華旅館與餐廳、酒吧的品牌，能和周遭林立的豪華酒店如 Four Seasons Hotel George V、Prince de Galles 等比肩。今年三月，位於路口的 Fouquet’s 餐廳因為黃背心運動被大肆破壞，不得不關門整修，直到七月十四日法國國慶日才重新開幕。旅館內的其他餐廳、酒吧如 Le Joy、Le Marta Paris 等也一併經過重新整修。
從隔壁 Prince de Galles 飯店轉職過來的甜點主廚 Nicolas Paciello 為 Fouquet’s 的 Le Joy 餐廳設計了「two courses」的下午茶套餐（48€ /人，含一杯熱飲，另有含一杯香檳的版本€58 / 人）：第一道是包含三明治等鹹點與 scones、cookies（美式餅乾果然很紅吧！）、法式小點心 petit fours 的三層架，第二道則是三樣主廚精選甜點的迷你版，包含開心果閃電泡芙、檸檬塔、巴黎・布列斯特泡芙。
當天 Nicolas Paciello 主廚並為我們介紹了他今年的力作——「La Bûche de Noël de Louis Bouquet」（Louis Fouquet 的聖誕節蛋糕）。他與歷史學家Marion Godfroy-Tayart de Borms 合作設計，參考了 120 年前的流行風格和 Louis Fouquet 本人的喜好，是一款外觀看來非常神秘的蛋糕。放在巧克力雕塑製成的展示高台上的蛋糕，是由濕潤的烘烤杏仁海綿蛋糕（biscuit moelleux à l’amande torréfiée）加上黑巧克力慕斯（mousse de chocolat intense）與糖漬香檸檬（confit de bergamote）組成，隱藏在一層薄薄的杏仁膏之下，鮮紅色的外觀呼應 Fouquet’s 的招牌遮雨檐。我之前也提過，法國現在也在流行減糖，許多甜點都早已顛覆以前法式甜點給人的甜膩印象。而這個蛋糕大概是我過去數年來在法國吃過「最不甜」的蛋糕，主廚 Nicolas 也是刻意如此設計，突出香檸檬的酸味、並用杏仁的香氣和圓潤去中和，讓人在豐盛的聖誕大餐後，仍然能毫無負擔地享用、成為完美的結尾。不過，如果是在平時下午茶品嚐，酸度卻有些過於強烈了。
接下來請大家點開照片一一欣賞主廚的作品，更多當天的影音請參考我的 Instagram 精選動態「Fouquet’s」：https://tinyurl.com/w7kvq2w
🔖 延伸閱讀：
2019 年巴黎聖誕節蛋糕精選：https://tinyurl.com/y6pq87rz
認識更多法國甜點主廚與意見領袖：https://tinyurl.com/y49mhpl3
你不可不知的法式甜點關鍵詞：https://tinyurl.com/y5c99dd8
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I got invited to Hôtel Barrière Le Fouquet’s Paris earlier this week for tasting their tea time at Restaurant Le Joy and the yule log creation. Nicolas Paciello, head pastry chef (former head pastry chef at Hôtel Prince de Galles) of the hotel who just arrived two months ago gave us a warm welcome.
Situated on the intersection of Avenue des Champs-Élyées and Avenue George V, the brasserie-restaurant Fouquet’s was founded by Louis Fouquet in 1899. Louis Fouquet named the restaurant after his family name but added the “’s” to give it a trendy style. Celebrating its 120 anniversaire this year, Fouquet’s is a legendary restaurant in Paris. It holds the gala dinner for Cézar Awards, the French equivalent of Academy awards, each year and was frequented by many celebrities. The main room of Fouquet’s was listed as an "Inventaire des Monuments Historiques” (French historical monument) in 1990. In 1998, Group Barrière, a French casino and luxury hotel group, bought the restaurant and further acquired 6 buildings around it to create Hôtel Barrière Le Fouquet Paris. Fouquet’s has since then become a brand that includes a luxury hotel, symbolic restaurants and bars. Fouquet’s was severely damaged during the Gillet Jaune movement this march and was thus closed for renovation for several months. It re-opened in July on the Bastille Day this year and the restaurants and bars in the hotel also underwent a make-over.
Fouquet’s new head pastry chef Nicolas Paciello created a new tea time menu for Restaurant Le Joy that is composed of two courses: served on a 3-tiered stand, a sweet and savoury selection including scones, cookies, finger sandwiches, and petit fours comes first, followed by 3 chef’s signature pastries in mini form: pistachio éclairs, lemon tart, and Paris-Brest.
The chef also presented us his Christmas cake creation in tribute to the founder of Fouquet's, “La Bûche de Noël de Louis Fouquet”. In collaboration with the historian Marion Godfroy-Tayart de Borms, this yule log pays great attention to the fashion back to 120 years ago as well as the preference of Louis Fouquet himself. This mysterious-looking cake sits on a high stand made of chocolate and is covered by a thin layer of almond paste, whose vivid color clearly refers to the brasserie’s distinctive red awnings on Charmps-Élysées. The cake itself is made of a moist roasted almond sponge cake, a dark chocolate mousse as well as a bergamot confit. Now that a “less-sugar” trend seems to sweep the French pastry industry, many pastries and desserts here in Paris are much less sweet and filling compared to before. With a rather strong acidity of the bergamot orange rounded by almonds biscuit and chocolate cream, the cake is probably the least sweet cake I’ve ever tasted in recent years. The chef Nicolas has made it on purpose so that it’s light enough to be enjoyed at the end of a Christmas feast. However, if you taste it during tea time in normal days, you might find yourself crave more sweetness.
Click on the photos and have a closer look to the divine pastries and wonderful work of the chef. More videos and experiences in live could be found in my featured stories “Fouquet’s” on Instagram: https://tinyurl.com/w7kvq2w
🔖 You might also be interested:
2019 Paris Christmas cakes: https://tinyurl.com/y6pq87rz
Getting to know more French pastry chefs and influencers: https://tinyurl.com/y49mhpl3
French pastry keywords that you have to know: https://tinyurl.com/y5c99dd8
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