Recipe: Croquembouche
Croquembouche is a dessert made with stacked creampuffs (profiteroles) and joined and decorated with strands of golden caramelized sugar. Often quite towering when served at weddings or on holidays, a smaller version of this impressive dessert is ideal as a romantic indulgence for two or as the finale of a special dinner.
Pre-made and filled profiteroles are widely available at many grocery stores, specialty markets and bakeries.
Profiteroles:
Ingredients:
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 eggs
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- In a heavy suacepan over medium heat, bring the first three ingredients to a boil. Reduce heat to low and slowly add the flour, stir constantly until the flour is cooked, about 4 minutes.
- Remove from heat and let mixture cool. When cool, stir in eggs one at a time.
- Whisk until mixture is smooth.
- Put mixture in a pastry bag with a wide tip and pipe into 1" mounds on parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 18 minutes, until golden brown.
- To avoid falling, don't open oven door until baked.
Ingredients:
- 2 C heavy whipping cream
- ¼ C granulated sugar
- 5 TBS water
- 1 scraped vanilla bean pod
- Put the sugar, water and vanilla bean pod into a small saucepan and heat on medium low until sugar dissolves, stirring occassionally.
- Cool. Remove vanilla pod. In a large chilled stainless steel bowl, beat whipping cream with an electric mixer on medium-high. As it thickens, gradually add the sugar mixture to the bowl in a steady stream.
- Continue beating until cream forms peaks. Place in a pastry bag with a large tip to fill profiteroles.
Ingredients:
- 5 cups sugar
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 TBS water
- In a large heavy saucepan, mix all ingredients on low heat until sugar is dissolved.
- Turn heat up to medium.
- When caramel starts to form (when it start to tun brown), turn heat to low.
About Chef Daan Jetten:
A native of Amsterdam, supperclub's Executive Chef Daan Jetten has benefitted from that city's eclectic and bohemian arts and culinary influences. "The variety of cultures, the diversity, and the openness of Amsterdam is very similar to what I've found in San Francisco," said Jetten, "so I think my food works very nicely here."
Jetten began his culinary career cooking on a private luxury yacht in the Mediterranean. Fired up with enthusiasm, he returned to Amsterdam where he honed his craft and culinary sensibilities at several French restaurants in the city, eventually joining Chef Hans Van Wolde's sleek 2-Michellin Star Restaurant Beluga in Maastricht, the Netherlands.
Jetten went on to work at supperclub's original location in Amsterdam as its Executive Chef. In mid-2009, Jetten was asked to come to San Francisco to take over for departing Executive Chef Guus Wickenhagen who was heading to London to launch supperclub's newest location there.
In his tenure here, Jetten has already worked with a number of local celebrity chefs including Hubert Keller, Roland Passot, Jamie Lauren, and Jennie Lorenzo. Jetten describes his food style as 'International' and draws from a variety of global influences. While trained in classical French preparations, Jetten feels that stringent adherence to classicism can be "a bit boring and predicable." He favors lighter, healthier fare and his guests appreciate that.
"I love all of the local produce and the many excellent artisan purveyors that are here in the San Francisco Bay Area," he added. "Their love for the actual product is really impressive, and I like the strong relationships we have with them." To illustrate, Jetten mentions a recipe of his that features barbequed Liberty Duck served with a mousse of locally-grown organic cabbage and parsnips, with an apple salad and duck foam. "There's such variety here-so it's fun to be creative and surprise our guests."
Supperclub San Francisco
657 Harrison Street
San Francisco, CA 94107-1312
Phone: (415) 348-0900
Website: www.supperclub.com
