Baba Fracas
Cercle V

Baba Fracas

Made with Yuzu Inspiration

An original recipe by David Briand

9 steps

MAKES 12 DESSERTS THAT EACH SERVE 6

Recipe Step by Step

Step01

CRÈME ANGLAISE WITH LEMON ZEST

260 g Heavy cream 36%
260 g Milk
105 g Egg yolks
52 g Sugar
10 g Lemon zest

Bring the cream to a boil along with the milk and lemon zest and leave to infuse for a few minutes. Strain then combine with the premixed (but not until pale) egg yolks and sugar. Heat to 180-185°F (82-84°C) until the mixture coats the back of a spoon. Strain and use immediately or quickly cool and use later
Step02

LEMON AND ALMOND INSPIRATION CRÉMEUX

610 g Crème Anglaise with lemon zest
4 g Gelatin powder 220 Bloom
20 g Water for the gelatin
325 g ALMOND INSPIRATION

Once the crème anglaise is hot, add in the gelatin (which you have rehydrated and sifted in advance). Slowly combine with the melted couverture to make an emulsion using a spatula. Immediately mix using an immersion blender to make a perfect emulsion. Leave to set in the refrigerator
Step03

BABA PASTRY

35 g Strong flour
28 g Whole eggs
1 g Salt
6 g Baker’s yeast
9 g Sugar
21 g Butter
100 g Total weight 

Knead together the flour, eggs, salt and yeast until the dough starts to come away from the sides of the bowl.
Gradually add in the sugar, followed by the butter.
Fill the molds, then leave the dough to rise.
BAKING: In a mold, bake for a few minutes at 390°F (200°C), then turn the temperature down to 340°F (170°C).
Step04

LIME AND YUZU SYRUP

800 g Sugar
10 g Lime zest
730 g Lime juice
1190 g Mineral water
365 g Yuzu juice
26 g Gelatin powder 220 Bloom
130 g Water for the gelatin

Use the sugar, zests, juice and water to make a syrup.
Add the rehydrated gelatin.
Strain.
Step05

ORANGE CONFIT

735 g Orange purée
122 g Liquid glucose DE 35-40
122 g Sugar
12 g Pectin NH

Heat the purée and glucose to 105°F (40°C). Mix the sugar with the pectin NH then add it to the heated purée.
Bring to a boil and store in the refrigerator.
Step06

TRANSPARENT LIME JELLY

60 g Sugar
10 g Pectin NH
225 g Lime juice
225 g Water
75 g Liquid glucose DE 35-40

Mix the sugar and pectin.
Heat up the lime juice, water and glucose.
At 115°F (40°C), add the sugar and pectin mixture, then bring the mix to a boil.
Step07

CRÈME ANGLAISE

337 g UHT cream 35%
337 g Whole UHT milk
135 g Egg yolks
67 g Caster sugar
875 g Total weight

Bring the cream and milk to the boil and pour into the premixed egg yolk-sugar combination (without blanching).
BAKING : Heat to 185°F (84°C). Strain and use immediately or quickly cool and use later.
Step08

VANILLA MOUSSE

875 g Crème Anglaise
10 g Gelatin powder 220 Bloom
100 g Water for the gelatin
1310 g Heavy cream 36%
1540 g OPALYS 33%

Soak the gelatin in plenty of cold water and wring out. Weigh out 600g of hot crème anglaise, melt the gelatin and add in the split and scored vanilla beans. Emulsify with a spatula with the melted chocolate until it has a smooth, glossy, elastic texture. To complete the emulsion, mix using an immersion blender, being careful not to incorporate any air. As soon as the mixture has reached 95-105°F (35-40°C), add in the whipped cream.
Step09

SPARKLING ABSOLU SPRAY

600 g ABSOLU CRISTAL NEUTRAL GLAZE
60 g Water
0 g Sparkling Powder
660 g Total weight 

Bring the Absolu Cristal to the boil in the water.
Add the Sparkling Powder.
Immediately apply using a spray gun at about 175°F (80°C).

Assembly and finishing

Baba Fracas

QS YUZU INSPIRATION
Preparation:
Make the ALMOND INSPIRATION and lemon crémeux and set it aside. Make the baba dough and weigh 100g into 14cm-diameter, 2cm-tall rings, which you have lined with a strip of baking paper. Leave to rise for approx. one hour at 80°F (26°C). Bake in a fan-assisted oven for approx. 20 minutes with a tray on top. Set aside. Make the syrup and pour 260g onto each baba in a 14cm ring. Once each baba has absorbed the syrup, freeze it. Make the orange confit and immediately pour it unequally into 2.5cm half-spheres so that the confit is to a different depth in each one.
Freeze. Make the lime jelly and pour it out into silicone stencils which you have cut into your chosen shapes (see photo). Freeze. Place a 16cm ring around the lime jelly. Use a piping bag with a 10mm nozzle to pipe uneven dabs straight onto the lime jelly, then put the orange confit half-spheres in place. Freeze. Make the vanilla mousse and spread 300g into rings. Put the baba in place and freeze. Turn out the dessert and apply a layer of ABSOLU spray glaze.
Decorations:
Use a very fine grater to grate some YUZU INSPIRATION fèves. Use some pre-set YUZU INSPIRATION to drizzle random lines across the grated couverture and leave them to set. Place the decoration on the dessert (see photo).
Tips:
You can add some rum to the syrup. To do this, replace 600g of the water with gold rum.

Meet the Chef

valrhona.com-portraits-chefs-david-briand
Executive pastry chef, French craftsperson of the year 2019 at Tain l’Hermitage

David Briand

My take on babas is shareable, and the bitter lemon brings such a welcome touch of freshness to the end of a festive meal! DAVID BRIAND

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