Ferrandi Paris Diary: week 4 recap.

I entered week 4 at Ferrandi Paris still feeling a little deflated and unsure of what to expect next. This week we focused on croquembouche, guided by Chef Simon Bienvenu.

Our first challenge was the language barrier, Chef Simon didn't speak any English, so we had Chef Arnaud in the room to translate. Watching Chef Simon communicate passionately in French while Chef Arnaud translated in real time felt a bit like a pastry themed game of telephone, chaotic yet poetic. Despite the hurdle, the week went suprisingly well. I feel we gained a lot of valuable insight and practical tips from Chef Simon.

We made two Croquembouche, a modern take on the traditional tower, and one shaped like an egg, fitting for the recent easter holiday.

Both began with a nougatine base. Nougatine is similar to brittle, made from sugar, glucose and nuts. While hot, it can be rolled, cut and molded. We started by rolling and cutting two larger pieces of nougatine, then molded them, while still warm, into shape using a large easter egg mold. Since there weren't enough molds for everyone, we worked in pairs. Each half had to cool completely before the next could be shaped. If moved too soon, it risked collapsing. While we waited, we cut out the squares we needed for the "cube" shapes that would form the tiers of the tower.

Earlier in the week, we made and piped two types of choux pastry, plain and chocolate, freezing them raw, which is typical in professional kitchens. Freezing them like this helps preserve their size and shape and reduces the risk of freezer burn or discolouration. Once ready to bake, we sprayed them lightly with oil to give them a glossy, egg-washed look.

After baking and cooling, we prepared a caramel, which we poured into silicone molds before placing the choux inside. Once set, this created a beautiful, crisp caramel coating on top. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't terrified of burning myself with molten sugar. The caramel looked beautiful, but that pot was pure danger. Some of the plain choux were also filled with crème pâtissière for the top tier of the tower.

Next came the decorations. For the plain tower, we used pastillage, a thick sugar paste similar to gum paste. We cut three different sizes of squares for each tier and smaller rectangular pieces to place between them. By the time we finished cutting pastillage squares I swear I could see geometric shapes every time I blinked. It was like edible oragami gone wild.

For the chocolate egg, we created a base from chocolate and added chocolate "cigarettes" to resemble a nest. We first tried using chocolate filled balloons to create a rounded base, held between two making trays and wrapped to shape. The chocolate balloon experiment was going well... until it wasn't. One ballon popped with a dramatic bang and a splash of chocolate up Chef Simon's sleeve. That was the end of that idea, though it did give us a good laugh. So instead, we poured chocolate into a ring mold and carved it to the desired shape once set.

Then came assembly. We used isomalt as our edible glue, starting with the nougatine structure. We stacked cubes from the largest to smalles, adding the rectangular tiers between, and glued them all in place. Then, we worked layer by layer, attaching the choux and decorations, finishing with gold leaf for a touch of elegance.

The egg shaped crouqembouch was assembled similarly, gluing the halves together, adding choux from base to top, then setting the whole piece on the chocolate base, We arranged the chocolate "cigarettes" around the base to form a "nest" and complete the look. Even after all the prep, piping and panicking, watching my final towers come together felt like magic. Sticky, time consuming magic.

Assembling the croquembouche felt less like pastry work at times and more like an engineering challenge. At one point I genuinely considered Googling "how to reinforce a sugar structure" or calling a structural engineer. Honestly, I think I've seen IKEA shelving with fewer assembly steps.

When we finally stepped back and looked at the croquembouche, we let out a gasp... mostly in disbelief that it hadn't collapsed. Honestly, I half expected to return from lunch to find it in a sad, sugary pile on the bench, like a scene from a culiunary crime drama.

All in all, this was a great week, one that also reminded me of home. Croquembouche is traditionally served at special occaisions, like weddings, baptisms, first communions, birthdays and anniversaries. My parents, Colin and Andrea, had one at their wedding, and finally creating one myself felt deeply meaningful. I was proud, but also a bit emotional, grateful for everything they've supported me through and helped me achieve. Thanks Mum and Dad, I wouldn't have beeen able to do it without you.

Signing off before I eat another choux bun "for quality control."

À bientôt, Willoh