Nicolas Lambert | Produits Laitiers de France

Nicolas Lambert

Chef NICOLAS LAMBERT comes from a family of pastry chefs and bakers, and is one of the most promising pastry chefs of his generation. After having worked at a series of prestigious places such as the Plaza Athénée, he settled down in Hong Kong, where he was voted the Best Pastry chef in 2016 by the Tatler magazine. Today, he is the head pastry chef at the Michelin two-star Caprice restaurant at the Four Seasons Hong Kong.

How important is cream in your pastry-making?

Nicolas Lambert :

Cream is a basic ingredient in my pastrymaking. I use European cream for the very light texture and a certain creaminess that it gives to my desserts.

How do you process and use cream?

Nicolas Lambert :

What I find really interesting about working with cream, is that you get to play with all these textures: it makes a mousse all light and fluffy, gives you a creamy Chantilly cream, and even a gelatinous panna cotta… You can use it cold, warm or as a sauce…

With cream, you get to play with all these textures

What does cream remind you of?

Nicolas Lambert :

When I think about cream, I immediately visualise this really velvety cream that you may find in a pastry bag or on gelato. It’s the delicious and creamy aspect that I think about!

What is your favourite cream cake? Which of your creations best highlights the role of cream?

Nicolas Lambert :

My creation that best highlights the role of cream? That will have to be the dessert that I made today! I love combining cream with pavlova: combining the crunch of the meringue with the freshness and lightness of cream. I don’t add any sugar to the cream, as the sugar of the meringue will sweeten it. When they are eaten together, there is something quite holistic there that is truly balanced!

Any advice on how to use/ handle cream for your peers?

Nicolas Lambert :

Personally, the most important thing that any pastry chef should never forget is that a pastry is essentially made to be eaten, and not for photos, magazines, social media, etc. It is thus very important to work with the right products, good-quality products and seasonal fruits.