Ca
France

The pastry chef of Lasserre, Reserve de Beaulieu Sénéquier and Tarte tropézienne, PHILIPPE GROUILLER rose to the most important position for a restaurant dessert chef. As a pastry chef, chocolatier, ice-cream connoisseur and confectioner, Philippe made his debut in the Patisserie Kaczmarski in Riorges, then went on to receive Michelin stars at Alain Chapel, Lasserre and Réserve.

What role does cream play in your baking?
Philippe Grouiller :

All our cakes are made from cream… Tropezienne cream. We always come back to it. It’s very different from usual creams. It’s lighter and has a special texture: gourmet, structured and holds up over time. This is a cream that contains a lot of fat and comes from a 60-year-old recipe.

How do you manipulate cream in your baking?
Philippe Grouiller :

In whipped cream, we add mascarpone and sugar or a mixture of liquid cream and heavy cream: it creates a chemical reaction that adds a little stability and strength. It doesn’t stay on the tongue the same way as mascarpone; the taste is more neutral.

All our cakes are made from cream
What are its uses?
Philippe Grouiller :

We use it mostly in Chantilly whipped creams, as a chocolate mousse base, for example (made of chocolate zabaglione, whipped cream made from unsweetened cream and eggs). It’s so light and smooth!

What is the best dish you've ever created using cream?
Philippe Grouiller :

A dessert based on chestnut cream, grannysmith apple mousse and blackcurrant confit.

Cream: would you say that you like it alot, passionately, or are absolutely mad about it?
Philippe Grouiller :

Passionately.

What is your favourite cream cake?
Philippe Grouiller :

Cream puffs, of course! Or Saint Honoré, which I find very rich and more complex with its layers, caramel and puff pastry.

Usefull information

LA TARTE TROPÉZIENNE

Saint-Tropez

Discover the chef's recipes