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Le "gratin de fruits rouges de Laetitia": Laetitia’s red berry gratin
| 2009-09-08 Marc Haeberlin’s gratin de fruits rouges was invented for L’Auberge de l’Ill just after his daughter Laetitia’s birth in 1976. The popular dessert has been featured on the menu of Alsace’s most celebrated inn ever since. Surprisingly simple to prepare at home, this flavourful gratin is a perfect blend of hot and cold. Adaptable, it can be made any time of year with seasonal fruit: red berries in summer, pears in autumn, clementines in winter… A far cry from the delicate mousses which pastry chefs seem to favour nowadays, this is a hearty family dessert which calls on old-fashioned ladyfingers or boudoir biscuits soaked in brandy to give the sabayon, coulis and ice cream their structure. The berries are used whole instead of crushed or pureed. The key to success is the raspberry brandy - only the best will do. I recommend the exceptionally delicate and heady eau de vie de framboises made by Marcel Windholtz, in Ribeauvillé, Alsace. Windholtz’s brandy is made from a strain of Alsatian raspberries with a potent aroma which will give your gratin an exciting intensity. His wild raspberry brandy, on the other hand, is a bit less subtle, as it is made from frozen Eastern European raspberries and the original flavours are somewhat altered. In any case, Marc Haeberlin’s gratin de fruits rouges is a timeless dessert - sweet, delicious and full of love! The recipe 60 g sugar 3 egg yolks Ladyfingers, boudoir or pink champagne biscuits Raspberry brandy (eau-de-vie de framboises) 250 g red or mixed berries 125 g whipped cream ¼ litre vanilla ice cream 125 g raspberry coulis Put the sugar and 3 egg yolks in a saucepan. Whisk over a low flame until the sabayon doubles in volume, foams and thickens, then put it aside to cool. Once cool, stir in a bit of raspberry brandy, add 4 tablespoons whipped cream and stir again. Soak the ladyfingers or champagne biscuits in raspberry brandy. Take a scoop of vanilla ice cream, flatten it, sprinkle with biscuit crumbs and a few berries (raspberries, blackberries, strawberries…) and drizzle with raspberry coulis. Top with the sabayon. Brown in an oven (or broil under a salamander). Sprinkle with icing sugar and serve. To drink with the gratin...Why not choose a wine from Alsace to accompany this classic Alsatian dessert? The best choices are the late harvest wines labelled VT (vendanges tardives - late harvest) or SGN (sélection de grains nobles - selection of noble grapes). These vintages, high in sugar content, have fresh, mineral nuances which complement the dessert without overpowering the palate. I recommend Domaine Trimbach, Weinbach, Pierre Frick, André Ostertag or Zind-Humbrecht - all reliable, reputable winegrowers. Less well-known, and therefore less expensive, the wines of Lucas Rieffel, a young and promising vintner in Mittelbergheim, have a rare elegance and integrity. AddressesL'Auberge de l'Ill 2, rue de Collonges au Mont d’Or 68970 Illhaeusern Tel.: (33) 03 89 71 89 00 Distillerie M. Windholtz 31, rue du Général De Gaulle 68150 Ribeauvillé France Tel: (33) 03 89 73 66 64 |
