How the world’s top pastry chefs turn berries into culinary art: Nicolas Lambert, Cédric Grolet and Dominique Ansel have won awards from the Michelin Guide and World’s 50 Best Restaurants
- Celebrity pastry chef Grolet has more than 11 million Instagram followers and shops in Paris, London, Singapore and Saint-Tropez, while fellow Frenchman Lambert works at the Four Seasons Dubai
- Ansel made a name for himself in New York when he created the cronut in May 2013; since then he’s offered a new flavour every month, some of them involving berries
When asked what his favourite berries are, senior executive pastry chef Nicolas Lambert at the Four Seasons Dubai doesn’t hesitate to answer: raspberries.
“They are acidic, but at the same time full of flavour. It’s good for pastry chefs to play with different flavours,” he tells Style. “They also bring back good memories of my childhood because we had lots of raspberry bushes at home.”
Lambert grew up in Vosges, on the border of Alsace in northeastern France, where other berries including strawberries and blueberries flourished in the mountain air.
“There are two kinds of blueberries. There are the big ones with white flesh but not too much taste, and then the small ones – the flesh is blue too and is super good and super tasty,” he explains.
Working in Dubai, Lambert has witnessed the United Arab Emirates accelerate development in cultivating its own berries.
“I started [here] three years ago, and it was difficult to find good products. But in the last two years the World’s 50 Best Restaurants and Michelin came – they made the city develop its gastronomy side,” he says. “During most of the year, I work with local strawberries … there are many farms in Dubai now.”
In July and August he imports strawberries from France, like the thin oval-shaped gariguette, which is at its prime during this short period. When Lambert creates desserts, he wants to retain the natural flavours of the berries, which is why he uses less sugar.
“I like to associate berries with vanilla, honey and white cheese, and now I like to play with berries and herbs – strawberry and basil, strawberry and mint, and tarragon with raspberry are good,” he says. “With strawberry and basil, the basil enhances the flavour of the strawberry and adds some freshness.”
Lambert doesn’t usually use chocolate with berries because the taste of the former is overwhelming, though he will use it with blackberries because they are more fruity and flavourful, and have less acidity.