Hichem Lahreche
Kinkead’s | Washington DC

Pastry Chef Hichem Lahreche was born in the North African capital Algiers but it was his French mother’s natural and precise cooking style that inspired an early love for pastries and cooking. Professionally, he went on to study physics and excel at professional tennis acquiring an appetite for knowledge and commitment to the scientific method that would later translate to his flavor philosophy. In 1993 Lahreche dropped everything for pastry and began working his way through top kitchens in DC beginning with Michel Richard of Citronelle. An eternal student, Lahreche continued his education with classes in confectionary, the technology of ice-cream and sorbet making and master chocolate making. As Executive Pastry Chef of Kinkead’s, Lahreche applies modern scientific techniques to recreate and personalize the classic French pastries that inspired him in Paris at Le Notre and Fauchon. In dishes like his Pineapple Tatin and Lemon Chibouste, Lahreche builds a dessert inspired by classic French desserts like the Tarte Tatin; an ultra-thin layer of crisp pastry and caramelized pineapple are complimented by a creamy, tart lemon chibouste.

Pineapple Tatin with Lemon Chibouste
Pastry Hichem Lahreche of Kinkead’s – Washington, D.C.
Adapted by StarChefs.com

Yield: 6 Portions

Ingredients:

Method:
For the Lemon Chibouste:
Bring the lemon juice and heavy cream to a boil. Whisk together the egg yolks and corn starch. Temper in the egg yolk and corn starch mixture, and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Add the gelatin and continue whisking until combined. Set aside and allow to cool. Whip the egg whites, sugar and glucose syrup into a meringue. Once cool, fold in the lemon mixture and spread immediately onto a sheet pan lined with a Silpat. Chill in the freezer once set.

For the Caramelized Pineapple:
Mix the pineapple and vanilla and allow to macerate for 20 minutes. Using a hot pan, make a dry caramel and add the pineapple. Cook until the water has evaporated, stirring occasionally.

For the Banana Caramel Sauce:
Mix the banana purée and lemon juice and set aside. Bring the vanilla bean, salt, milk and cream to a boil and strain. Heat the sugar and water to make a dark caramel and deglaze with the rum, then add the vanilla cream. Add the banana purée to the cream, whisk to combine, and gradually chill.

For the Coconut Ice Cream:
Warm the milk and cream. Add the milk powder and trimoline, whisking well. Next add the glucose powder, saccharose, ice cream stabilizer and the monostearate. Bring to a boil. Rapidly cool the mix over ice to 3ºC and allow to mature for 24 hours in the refrigerator. The following day, mix in the coconut purée and churn in the ice cream machine. Reserve in freezer until ready to use.

To Assemble and Serve:
Place a ring over the puff pastry disk and fill will Caramelized Pineapple. Remove ring and gently place a disk of Lemon Chibouste on top. Top with a quenelle of Coconut Ice Cream and a pineapple crisp.