The bold and the beautiful - Brisbane

Mellow yellow: Brad Jolly and his pineapple dessert at Alchemy

Nesting delight: Urbane's spiced quince and green aniseed doughnut, mandarin peel and lavender ice cream (aka the bird's nest) is a work of art.

Photography by Bruce Long

Granada's bizcocho borracho

When it comes to sweet things, Brisbane's best chefs and bakers are going for maximum impact, writes Fiona Donnelly.

What does it say about Brisbane's restaurant scene that so many of our top-ranking fine diners include the humble doughnut as part of their dessert menus?

Perhaps not what you'd first think. The doughnuts in question are anything but dumbed-down. These dough babies are styled to appeal to the most sophisticated of diners and their inclusion signals that while we've grown in culinary terms, no-one is about to start taking themselves too seriously. Strawberry jam-filled doughnuts partnered with cinnamon ice cream are a regular at Aria, while at degustation-only pit-stop The Buffalo Club they might appear stuffed with pureed pumpkin and scented with vanilla, or arrive with a banana jam, vanilla milk pannacotta and chocolate "powder".

At Urbane, doughnuts turn up transformed into a life-like bird's nest and even the biggest fan might have difficulty recognising them as doughnuts.

Pastry chef for The Euro and Urbane, Shaun Quade, admits he likes his sweet offerings to be unique, and this can provoke strong reactions from patrons.

"Some people totally freak out when they get the nest put in front of them but by the end they are always converted," he says.

Alchemy co-owner and chef Brad Jolly, a confessed sweet-tooth, also likes to make a visual impact - particularly when it comes to the finale.

He's preoccupied with balance and says one of the big trends in desserts now is the inclusion of more savoury elements. He aims to create a well structured, mini degustation on a plate.

"I like salt and use it a lot in desserts because it brings out the flavour. Sherry vinegar also adds sharpness, counteracting any sweetness or heaviness with the cream," he says.

Javier Codina, chef-owner at Moda is another advocate for a light touch. "My approach, now more than ever, is I want diners to enjoy desserts - so they are not so heavy in the sweetness," he says. Javier views the final course as an opportunity to show off his classical technique. "My desserts are not as rustic as the rest of the menu. I try to put an effort in to make a really vibrant presentation."

He says diners are starting to ask more for shared sweet plates and chefs and owners are becoming much happier to accommodate this.

For David Steeden, owner-chef at Spanish hot-spot Granada, sending a diner home with a sweet taste in their mouths is a balancing act. His sweets all sell for $9 a serve and everything is created from scratch in-house. He tries to avoid some of the more obvious dessert choices - like pannacotta, lemon tart and creme brulee.

WORK OF ART

Urbane's spiced quince & green aniseed doughnut, mandarin peel & lavender ice cream (aka the bird's nest) Just assembling this mini work of art involves a series of steps so intricate it's almost impossible to describe. How pastry-chef Shaun Quade manages to reproduce it nightly is a mystery. Everything is edible. The nest is made from mandarin and dark chocolate doughnut dough that's been made into noodles and deep fried. Mandarin peel is threaded through the nest, woven with quince jelly strands and micro herbs like lemon thyme and purple shiso. Egg number one holds an oval of lavender and black rice ice cream. Egg two conceals green aniseed and chocolate dough beneath a crisp Isomalt shell.

* 181 Mary Street, Brisbane; ph 3229 2271

FESTIVAL OF FRUIT

Alchemy's baked pineapple cake with gold dusted pineapple jelly and mandarin ice cream.

Brad Jolly's pineapple cake is a primer on how to create wow factor, while respecting the integrity of the dessert classics.

This butter-rich, soft and yielding "cake" is made to order, studded with caramelised pineapple chunks and topped with frangipane. An eye-catching wafer-thin dehydrated disk of pineapple provides more eye appeal.

Segments of mandarin help to cut any excess sweetness, as does a fresh-tasting mandarin ice cream made in a gelato style. Gold-dusted jelly cubes ensure your last impression is memorable.

*175 Eagle St, Brisbane; ph 3229 3175

CREAM OF THE CROP

Granada's bizcocho borracho Love good, old-fashioned trifle and relish Spanish flavours?

You'll fall for this creamy, booze-laden indulgence in a flash. Pedro Ximenez, a richly flavoured raisin-toffee redolent sherry works brilliantly in desserts. Here it's used to saturate small sponge cubes which sit alongside wobbly squares of blood orange jelly.

Dished in a pretty ceramic bowl, it's crowned with a creamy mixture of mascarpone, more Pedro Ximenez and a fine dusting of grated chocolate.

*154 Melbourne Street, South Brisbane; ph 3844 4757

DARK DELIGHTS

Moda's chocolate tapas This plate is an exploration of chocolate, offering a range of flavour, texture and temperature, all variations on a cocoa theme. The cute mini fondant is made when the order is placed and arrives still warm and oozy inside; alongside is a cool quenelle of white chocolate sorbet and another oval of rich, lightly textured white chocolate and coffee ganache. Tiny tiles of sweet pomegranate jelly are dusted with bitter cocoa and a chocolate creme brulee is freeform but arrives with a crisp top, just as it should. At the base is a "soil" or crumble mix of almonds, sugar, butter and dark Valrhona couverture.

* 12 Edward St, Brisbane; ph 3221 7655

FRENCH FLAVOUR

Chouquette's chocolate macaron

The macaron flavours change daily at this popular New Farm French patisserie but Paristrained pastry chef Clement Bazin always includes a chocolate treat in the line-up.

The exterior shells are lightly crunchy, the inside chewy, well- flavoured and sandwiched together with a chocolate praline filling. Other flavours could include lemon to rich caramel with a salted butter caramel filling.

*19 Barker St, New Farm; ph 3358 6336

Serves 6

BLOOD ORANGE JELLY

200ml blood orange juice (substitute regular orange juice if unavailable)20g caster sugar1 gelatine leaf

SPONGE

5 eggs160g caster sugar150g plain flour60g melted butter

TRIFLE TOPPING

4 eggs, separated130g caster sugar250g mascarpone250ml cream30ml Pedro Ximenez sherry

Method:

To make the jelly, heat all ingredients in small pot until dissolved, then set overnight in a jelly tray in the fridge.To make the sponge, beat eggs and sugar for 6 to 8 minutes until firm and pale. Sift in flour then gently fold through mixture then stir in butter. Place in 24cm round cake tin and bake for 45 to 50 minutes at 170 C.To prepare the topping, beat egg yolks and 65g of the sugar until pale white in colour. Add mascarpone, cream and sherry and beat until it is the texture of soft whipped cream.Separately beat egg whites and remaining sugar until soft white peaks form. Gently stir both mixtures together.To assemble the trifle, cut cooled sponge into 2cm square cubes then place about 8 cubes in each of the small serving bowls. Freeze any extra sponge for use later.Splash over good quality Pedro Ximenez sherry, at least 2 tablespoons per serve. Then top with the trifle topping so sponge pieces are covered.Lastly, garnish with 4 small cubes of the jelly and some finely grated chocolate.

Taste.com.au - The Courier-Mail - October 2010, Page 8

Fiona Donnelly

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