Creme Fraiche Cheesecake, Pistachio Sable, Pear Gel, Peach Sorbet and Almond Tuile - Chef Recipe by Daniel Armon

Ingredients

Cheesecake:

400g crème fraiche
200g cream cheese
1 vanilla bean
Juice and zest of half a lemon
55g caster sugar
3 gelatine leaves
80mL milk

Pistachio Sable:

1 cup plain flour
1/4 cup pure icing sugar
112g unsalted butter
1/2 cup roasted and finely chopped pistachio nuts

Pear Gel:

100mL water
100g caster sugar
1 pear, peeled, cored and finely diced
3g agar agar

Almond Tuille:

50g unsalted butter
50g caster sugar
50 g plain flour
50g egg whites
25g almond meal

Peach Sorbet:

500mL peach Boiron puree
250mL water
150g caster sugar
1 cinnamon stick
4 pink peppercorns
50g glucose syrup

Method

Cheesecake:

Whisk together crème fraiche, cream cheese, vanilla seeds, sugar, lemon zest and juice in a food processor.

Bloom gelatine leaves in cold water for 5 minutes.

Warm milk in a saucepan over low heat for 1 minute, then remove from the heat.

Squeeze excess water from gelatine and whisk into warm milk to dissolve.

Add mixture to food processor and combine again.

Chill for four hours or until set.

Pistachio Sable:

Cream butter and icing sugar in mixer. Add flour and mix well.

Roll out mixture onto a lined baking tray and bake at 160 C for 20 minutes.

Roast pistachio nuts at the same time. Once cooled, blitz shortbread and nuts together to form a fine crumb.

Pear Gel:

Combine water, sugar and pears in a saucepan over a medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook until pears are soft.

Blend with a stick blender, return to heat and whisk in agar agar for 5 minutes.

Set in fridge until firm

Blitz in a blender until a smooth gel forms.

Almond Tuille:

Cream butter and sugar together in mixer. Slowly incorporate flour and egg whites. Add almond meal and fold through.

Spread tuille batter onto baking sheets, using a triangle shaped template. Bake at 160 C for 5 minutes until golden. Straight out of the oven, hang over a pin to set in a curved position.

Peach Sorbet:

In a saucepan over a medium heat, bring sugar, water, cinnamon and peppercorns to a simmer.

Take off heat and whisk in glucose, set aside to cool down slightly. Whisk in peach Boiron, allow to cool and then churn in an ice cream maker.

To Serve:

Pipe a line of cheesecake mix onto a bowl, spoon a line of pistachio sable mix alongside the cheesecake and use a pastry scraper to straighten the edges.

Pipe little dots of pear gel onto the cheesecake mix and garnish with viola flowers and micro watercress leaves.

Finish with a quenelle of peach sorbet, resting on the base of the curved almond tuille.