Name: Baba au rhum with bitter orange cream and citrus salad
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 80 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 210 gm plain flour; ¾ tsp dried yeast; 3 eggs; 60 gm butter, softened; 1 tsp honey; 1 tbsp apricot jam; Citrus salad; 300 gm white sugar; 600 ml fresh orange juice; 2 each of orange and grapefruit, peeled and segmented; Bitter orange cream; 3 egg yolks; 50 gm caster sugar; 25 gm plain flour; 250 ml milk (1 cup); 125 gm fine-cut orange marmalade; 150 ml pouring cream, whipped to soft peaks; Citrus syrup; 250 gm white sugar; 1 orange and 1 lemon, rind removed with a vegetable peeler; 1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped; 200 ml golden rum (or to taste)

Baba au rhum with bitter orange cream and citrus salad

Australian Gourmet Traveller recipe for baba au rhum with bitter orange cream and citrus salad by chef Philippe Mouchel from Melbourne restaurant The Brasserie by Philippe Mouchel.

Loading the player...

Serves 4

Prep

35M

Cook

45M

Total

1H 20M

“I dined at The Brasserie by Philippe Mouchel at Melbourne’s Crown with colleagues, and those who didn’t order the sensational baba au rhum wished they had. Please persuade Philippe Mouchel to part with his recipe.”

Christine McCraith, Canterbury, Vic

To request a recipe, write to Fare Exchange, , GPO Box 4088, Sydney, NSW 2001, or email us. All requests should include the restaurant’s name and address or business card, as well as your name and address.

Ingredients

210 gm plain flour

¾ tsp dried yeast

3 eggs

60 gm butter, softened

1 tsp honey

1 tbsp apricot jam

Citrus salad

300 gm white sugar

600 ml fresh orange juice

2 each of orange and grapefruit, peeled and segmented

Bitter orange cream

3 egg yolks

50 gm caster sugar

25 gm plain flour

250 ml milk (1 cup)

125 gm fine-cut orange marmalade

150 ml pouring cream, whipped to soft peaks

Citrus syrup

250 gm white sugar

1 orange and 1 lemon, rind removed with a vegetable peeler

1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped

200 ml golden rum (or to taste)

Method

Main

1.Preheat oven to 170C. Combine flour, yeast and a pinch of salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add eggs, butter and honey and mix until dough is elastic. Divide dough among 4 lightly greased 100ml-capacity dariole moulds, cover with a damp tea towel and stand in a warm place until double in size (30-40 minutes). Bake until golden and babas sound hollow when tapped (15-20 minutes). Remove from moulds and place in a shallow dish. Keep warm.

2.Meanwhile, for citrus salad, heat sugar in a frying pan over medium heat until dark caramel (10-15 minutes). Add juice (be careful as it will spit), bring to the boil and cook, stirring to dissolve caramel, until reduced by one third (5-10 minutes). Cool, add citrus segments, cover and refrigerate.

3.For bitter orange cream, whisk together yolks and sugar in a bowl until combined, then add flour and whisk to combine. Bring milk just to the boil over medium heat (5-7 minutes), gradually pour over egg yolk mixture, whisking to combine. Transfer to a clean saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring continuously, until thick (3-5 minutes). Set aside to cool, then refrigerate until chilled. Stir in marmalade to combine and fold through cream. Cover and refrigerate until needed. Makes 2 cups.

4.For citrus syrup, combine all ingredients except rum in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves and syrup is warm (3-5 minutes). Add rum, pour over warm babas and turn frequently to soak in syrup until almost all is absorbed (10-15 minutes).

5.Meanwhile, combine jam and 2 tsp water in a small saucepan and stir over medium heat until jam dissolves. Brush over babas, then serve with citrus salad and bitter orange cream.

Philippe Mouchel

Styling by Élodie Rambaud