Sharp tang of lemon provides a refreshing wake up for the taste buds this summer
Tracey Furniss
Lemon is the new chocolate - in the hot weather at least. There is nothing that screams summer more than the sharp tang of lemon in a dessert. It wakes the taste buds up in a refreshing way, while no sweet tooth is required.
We have tried two incredible lemon desserts from Seasons by Olivier e and The First Floor by Lifestyle Federation.
Talented pastry chef Victor Chan at Seasons by Olivier e has created the Lemon Curd Feuillantine with yoghurt ice cream. It is a delicious combination of tart lemon and rich butter with a sprinkling of lemon peel, enhancing the texture and aroma.
With a fluffy sponge base, the dessert is delicately smooth with a refreshing sharp bite. "I focused on the sponge cake and lemon curd. I tried many textures for the cake like lady finger-style and some harder combinations," says Chan, who has been a chef for eight years. "After, I decided it should be a little bit soft to balance the smoothness of the lemon curd."
Chan has learned from the best, namely Joël Robuchon and the chefs at Amber. "I have been a pastry chef now for two years," he says. "And I have had good experience with the best."
Chef de cuisine Kit Cheung at The First Floor by Lifestyle Federation also learnt from the best too, namely at SPOON by Alain Ducasse and Caprice where he was a pastry chef.
Cheung has created a yoghurt and honey crème with lemon curd dessert. "The lemon curd dessert has an outer crown shape made of white chocolate," Cheung says. "The bottom layer inside the chocolate crown is yogurt cream with some honey crème dotted on top."
The lemon curd dessert sits in the middle, with hazelnut and caramel placed on the side as a garnish. "Normally, lemon curd is a standalone dessert but lemon usually tastes quite sour so we wanted to create a well-balanced dish - which is why we brought in yogurt crème, white chocolate and the other sweeter ingredients," Cheung says.
