The Odeon’s summer jubilee: the cherry on the pistachio
At theOdéonchef Benjamin Garin offers Jubilé cherries with homemade Piedmont pistachio ice cream. This summer dessert combines lightness at the end of a meal with depth of flavor. The fruit is pan-fried, then flambéed with kirsch, a cherry alcohol that was an obvious choice to enhance the flavors. A touch of crème de cassis intensifies the taste of the red fruit. The result is a dense, fragrant, slightly alcoholic juice, in which the cherries, still whole, add a lovely chewiness that goes wonderfully with the creaminess of the ice cream.
The perfect match: cherry and pistachio
To accompany this intense juice, Benjamin makes a creamy, full-bodied pistachio ice cream. “If I have an ice cream, there’s always a pistachio scoop,” he confides. So it’s a joy for him to combine his favorite flavor with cherries. The milky, slightly bitter taste of pistachio ice cream meets the tart sweetness of the fruit. A harmonious, powerful dessert, in which the cherry syrup coats the ice cream. Crushed pistachio slivers add a crunchy touch and a well-balanced texture.
The inspiration came from a recipe in a book by Jean-François Piège, where the cherries were cooked in butter and then deglazed with caramel. Benjamin immediately imagined a lighter, more fruity version. Right from the start, the Jubilé was clear in his mind and validated on the first try. The chef has a fine collection of cookery books. He drew inspiration from them, combining ideas and transforming them in his own way.
An evolving signature
Given the success of the Jubilé cherries, Benjamin doesn’t intend to stop there. At the end of the summer, Valais apricots will take over, accompanied by almond ice cream. He plans to deglaze the fruit with apricotine or lavender alcohol, for a floral touch. The spirit remains the same: flambéed fruit, minute ice cream, reduced juice and a subtle balance of flavors. A chef’s dessert, in the spirit of a brasserie. It’s the chef’s way of combining tradition and creativity, without ever losing sight of what’s essential: the customer’s pleasure and gourmet pleasure.
