Surprise, surprise...
As I was reading the Times a couple of weeks ago, I found myself wondering as why on earth our Louis XV Crunchy Pralin with gold leaves was on a full page spread!
I thought that our PR company had managed to pull an amazing trick.: Full Page in The Times free of charge!
That is when I realised that Sainsbury's had just released their new line :
Taste The Difference
The Times was not showing a great picture of our Louis XV Crunchy- Pralin; no! they were advertising the DOUBLE CHOCOLATE & PRALIN CRUNCH.
A very close cousin of our star dish here at Gauthier Soho.
And to make the resemblance even more pronounced, they added a magnificent piece of Gold Leave on the top of their PRALIN CRUNCH. Just like us!
I could not wait to try this new "original" product from the new "original" line of Sainsbury's.
I called Clive and asked him to rush to our nearest Sainsbury's and get one as soon as possible; I would try it as soon as I got home at night.
I spent the day wondering how awful this copy could be. I was certain that they would have messed up the entire pudding. I had the feeling that it was going to be a disaster- and I was quite happy about that.
How on earth could a chain of supermarket like Sainsbury produce such an exquisite and refined classical French patisserie.
When Alain Ducasse created this dish, he thought about the crunchiness of the praline topped by a very light and intense chocolate mousse- and to round the whole things up a Glacage Paradis would take everything together under a very slight Resistance of the reduce chocolate sauce. The osmosis would be perfect....
IMPOSSIBLE TO REPRODUCE- unless you are a Patisserie genius with God gifted hands....
I spent the night in the kitchen tasting every single dishes that was going to be served to your guests- so I wasn't particularly hungry or willing to be impressed with food by the time I reach home.
Everyone was asleep and I rushed to the fridge to discover this little box stuffed with 2 very ugly chocolate dome topped with the smallest piece of gold leave you could think of!
It started well.
My spoon went in the soft glacage- I said: Merde, this is perfect texture.
Then my mouth felt covered by the unctuously of the chocolate mousse- it was a very high quality chocolate mousse- I was dreaming.
Then the crunchiness of the Pralin came right thrue my mouth- the balance of crunch & softness was just perfect- YES fucking perfect!
I had one; and the other one. Didn't want anybody else to have one.
I didn't want to risk my 5 years old son Arthur saying : Papou, this chocolate Crunch is better than yours!!
I would have answered: "Pfuuf...Not me who created it anyway- Call Ducasse and tell him if you want....."
So as far I am concerned I saw the Difference but didn't taste any Difference!
Brilliant Louis XV at £2.30 for 2!
