Etienne Le Bastard is the RDG ( Riviera Dining Group) corporate pastry chef. Born in Brittany in France, He trained in Brittany with Olivier Bellin at L’auberge des Glazicks, then moved to Paris and work with Alain Passard at L’arpege and Alain Ducasse at le Meurice. In 2015 Dreaming of travel to discover the world, He left for NYC where at the age of 22 became Head pastry chef at Bouley restaurant, 2 Michelin stars and overseeing 1 Japanese restaurant 1 Michelin star from the same group. After 5 years and due to the pandemic, Chef Etienne had to move on to a new adventure.
Passion-Fruit-Vacherin
He went working for a French group named Le Bilboquet in NYC and other city around USA as an executive pastry chef overseeing the entire group. While opening one new restaurant for le Bilboquet group in Palm beach Florida, he met his wife and decided to find a way to come work in Florida for good. After 2 years working for Bilboquet and many flights back and forth between NYC and Palm beach, Chef Etienne found this opportunity in 2022 to work for Riviera Dining Group in Miami as corporate pastry chef, overseeing the whole pastry program in 7 different venues in Florida.
What inspired you to become a pastry chef? You’ve been in the What inspired you to become a pastry chef? You’ve been in the industry for quite some time. Would you have done anything differently when first starting out?
I was inspired to become a pastry chef from a very young age. Cooking with my mother and grandmother at home ignited my passion for the culinary arts. My father also played a significant role by teaching me about produce while helping him in his garden during my childhood. This early exposure to both cooking and fresh ingredients laid a strong foundation for my career.
When I first started out, I have no regrets. My journey began in the savory side of the kitchen, where I spent several years honing my skills. Eventually, I specialized in pastry, and my savory background has been invaluable. It has enhanced my understanding of seasoning desserts and even allowed me to create unique vegetable-based desserts. I wouldn’t change a thing about my path; it has shaped me into the chef I am today.
cheesecake
What is the philosophy and ethos behind the food you create?
My philosophy is very simple: use the right product at the right time, following the seasons. I believe in harnessing the natural sweetness of fruit and minimizing processing to let the ingredients shine.
I am passionate about creating fresh, low-sugar desserts that highlight the true flavors of the ingredients. By respecting the natural qualities of each component, I aim to craft desserts that are not only delicious but also healthier and more authentic.
What’s the latest trend when it comes to baking and patisserie? What is one food (pastry) trend you wish would just go away?
The latest trend in baking and patisserie is all about creating fresh desserts with minimal processing. There’s a strong focus on using less sugar, incorporating more fruit, and returning to natural ingredients. This shift towards naturality emphasizes the true flavors of the ingredients and promotes a healthier approach to desserts.
One trend I wish would go away in the USA is the overuse of buttercream and artificial colorants in desserts. Overly sweet birthday cakes with fondant are another trend I’d like to see fade. These heavily processed and excessively sweet treats often overshadow the natural beauty and flavors of quality ingredients.
Citrus olive oil cake
What is your baking style and the philosophy behind it?
I always try to follow a rule of 3.3.3:
3 main flavors
3 textures
3 temperatures in the plated dessert
This approach allows me to create playful and dynamic desserts, offering our guests a unique and memorable experience. By balancing these elements, I can craft dishes that are not only delicious but also engaging and multi-dimensional.
What’s your favourite comfort food? What’s your favourite pastry or cake or baked product ?
People ask me this question quite often, and I don’t really have a definitive answer. It really depends on my mood and the season.
In winter, I gravitate towards comforting flavors like chocolate and nuts.
In spring, I prefer refreshing desserts featuring beautiful, seasonal fruits
During summer, I enjoy desserts with exotic fruits, citrus, and berries.
In fall, I love incorporating quince, apple, and pear into my creations.
My preferences change with the seasons, allowing me to enjoy a variety of flavors and ingredients throughout the year.
avocado mousse
Who or what was your inspiration to become a pastry chef?
My inspiration began with my family, who owned a bakery in France. Growing up in that environment sparked my love for pastry.
Additionally, many chefs around the world in the early 2000s made a significant impact on me by popularizing pastry. Icons like Pierre Hermé, Christophe Michalak, and Christophe Adam played a major role in inspiring my journey into the world of pastry.
What is your advice to aspiring pastry chefs?
My advice would be to focus on learning and mastering all the classic techniques first. These time-honored methods have stood the test of time and form the foundation of all great pastry work.
Additionally, always create desserts that you would enjoy yourself. Your passion and enjoyment will shine through in your creations, making them even more delightful for others.
Future Plans?
A lot! 2024 and 2025 will be busy. We are launching NOORA, a Moroccan and North African-inspired restaurant; Claudie, a French-inspired restaurant; and AVA in Coconut Grove, which will feature Mediterranean and Greek cuisine.
Would you consider yourself as an artist? Are you inspired by artists when you create your pastries? When you create different products everyday where do you get inspired from?
Personally, I don’t consider myself an artist, though others may describe me as one—it really depends on people’s perception.
I do get a lot of inspiration from various forms of art, including sculpture, design, painting, colors, and textures. These elements influence my creativity and help me craft unique and visually appealing pastries.
The topic of local food, from smaller, specialized and personally known producers, is becoming more important. What are some of your local partners from whom you source?
We source our chocolate exclusively from Valrhona, a well-known brand that offers high-quality chocolate. For vanilla beans, we choose from different parts of the world based on our dessert needs. When it comes to fruits, we prefer to use organic fruits from California and exotic fruits from Florida, depending on availability from local farmers.
What would you say is the key/winning feature of your creations ?
The key feature of my creations is definitely the taste. Using high-quality ingredients to craft desserts that evoke memories of childhood or beautiful moments from the past is crucial. When a dessert can elicit such emotions in a guest, you’ve already won.
What are the most important considerations when crafting your menu?
I always make sure to have a menu that covers a wide range of flavors that people enjoy. Additionally, we take into consideration different types of allergies and dietary restrictions. For example, we always include options like vegan, gluten-free, and nut-free desserts to ensure there’s something for everyone.
Have you ever considered being a vegan chef? How practical is it
being a pastry chef?
I have created some vegan desserts over the past few years and really enjoyed the process. It required me to rethink the entire creation process and find substitutions for dairy, eggs, and other ingredients.
With the advancements in techniques and new products available in recent years, it has become more practical and easier to craft delicious vegan pastries. The challenge is invigorating and adds a new dimension to my work as a pastry chef.
What’s your signature dish?
There are several, depending on the type of cuisine at each of our restaurants:
Pistachio Orange Blossom Baklava
Chocolate Fondant with Miso Ice Cream
Exotic Frozen Cheesecake with Espelette Pepper
Lavender Olive Oil Cake with Blueberry
Each of these dishes represents a unique aspect of our culinary style and showcases our diverse approach to dessert creation.
How can restaurants/ hotels/ chefs communicate the approach of innovative sustainable plant-based food/ food chains to others?
Reducing food waste is a crucial aspect of our approach. We make a concerted effort to use the entire product through various processes, ensuring that nothing goes to waste. Additionally, we emphasize creating plant-based desserts, especially at our venue “MILA OMAKASE.” By showcasing these practices and highlighting our commitment to sustainability, we aim to inspire others and demonstrate how innovative plant-based food can be both delicious and environmentally friendly.
Which is the dish you’ve created that you are most proud of and why?
It was back then in NYC when I created the raspberry, lychee vacherin. It became our dessert signature at BOULEY restaurant after getting published in New-York time
Recipe of Apple tatin
The tarte Tatin , named after the Tatin sisters who invented it and served it in their hotel as its signature dish, is a pastry in which the fruit (usually apples) is caramelized in butter and sugar before the tart is baked. It originated in France but has spread to other countries over the years.
This dessert shares a sneak peek into our menu for Claudie launching in Brickell Fall 2024.
Puff pastry
-750 gr flour T55
-200 gr butter
-10 gr Maldon salt
-200 gr heavy cream 36%
-175 gr water
-500 gr croissant butter 82% fat
In a mixer, with paddle attachment mix flour, salt with butter for 10 min at low speed
Then add mix of heavy cream and water.
Mix again for 4 min until smooth texture
Reserve the dough in a plastic wrap outside for 1 hour.
Spread the dough in cross shape and add croissant butter in the middle
Fold each tip of the cross over the butter and let it rest in the fridge for 2 hours
Roll the dough with a sheeter dough machine ( 3 double turn) with 1 hour rest in the each double turn.
Finally roll the puff pastry to 3 millimeters.
Let it rest again in the fridge over night covered with plastic wrap
Cut it the next day with a ring cutter similar size than the Apple silicon mold ( slighlty bigger)
Use a dough docker on the puff pastry
Sprinkle some sugar over the dough on both side.
Bake it between 2 silicon mat and trays to 350F for 20 min
Caramel for apple
-300 gr sugar
-45 gr butter
-60 gr water
-Make a light caramel, then add butter.
Stir the mix with a whisk. Then add water little by little.
Strain the caramel and cool it down.
Pour 20 gr of caramel syrup into each silicone mold
Apple roll
-8 apples
-20 gr sugar
– 5 gr pectin NH
Peel the apple and slice the apple with a Japanese slicer
Roll the apple ribbon and cut it on each side to make even ( 1.5 inch high)
Dust some sugar and pectin over the apple roll
Place the apple roll on top of the caramel into the silicon mold
Bake it in the oven to 350F for 30 minute covered with a silicon mat
Cool it down and freeze the caramelized apple in the silicon
Unmold the caramelized apple and let it defrost in the fridge.
Add caramelized apple on top of the caramelized puff pastry
Warm it up in the oven to 110F
Salted caramel sauce
-200 gr sugar
-120 gr cream
-20 gr milk
-2 gr salt
-Make a dry caramel, add warm milk and cream slowly while strirring
Then boil for a minute and finish with salt.
Cool it down before serving.
Vanilla ice cream
-600 gr milk
-2 vanilla beans
-200 gr heavy
-27 gr milk powder
-210 gr sugar
-48g gr dextrose
-4 gr stabilizer ice cream
-192 gr yolks
Boil milk, cream and vanilla, Let it infuse for 30 minutes
Mix all the powder together and put half in the milk. Mix in the yolks the remaining sugar mix
Combine Milk mixture with yolks mixture.
Cook the mix until 83 Celcius like a crème anglaise, let it rest over nights in the fridge
