Food & Drinks
Napoleons (Mille-feuille)
Vivamost is proud to feature a recipe of Executive Chef Antonis Foskolos working at the Emelisse Nature Resort located in Fiscardo in Greece.
Antonis Foskolos
For Patisserie Cream:
500ml full fat milk
125gr. granulated sugar
50gr. unsalted butter
50gr.cornstarch (corn flour)
3 eggs
½ vanilla pod
15ml brandy / cognac
100ml heavy cream
50 gr. granulated sugar
Mille Feuille – Antonis Foskolos
Preparation:
Split the vanilla pod lengthwise, scrape out the vanilla beans with a knife and stir it into the brandy.
Meanwhile place the butter, sugar, corn starch and the milk in a pot. Heat the mixture over medium-high heat and bring it to boil. Once the mixture begins to boil, whisk for a couple of minutes until it becomes the consistency of a smooth cream.
Remove from the heat and add the eggs one at a time, whisking constantly to prevent curdling.
Replace it over the heat and whisk well until It becomes the consistently of a smooth and thick cream. Remove from the heat and immediately stir in the “vanilla brandy”. You can also use 1 tsp pure vanilla extract instead.
Transfer to a bowl and cover the surface with a plastic wrap ensuring the wrap is touching the surface. Cool in room temperature and then refrigerate for another 3-4 hours.
After 3 hours place the heavy cream into your mixing bowl and refrigerate for 30’. Remove the bowl from the refrigerator and add the 50gr. of granulated sugar. Whip it together on medium high speed for a couple of minutes until you get a soft whipped cream.
Remove the patisserie cream from the refrigerator and whisk well until it is fluffy. Use a spatula to fold in the whipped cream until incorporated. Fill a piping bag with this smooth cream and set aside.
For the base:
400gr. puff pastry sheets
30gr. icing sugar
Preheat you oven to 200 C (392F).
Remove the puff pastry sheet from the refrigerator and place it on a baking sheet with a parchment paper. Cover it with another parchment paper and place a wire rack on top to prevent it from rising during baking. Bake for 15’-20’ or until golden.
Remove from the oven, remove the wire rack and the parchment paper and dust the puff pastry with the icing sugar. Replace it in the oven for another 5’-10’ or until golden brown.
Remove from the oven and let it cool in room temperature on a wire rack.
Mille Feuille close up – Antonis Foskolos
For the Italian Meringue:
150gr. granulated sugar
80ml water
4 egg whites (100gr.)
In a saucepan combine sugar and water. Heat over high heat and boil until sugar syrup registers 117C (242F).
Meanwhile whisk the egg whites at medium speed about 2-4 minutes or until soft peaks form.
With the mixer running, slowly drizzle in the hot sugar syrup, increase speed to high and whip until you get stiff peaks. Place it in a bowl or in a piping bag (if you to use it right away).
To Assemble:
Trim the edges off the puff pastry using a serrated knife. Keep those edges for later.
Cut the pastry into 3 equal strips and then cut each strip into 3 equal pieces forming 9 squares.
Place 3 of the squares on a serving platter. Pipe mounds of patisserie cream. Place one more square on every square and repeat the procedure. Then place on top the last 3 squares and decorate with Italian meringue. You can form peaks with a spatula or use a piping bag. Your dessert will have 3 layers.
Crush the pastry pieces you have kept with your hands and sprinkle over the top of the Mille-feuille. Then dust with some icing sugar.
Preferably serve right away. If not, you can refrigerate it for 24 hours maximum.
About the contributor:
Antonis Foskolos was born and raised in Thessaloniki, Greece and is a graduate of La Chef Levi. After working and training at 5 star hotels for 3 years, and motivated by his passion for the culinary arts, he decided to move to Athens, a leading European metropolis in gastronomy. He can currently be found doing what he loves at Emelisse Nature Resort located in Fiscardo, Kefalonia where he is the Executive Chef and on YouTube @antonisfoskolos where he is providing instructional videos for some of his favourite recipes.
