François Perret is the star-spangled pastry chef behind the Ritz, and these days, in addition to beautiful entremets for the illustrious hotel’s dining room, in an adjoining shop, he also makes far more affordable pastries to enjoy sur place or to take away – emphasis on the former.
Indeed, one of Perret’s main specialties is exploring how to take something that is usually quite messy to grab and go – from a pain au chocolat to a millefeuille – and give it “to go” appeal.
I got the opportunity to try the former – for which he has become quite famous – on one recent visit. Guys… this thing is massive. But more importantly, it’s delicious.
The puff pastry is perfectly caramelized; the vanilla cream is fragrant and not too sweet.
And the caramel. GUYS. THE CARAMEL. It is, to my mind, a perfectly balanced dessert that’s a bit more ludique or playful, as we’d say in France, than the version of this dessert that looks so dainty but is, in reality, impossible to eat with even the slightest bit of decorum.
But while I loved the millefeuille, that wasn’t actually what brought me to the Ritz. I was here for the madeleine – and they didn’t disappoint either.
Perret got his start making this little cake when he first started working at the Ritz, in an homage to Proust, for whom the little tea cake holds a lot of nostalgic appeal. In his In Search of Lost Time, the story is told in flashback, with Proust enjoying a bit of madeleine dipped in tea and finding that the taste sends his mind careening through his childhood.
Seven different favors are on the menu, each with its own insert and glaze. All are made with the same base, except the chocolate. I had to opt for the chef’s favorite: chestnut honey (another nod to Proust, whose madeleine-tea concoction was honey-laced.)
This madeleine is so delicious and moreish: buttery and sweet, with the rich, almost leathery notes of the dark honey. It’s an affordable luxury that truly turns any day into a celebration.
Ritz Pastry Counter – 38, rue Cambon, 75008