Lemon chiboust

Ingredients
Lemon chiboust:
190ml lemon juice
90ml cream
Half lemon zest
Half a vanilla pod
80ml egg yolks
50g sugar
40g cornflour
4 soaked gelatin leaves
175g egg whites
200g sugar

Almond sponge:
250g eggs
225g sugar
225g ground almonds
9g baking powder
½ tsp vanilla essence

Breton dough:
210g butter
75g sugar
120g flour
100g ground almonds
3 eggs

To decorate
Meringue
Red currants
Chocolate

Method

For the lemon chiboust

Bring to boil the lemon juice, cream, lemon zest and vanilla pod. Combine the yolks, sugar and cornflour and incorporate together.

Take one ladle from the warm mixture and temper the yolk mixture and whisk. Pour all the mixture into the lemon juice mixture and continue whisking on low heat. Whisk until thick custard.

Add the gelatin and set aside.

In a saucepan, add the sugar and some water and put it on the stove on low heat. Whisk the egg whites to a meringue. When the sugar reaches the temperature of 118˚C, pour it slowly in the meringue and fold the meringue into the warm lemon custard. Set it aside.

For the almond sponge

Put all the ingredients together and whisk by hand to incorporate. Pour it into the baking mould and bake for 20 minutes at a temperature of 180˚C.

For the Breton dough

Beat the butter and sugar well, slowly pour the eggs, add the flour and ground almonds.

Wrap it in cling film and refrigerate for one hour. Roll out 0.5cm and cut with round cutter and bake 170°C for 10 to 13 minutes.

Assembly:

Using a small round cutter, cut out the sponge into one-centimetre- thick discs . Pour half of the lemon chiboust into the dome mould, place the sponge and press slightly to remove air from the sides. Continue to fill until all is completed. Put it in the freezer for two to three hours.

Arrange the Breton bases.

Take out the chiboust from the freezer and unfold it and place it on each Breton base.

Pipe the meringue and decorate with red currants and chocolate.

Horace Micallef is a Senior chef de partie The Westin Dragonara Resort, St Julian’s.