Chef’s Favorite Recipe

Favorite DishChef BRETT GAUTHIER’S

Brett Gauthier is the Executive Pastry Chef of Tchefuncte’s Restaurant, an upscale waterfront restaurant overlooking the Tchefuncte River that celebrates the highlights of the season, rooted in classic Southern Cuisine. In his role, Brett oversees the Pastry Program at Tchefuncte’s Restaurant and sister restaurant, The Anchor. Born in Manasssas, Virginia, Brett grew up in many places including Connecticut and Mississippi, later settling in San Francisco. Brett attended Johnson & Wales’ Pastry Program and has extensive kitchen experience with more than 25 years under his belt. Prior to joining the team at Tchefuncte’s, Brett served as the Executive Pastry Chef for the Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group and before that as the Pastry Chef at the renowned Inn at Little Washington. As the Executive Pastry Chef of Tchefuncte’s, Brett focuses on seasonal changes using hyper-local ingredients and describes his approach as soulful, dramatic and always evolving. Examples of this are two of his most exciting dishes – the Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake and “the Banana” – which both hit home in flavor and texture but when presented in such a unique way exceed all expectations. When not in the kitchen at Tchefuncte’s, Brett can be found spending time with his wife and two daughters at their home in Metairie, LA.

TCHEFUNCTE’S CHOCOLATE MOUSSE CHEESECAKE

Our chocolate mousse cheesecake is made by combining 3 classic recipes. 1. Double chocolate cookie 2. French chocolate mousse 3. Vanilla cheesecake. Each amazing & totally satisfying eaten on their own. When combined w/ the help of some modern culinary technique the cheesecake can be described as futuristic. The oven used to bake cheesecake has a humidity setting. We can bake them without a water bath. They are delicately baked in silicone molds, the shape of a half sphere. These silicon molds are also used to shape our chocolate mousse. *Pro tip* When making the mousse; keep your chocolate warm before folding in the soft whipped cream. The mousse and the cheesecake are flash frozen before gluing them together w/ chocolate sauce. Finally, we bake double chocolate cookies and crumble them to make the outer crust. The frozen cheesecake mousse sphere is dipped in chocolate sauce and rolled in the cookie crumble. Next level! Wait, it gets better. The dessert is presented on a three-dimensional plate that adds to this dramatic dessert. The presentation may be from another world, but the flavors and textures are comforting and friendly. We love the reactions from our guests who experience this dish. It is transformative and inspires the dessert program with more wonderful things to come.

CHEESECAKE

Yield 24 portions (4 oz ea.)

45 oz Cream Cheese 3.5 oz Shortening 2.75 oz Flour 17.5 oz Sugar 1 oz Corn Starch 14 oz Eggs 14 oz Milk .5 oz Vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS 1. Combine sugar, flour, and corn starch. Place in bottom of mixing bowl. 2. Add cream cheese and shortening and with the paddle attachment mix until smooth. 3. Combine eggs, vanilla, and milk, then slowly add to cream cheese mixture. Scrape bowl to avoid lumps. 4. To bake: Pour into half sphere silicon molds. 5. Bake at 225 degrees for approximately 20 minutes. Cheesecake should be firm to the touch. 6. Cool to room temperature then freeze.

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

Yield 24 portions (3.5 oz ea.)

14.5 oz Semi-Sweet Chocolate 11 oz Cream 2.75 oz Milk .75 oz Corn Syrup

DIRECTIONS 5.5 oz Yolks .5 oz Gelatin Sheets (pre-soak weight) 49.5 oz Cream for whipping

1. Heat cream, milk, and corn syrup to near boil. 2. Temper hot cream mixture into yolks. Cook over a low heat until slightly thickened, about 180 degrees. 3. Pour cream and egg mixture over chocolate and bloomed gelatin. 4. Stir then emulsify using a hand blender. Set aside to cool slightly before folding in whipped cream. 5. Whip remaining cream until medium peak. Fold whipped cream into warm chocolate mixture in three stages. 6. Fill molds and freeze.

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE COOKIE CRUST

Yield 24

8.75 oz Butter, salted 5 oz Sugar 7.5 oz Brown Sugar 1.5 oz Egg .75 oz Yolks 1.5 oz Milk 9.75 oz Flour 1.75 oz Cocoa Powder .25 oz Baking Soda 6 oz Dk Chocolate Chips

DIRECTIONS 1. Using the paddle attachment, cream butter w sugar until mixture lightens. 2. Add egg, yolk and milk to butter mixture. Combine & scrape sides of bowl. 3. Sift cocoa powder, baking soda and flour together. 4. Add dry mixture with chocolate chips into bowl with butter mixture. 5. Mix until combined. Scrape bottom of bowl. 6. Using a 2 oz scoop, portion dough onto sheet pan lined w parchment paper. 7. Bake at 320 degrees for 14 minutes. 8. Allow it to cool and crumble.

CHOCOLATE SAUCE

32 oz Cream 7 oz Corn Syrup 1 each Vanilla Bean Yield 2.5 quarts

8 oz Butter 40 oz Semi-sweet Chocolate

DIRECTIONS 1. Heat cream, butter, corn syrup and split vanilla bean to a near boil. 2. Steep for five minutes then strain. 3. Pour hot cream mixture over chocolate and stir. 4. Emulsify with hand blender. March - April 2022 5. Mixture can be allowed to cool then gently rewarmed when ready to use. The Sanctuary Living | 9