I was delighted to get a call from one of the best pastry chefs in Malaysia recently. I had the pleasure of working with him when I wrote the Genting recipe book, Honest Food, and he liked the book enough to remember me when a chance at another cook book came up.
This time he was representing the Chefs Association of Malaysia. And as President, no less! HUGE congratulations to Chern Chee Hong, Executive Pastry Chef, Maxims Genting Hotel, on his appointment. I cannot wait to see you revitalize the association and I hope to be able to work with you soon!
In the meantime, to my readers, here’s a little about Chern, as was profiled in Honest Food. An amazing recipe follows, but it’s not one I would try without having him beside me to pull me out of the mire!
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| Executive Pastry Chef and President of the Chefs' Association of Malaysia, Chern Chee Hong. |
In 1983 the aunt of a young Chern Chee Hong who was a baker in Genting recommended her nephew to a kitchen helper’s position. Chern took to pastry like a fish to water and after learning the ropes sought more experience in Sabah and Kuala Lumpur. His experience in Malaysia’s capital included positions at Concorde Hotel Kuala Lumpur, Pearl International Hotel, Sunway Resort Hotel and Spa, and a year as Executive Pastry Chef at Hotel Grand Millennium Kuala Lumpur. In 2009 life came full circle when G8 Chef Oliver Lopez offered Chern the Executive Pastry Chef position at Maxims Genting Hotel.
These days he oversees his team in the production of over 40,000 mini chicken pies and curry puffs per month to supply both the Bakery and the hotel’s buffets. “I used to think one ton of chocolate a year was a lot. These days we use two tons of margarine a month,” chuckles Chern.
While ensuring the buffet lines are stocked with delectable pastries, Chern also juggles his commitment to the Chefs Association of Malaysia as its Secretary General with guest lecture appearances at the Malaysian Institute of Baking where he lectures diploma students in Advanced Pastry and Dessert. He has also been Team Manager and Coach of the first Malaysian International Pastry and Bakery Competition for various hotels in Kuala Lumpur, Team Captain for the Malaysian Culinary Team in the Culinary Olympics in Germany in 2004, Team President of the Malaysian Pastry Team for both the World Pastry Cup and International Pastry Grand Prix in 2009, as well as a World Association of Chefs Society (WACS) Approved Pastry Judge.
He revels in his life in Genting, City of Entertainment and thrives on the challenges of catering to such large and diverse crowds. He believes that challenges lead to new solutions and help build confidence. “A chef should never long for a peaceful career or existence. By seeking out challenges chefs can grow from strength to strength.”
Moulin Rouge
(White chocolate crème in raspberry and morello cherry Chantilly gateaux)
Jellified raspberry fruit puree
Ingredients
300 g Raspberry puree
20 g Invert sugar
40 g Sugar
10 g Gelatin powder
Method
- Bain marie gelatine with sugar until dissolved.
- Bring puree to lukewarm heat and add in gelatine mixture.
- Pour jelly into round silicon disc and chill to set.
White chocolate crème
Ingredients
250 g White couverture
2 nos Egg yolk
50 ml Amaretto
13 g Gelatin powder
500 g 35% fat dairy cream
Method
- Melt gelatine with amaretto.
- Bain marie to melt couverture to 40’C.
- Add egg yolk to warm couverture followed by gelatine mixture.
- Whip cream to soft peaks and fold into the couverture mixture.
- Pour mixture to round disc and chill to set.
Raspberry fruit Chantilly
Ingredients
160 g Raspberry fruit puree’
160 g Morello cherry puree
100 g Sugar
75 ml Evaporated milk
8 g Gelatin powder
350 g 35% fat dairy cream
Method
- Whip cream to soft peaks and keep chilled in temperature of 6- 8’c.
- Mix sugar with gelatine and pour in evaporated milk and microwave 30-40 seconds to dissolve.
- Melt the two purees together at 36’c and mix into gelatine mixture.
- Fold chilled cream into fruit mixture.
Fruit glaze
Ingredients
300 g Warm raspberry puree
100 g Sugar
50 g Glucose syrup
10 g Gelatin powder
30 g Water
Method
- Warm puree with glucose syrup.
- Mix gelatine with sugar and dissolve with water in microwave.
- Mix both ingredients together and bring to chill.
Dacquoise sponge
Ingredients
250 g Ground almond
200 g Icing sugar
50 g Flour
10 nos Egg White
75 g Sugar
Method
- Mix dry ingredients together.
- Whip egg white with sugar to soft peaks.
- Carefully fold in flour mixture.
- Spread batter on baking mat.
- Bake in oven at 200’c for about 15-18 minutes.
Garnish
Ingredients
150 g Macaroon cookies
150 g White couverture
80 g Raspberries
1 sheet Gold Leaf
10 g Snow sugar powder
To assemble the cake
- In a 20cm stainless steel cake ring, pour in raspberry Chantilly till 1/3 full.
- Add in jellified raspberry then layer with Dacquoise sponge and cover with a layer of Chantilly.
- Line the chilled white chocolate crème on Chantilly and cover it with a layer of Chantilly.
- Lastly, cover with a piece of Dacquoise sponge disc.
- Chill cake over night.
- Remove cake from ring.
- Blend fruit glaze to liquid in a juice blender and pour to coat the whole cake.
- Chill cake for 15 minute to set the glaze.
- Garnish cake with chocolate deco.
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