The first dessert I ever had in Paris was nougat glacé. It was in a touristy restuarant in Invalides I think, with my mom and my brother. It was a cold night. After a huge steak in blue cheese sauce, I was very full, but I still had to have a dessert and nougat glacé was it. At that time, it seemed like a giant ball of ice cream speckled with dried fruits and nuts. Only did I find out about the difference from ice cream later on after reading a cookery book. Nougat glacé is really nuts and fruits bound together by whipped cream and meringue/marshmallow. It is fluffier than ice cream.
After that night, I had forgotten about it until I lunched at 8 Steps where it was served as dessert, only this time without fruit coulis. I am a fruit and nut girl, so I decided to give it a go at home. When I searched internet for recipes, I realised that it will not be an impossible task. So I gave it a go and the result was satisfactory, although I feel that there is room for improvement.
Ingredients
2-3 egg whites (about 150g)
500ml cream for whipping
100g-150g nuts of your choice. I used almond and pistachios.
100g dried apricots, chopped
150g honey
100g sugar
1. First, if your nuts are not toasted, toast them for 3-4 mins in 200°C oven. Let them cool.
2. Melt sugar in a pan. When it turns slighly brown, toss the nuts in and coat them evenly. Place a paper liner or foil on a large metal sheet and let them cool.
3. Start whipping egg whites. Meanwhile, boil honey in a saucepan until it reaches boiling stage. When it becomes thick and semi-merigue like stage, whip it at a medium speed. Start pouring honey in a steady stream to the side of the bowl and turn the mixer to the full speed. Place it in the fridge.
4. Whip cream to a soft peak.
5. Gently fold egg mixture into cream. Use spatula. Add caramelized nuts and apricot pieces.
Place it in the container/mold of your choice. Put it in the freezer for at least 4 hours.
I think it would have been even more delicious had I not overwhipped the cream. It tastes still nice but if the cream achieved the perfect soft peak stage, it would look smoother and less crumbly.
Although I reduced the amount of sugar in the original recipe, I found it a little too sweet. When I watched a French videoclip, I realized that they toss the nuts first in the pan first and then generously sprinkle sppons of sugar. I believe that it would give thinner caramelized surface.
If you don't want to waste egg yolks, you can gently fold in merigue into them.
If you have time, prepare some rasberry coulis. It would go great with the nougat glacé.
