How to know when a cake is cooked

Fruit coulis (fruit purée)

Contrary to what people usually think, coulis is not just a simple fruit purée with sugar. Of course, this is the general principle, but it's possible to make something much better and more refined. This recipe is for a strawberry coulis (see below for other fruits): how to make it, but also how freeze it.

Potato gratin

This classic French recipe is made with sliced potatoes baked in milk and browned on top.

How to glaze a tart

Professional pastrycooks usually say that "a beautiful cake is already half sold", it is one of the reasons why they do not put a tart on sale without glazing it ("abricoter" in Fench), i.e. coating it with a thick apricot syrup. This glaze gives a glossy finish to the tart (see the photographs below) and also protects it from the air and thus from oxidation and browning. It's a quite simple technique that you can easily apply to give to your desserts a professional look. This is how you do it.

Raw beetroot mousse with walnuts

A lightly spiced mousse, made with raw beetroot, with a layer in the centre of finely diced beetroot and roughly chopped walnuts. Discover or rediscover the taste of raw beetroot, very special and so "earthy".

Bechamel sauce

Bechamel sauce is a classic, made from a cooked butter-flour mix called "roux", where milk is added and slowly cooked. We get a thick sauce, used in many recipes.