Vegan Shortcake

This vegan shortcake earned sous-chef Laurence Belli-Paquette of the Le Gibraltar residence a spot in the semi-finals of the 2020 La Toque culinary competition. The participants each received a mystery box of ingredients and had to make a dish featuring tofu. Laurence, with the help of Le Gibraltar chef Sébastien Communal, came up with a unique shortcake full of subtle flavours and textures. Congratulations!

INGREDIENTS(serves 4)

• 120 g tofu
• 200 g yellow grape tomatoes
• 1 lemon (for the zest)
• 2 potato hamburger buns
• 15 g coconut-lime seasoning
• 200 g Cacao Barry Pistoles chocolate, 50% cocoa
• 40 g Jerusalem couscous
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 50 g brown sugar
• 100 g white sugar
• 50 g icing sugar
• 1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise and scraped
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 40 g soft margarine
• 60 ml 35% cooking cream
• 5 ml vegetable oil

DIRECTIONS

• Mix the tofu, half of the margarine and the icing sugar with a mixer until smooth.
• Drop the grape tomatoes into boiling water for 10 seconds, then plunge into a bowl filled with ice. Remove the skins and keep to make the croustilles.
• To make the tomato jam, simmer the skinned grape tomatoes with the sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon and vanilla. Let cool and add the zest of one lemon.
• Pull the hamburger buns apart, into four half-buns. Combine the coconut-lime seasoning with the sugar. Pan-fry the buns with the seasoned sugar until caramelized.

For the chocolate ganache

• In a saucepan, infuse half of the sprig of rosemary in the cream. Scald (heat to just below the boiling point). Remove the rosemary.
• Add the chocolate and the rest of the margarine. Mix well to make a ganache.

For the puffed Jerusalem couscous

• Quickly blanch the Jerusalem couscous in boiling water, then prick each grain with a needle or a toothpick. This will allow the vegetable oil to enter and make the couscous pop (puff up) when cooked.
• Pop the couscous grains in a frying pan with vegetable oil.
• Use part of the chocolate ganache to coat the grains.

For the croustilles (crisp tomato skins)

• Dry the tomato skins in the oven for an hour at 195 °F.

Plating

• Place a caramelized hamburger bun on each plate. Add a layer of the tofu mixture, then the tomato jam. Sprinkle the chocolate-coated puffed couscous on top.
• For decoration, you can create a tear shape with the chocolate ganache, then add rosemary and orchid petals.

Enjoy!

Find out more about fine cuisine at Le Groupe Maurice.