Eight pastry chefs who have been seduced by the subzero world

Whether it is because it is an ephemeral product, or because of the contrast produced by its temperature, or because of the pleasant and incomparable sensation we experience when it melts on our palate, ice cream is one of the few foods which are even capable of changing our mood.

From Japan to California, from Norway to South Africa and, of course, in old Europe, ice cream is present in restaurants at all levels, but also in homes and on the streets. On a professional level, we have seen in recent years an increasing migration of chefs from various fields (mainly pastry) to ice cream, embracing it as their main activity. These are professionals who are seduced by the magic of this product and, in some cases, also by its very high profitability.

In so good.. magazine 32 and so cool.. magazine 1, we have turned to true specialists, passionate about ice cream, who bring us closer to different ways of understanding the product, its preparation, its combination with other ingredients, and its presentation.

Discover So Good #32

Emmanuel Ryon. French refinement

The opening of Une Glace à Paris in 2015 marked a turning point in contemporary French ice cream. Emmanuel Ryon (World Pastry Champion in Lyon 1999 and Meilleur Ouvrier de France Glacier 2000) teamed up with pastry chef Olivier Ménard to shape an establishment that recovered French tradition and ice cream pastry.

Before opening, Ryon had done everything in all the sweet disciplines, with excellence as its flag. Elegant and refined, he has always been very clear that his personality is demonstrated in the constant search for new ways to present ice cream.

In so good.. magazine 32, the chef shares his passion for a craft that is booming in France, as well as for these two creations that explore a wide range of textures and flavor associations.

Photos: Damien Allard

Jordi Roca. Against the grain

The youngest of the Roca brothers from El Celler*** (Girona, Spain) has always gone against the grain. Instead of following the trend and looking for the healthier side of ice cream, he exploits the sweetest and most fanciful part of it.

He acquired the rules, precision, and methodology in pastry with Damian Allsop and learned everything about ice cream with Angelo Corvitto. Currently, he shows his most contemptuous side not only in his Rocambolesc ice cream parlor, but also in other establishments in the Roca universe such as La Confiteria and La Bikineria.

You can see some of his creations in so cool.. magazine 1.

David Wesmaël. The colors of flavor

His way of understanding ice cream is inextricably linked to its versatility in different sweet disciplines. This constant transition between pastry, chocolate, and ice cream has allowed MOF Glacier David Wesmaël to transfer the particularities and techniques of one area to the other to enrich the heterogeneous ice cream menu of La Glacerie Paris. He does this with multiple tasting formats with a common denominator: pronounced colors and flavors.

In his opinion, ‘ice cream is the best way to exploit and highlight the flavors of raw materials’. As a sample, there are the two creations which were presented in so good.. magazine 32. The first, Envie Collection, incorporates all the codes of the traditional vacherin in a unique, modern, and refined version that highlights the natural colors and flavors of its ice creams and sorbets. And the second, his Yuzu, matcha and red berry ice cream bar, to keep in the freezer and eat daily whenever you want.

Photos: Damien Allard

Luca Bernardini. In defense of the semifreddo

Luca Bernardini is a rara avis in Italy, halfway between ice cream, pastry, and chocolate. In his Fuori dal Centro, in Tuscany, the semifreddo has a prominent presence. His frozen pastries shine especially thanks to his creativity and manual dexterity that never stop evolving, as his knowledge of the ingredients that define the character of his offering increases.

“When we combine semifreddo with ice cream we diversify the textures. We can also use acidity in contrast to increase the desire to consume this product,” he says. “In ice cream parlors, semifreddo provides an alternative to classic pastries. If we educate customers about this type of product, it is undoubtedly a valuable ally to deseasonalize ice cream,” he continues.

In so cool.. magazine 1, the chef reveals the recipe for his Ingote Harenna, the alternative to the classic flavor of fior di latte, and for his 100% vegetable Elena frozen cake.

Photos: Damiano Brusegan

Jesús Escalera. Aroma expert

Do you know why vanilla ice cream combines well with black olives? Or why you can play with nori seaweed and yerba mate to enhance the flavor of a matcha tea ice cream? Knowing the world of aromas can be very useful not only to create new flavor combinations in a dessert, but also to organoleptically improve all types of preparations, including ice cream.

Pastry chef Jesús Escalera has been working under this premise for years and has just presented the book, Essence. Published by Books for Chefs, in it he shows his great mastery of ice cream to create original desserts. And we say original not only because of their surprising finishes, but also because of the excellent gustatory work they possess, a product of the knowledge that he has acquired about aromas.

He himself explains it to us and demonstrates it in so good.. magazine 32 through these two creations with ice cream as the protagonist.

Cathrine Østerberg. In a scientific key

Science and ice cream are the two great vocations of Cathrine Østerberg, who runs three establishments – two in Copenhagen and one in Vietnam – and an ice cream school.

A disciple of the renowned Douglas Goff, from the University of Guelph (Canada), the Danish chef combines two facets as seemingly contrary as creativity and scientific rigor, passion and logic, in the best possible way. 

In so cool .. magazine 1, she exhibits two recipes in which she carries out 50% science and 50% creativity.

Artem Grachev. Depth and emotion through ice cream

From Kaliningrad, Russia, Artem Grachev approaches ice cream from the world of pastry in a haute cuisine restaurant – Oblaka – and from a very direct and flexible preparation method, that of liquid nitrogen and the KitchenAid mixer. In this work system, the chef’s hand is much more present in the “churning” of the ice cream and allows the restaurant’s high and concentrated demand to be faced with greater flexibility and speed.

In his most gastronomic desserts, ice creams and sorbets are perfectly aligned with a sophisticated proposal of flavors, where the boundaries between sweet and savory are surpassed. His nitrogenated ice creams provide elegance and depth in the tasting, and respond to the expectations of his customers. You must see the proposals that he shares in so good.. magazine 32.

Jérémie Runel. Endless creativity

Jérémie Runel is one of the most promising French professionals whose training and experience have led him to be everything at once: chocolatier, pastry chef, and ice cream maker.

Throughout his intense career, he has worked in such relevant establishments as Fauchon, with Christophe Adam; the restaurant Bristol, with Gilles Marchal, and L’École Valrhona with Frédéric Bau. Alongside childhood friends, he founded La Fabrique Givrée 12 years ago; an emblematic ice cream parlor in France with multiple presentation formats and combinations between ice cream and pastry.

Last December, Runel separated from this business to begin a sabbatical period. We will pay close attention to his next steps.

In so cool.. magazine 1, he shows the steps taken for creating these pieces from La Fabrique Givrée.

Photos: Aurélien Bailly