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Benoit Blin

With so many varieties of apples on the market and two hemispheres extending the season in which they can be obtained fresh, rather than from controlled-atmosphere storage, it's surprising that chefs often remain ignorant of the benefits of the different kinds. At Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons, pastry chef Benoit Blin selects the variety best suited to his recipe. For the croustade, he buys New Zealand Braeburns, because they stay moist, keep their shape when baked, and have a good balance of sweetness and acidity. His first choice for the tatin (served cold at Le Manoir) is the English Cox's Orange Pippin. Its intense flavour isn't overpowered by the caramel, and it retains its shape. It's also high in pectin, which helps the tart to gel and keep its shape. The apple soufflé, a Raymond Blanc creation, relies on French Jonagolds, because they have a thickish skin that doesn't split easily when baked. For a classic French tarte aux pommes, Blin says that Golden Delicious give a good finish, but the compote underneath should come from a well-flavoured apple. Granny Smiths are a popular choice for sorbets on account of their colour and acidity, whereas Bramleys are the most popular English culinary apple, ideal for any recipe where a pulp or compote is required - but they need to be heavily sweetened. For the past five years Blin has been a key member of Blanc's kitchen team. The pâtissier joined Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons from the Ritz Paris. With his patron, he has overseen a transformation of the pâtisserie. Its space has almost doubled and it employs 11 cooks, more than most major London hotels. Blin runs his kitchen with a simple philosophy: "People who work for me must be well-organised, fast and precise," he says. Without these qualities, he feels that it is impossible to deliver the consistency that is central to raising Le Manoir's standards. While it already scores 19/20 with *Gault-Millau* and has five AA rosettes, his ultimate goal remains that of his patron - a third Michelin star. To make a dish as homely as apple tart into something unique and spectacular requires a special level of skill and creative talent. The croustade aux pommes caramelis‚es is a stylish adaptation of a traditional regional dish, and trumps the puff pastry-based tarte fine served by many French-inspired restaurants. Croustade aux pommes caramelisées The pastry for this unique patisserie, served warm, comes from the Gers in south-west France, and Blin says that it has several advantages over the tarte fine aux pommes. A tarte fine has to be baked to order and takes about 40 minutes. If it isn't, the pastry turns soggy. Here, despite the complicated preparation, the pastry is light and crisp, and the final cooking step takes no more than 10 minutes. [For the pastry dough](../chef/articledetail.asp?lSiteSectionID=28&lSectionID=19&articleID=38398)[For the apple](../chef/articledetail.asp?lSiteSectionID=28&lSectionID=19&articleID=38399)[Final baking and assembly](../chef/articledetail.asp?lSiteSectionID=28&lSectionID=19&articleID=38400)[Apple and Calvados Soufflé](../chef/articledetail.asp?lSiteSectionID=28&lSectionID=19&articleID=38401)[Tarte tatin in Le Manoir's style Photos © Sam Bailey