"Classics are able to endure the test of time, yet able to maintain individuality and evolve constantly." says chef Cheung Siu Kong, Executive Chef of Summer Pavilion.
A monochrome theme is deployed in this three-part dessert presented by Chef Cheung in this year's MICHELIN guide Singapore Star Event. He explains, "Personally, I think 'Classic' is an ever-lasting theme. The black and white contrast is a classic amongst colours, thus I used these two colours to redefine the theme of this year's star event. "
Traditional ingredients of black sesame and almond are used to represent black and white respectively to create this colour contrast. Chef Cheung takes his inspiration from a common dessert of Hong Kong 'Hei Bai Pei (黑白配)', which involves mixing black sesame seeds with white almond tea. This classic combination produces not only an out of this world experience for the palate but also a visual treat for the eyes.
"Black Sesame Glutinous Roll is a classic dim sum, using ground black sesame seeds," says Chef Cheung .
To bring out the best flavours of the black sesame seeds, chef Cheung uses traditional means such as first roasting the seeds at low heat until a fragrant aroma is released. Water is then added to create the thick black sesame paste.
He then uses a classic dim sum technique of making cheong fun to create two separate layers of black and white glutinous rice skin. The white almond skin is then laid onto the black sesame skin before both are artfully curled to create a black and white spiral roll. The roll is then sliced to smaller portions, showcasing the intricate patterns on the inside.
Flaky Almond Bar
Besides the contrast in colours, there is also a stark contrast in taste. The crispiness of the flaky almond bar together with the chewy texture of the black sesame glutinous roll serves to produce a distinctive difference in texture.
The pastry skin is folded in on itself three to four times before roasted almonds and sugar are sprinkled on top of it. The thin strips are then roasted in the oven for half an hour until they are nice and crunchy.
Chilled Almond Cream Pudding
"The star of the dish is the Chilled Almond Cream Pudding, made of black sesame seeds and almonds," says chef Cheung.
Here, he gives a modern twist to the dessert by incorporating latte art on the surface of the pudding. He was inspired by the modern coffee culture: "As it is increasingly popular to drink coffee nowadays, I was thinking why not we try to implement latte art into our desserts."
To make the pudding, Chef Cheung has to prepare the almond and black sesame separately. The almond is soaked in water for two hours while the black sesame seeds are roasted at low heat. Each of them are then mixed with water, gelatin and sugar to form their respective pudding mix. The white pudding mix forms the base of the dessert, while the black mix is used to create the artwork that is etched out using a wooden skewer. The pudding is then chilled before it is served to the guests.
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