Soft nougat from Le Cordon Bleu Confectionery School
Nougat is a confectionery made from sugar and honey and must contain 15% nuts. Its hard or soft consistency varies according to how it is cooked. Candied fruit can also be added. Several regions of France produce nougat, but Montélimar, once the capital of this confectionery, is the most famous nougat-producing town for its nougats containing at least 30% nuts, including almonds and pistachios.
FOR 30 SOFT NOUGATS
Preparation time: 1 h • Resting time: 6 h • Cooking time: 15 min
NUTS
50 g whole hazelnuts • 190 g whole almonds • 50 g blanched pistachio nuts
MERINGUE
65 g egg whites• 60 g sugar
COOKED SUGAR SYRUP
50 ml water • 140 g sugar • 110 g glucose
1 vanilla pod • 140 g honey • 5 g cocoa butter • 2 sheets wafer paper
Grapeseed oil for the knife
EQUIPMENT
1 stand mixer • 1 cooking thermometer • 1 chef ‘s blowtorch • 1 silicone mat
2 confectionery rulers • 1 serrated knife
CONFECTIONERY CLASSICS
cooking honey
Cooking honey can be difficult for several reasons: its natural colour makes it difficult to distinguish
when it is cooked, it cannot withstand cooking temperatures above 130°C, which causes it to burn,
and the many impurities it contains cause it to foam when heated. The trick to solving all these
problems is to heat it gently in a saucepan which is the right size for the quantity of honey, until it is coloured and cooked.
NUTS
Preheat the oven to 170°C. Place the hazelnuts, almonds
and pistachios on a baking tray and roast for 10 minutes.
MERINGUE
In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk the egg whites untfrothy, then increase the speed and continue until they are stiff and cling to the tip of the whisk. Add the sugar to stiffen the meringue.
COOKED SUGAR SYRUP
Meanwhile, pour the water and sugar into a saucepan,stir to dissolve the sugar, then add the glucose. Heat untilthe temperature reaches 160°C (barley coloured sugar) onthe cooking thermometer. Carefully pour a thin stream of cooked sugar syrup into the stiff peak egg whites with the mixer still running and continue whisking until obtaining a homogeneous consistency.
At the same time, split the vanilla pod in half and scrape out the seeds with the tip of a knife. Heat the honey and vanilla seeds in a saucepan until the temperature reaches 130°C on the cooking thermometer. Immediately pour the vanilla-honey in a stream into the meringued egg whites and gently whisk.
Replace the whisk with the paddle attachment and mix on a slow speed. Using a blowtorch, heat the sides of the bowl while leaving the mixer running until of fairly firm and thick consistency .
Melt the cocoa butter to 30°C, pour into the nougat mixture and stir.
Add the nuts and mix gently at low speed.
ASSEMBLY
Place a sheet of wafer paper on the silicone mat alongwith the 2 confectionery rulers, 1.5 cm high, and pour in the nougat.
Using a rolling pin, roll out to the rulers and to a thickness of 1.5 cm. Place the second sheet of wafer paper on top and gently roll to seal .
Leave to cool at room temperature for at least 6 hours. Using a lightly oiled serrated knife, cut into 2 cm wide strips, then into 5 cm long rectangles .
Store the nougats for up to 1 month in an airtight container, or individually wrapped in cling film, away from humidity.
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