Meet Régis Ferey
Pastry chef
The famous pastry chef, Régis Ferey was crowned French Baking Champion 2013 at SIRHA, the World Hospitality & Food Service Event, next to Younes Aazizi and Christian Gillet. He shares his browned butter technique with us as well as his delicious financiers recipe.
- What was your career path?
- After getting my vocational bakery training certificate, the CAP Boulangerie, I rapidly gravitated towards cake-making, which better suited my aspirations. I did my training by joining the Compagnon du Devoir et du Tour de France, an apprenticeship organisation for artisans and craftsmen. This was an exceptional experience, as much professionally as personally. After that I cut my teeth in some of the biggest Parisian establishments: The Taillevent, the Grand Véfour, the Ritz, etc. I moved to Peru as I was curious to discover new gastronomic traditions: Peruvian cuisine is one of the most diverse in the world. I assisted with the opening of a Cordon Bleu school, with other French chefs, to teach students French baking techniques in Lima. After that, I returned to France.
- What recipe do you want to share with us?
- Financier cakes are emblematic of French gastronomy. The new techniques make them more moist and they keep better. Using silicone moulds means I can create original shapes. I offer a range with pistachios, coconut, chocolate... And I use them as biscuits in desserts or tarts.
- How is browned butter made?
- To make a brown butter, you need to heat Elle & Vire Gourmet Butter to a high temperature (between 130 and 140 °C) being careful to control the cooking. As it clarifies, the butter takes on an amber tinge and starts to smell like roasted nuts. It is then strained through conical strainer, to remove possible particles.
As a pastry chef, I use this technique to flavour pastries and to prepare financiers, brioches, etc. Brown butter makes the recipes incomparably moist!