Walk down Champs Elysee. You might almost miss it. Laduree (pronounced La-du-hee) is the hallowed temple of haute cuisine where Parisians have been worshipping sweet nothings since 1862: the eclair chocolat, the light-as-air mille-feuille, other ethereal confections and old classics such as the tarte tatin and tarte citron— magically light in spite of the pastry base. Come in. Swing open the glass doors. Sit by one of the large windows and watch Paris go by; elderly, elegant women with ramrod straight backs, young girls in Dior’s serious chic, helmeted cyclists crouched over handlebars, ordinary camera-wielding tourists, little girls in ribbons and boys with spiky gelled hair—it’s a unique parade that’s so quintessentially Paris. The summer sun lights up the interiors with golden magic, embellishing the classic romance of gilt-edged mirrors, oils hanging in heavy frames and the playful cherubs on the ceiling painted with what looks like gold leaf.
Laduree started as a tea salon and over the years turned into a patisserie and an ice cream parlour; it's now a fine dining place. The menu is mostly seasonal. The signature dishes are chicken and wild mushroom vol au vent and duck foie gras. There are also those who swear by the tomato and basil tart. It is a wearying cliché to associate the French with food, but it is an inevitable platitude nevertheless. In France, food is culture; it is history; it is identity and it is pleasure. Do leave room for dessert. The macaroons of Laduree are a treat for the eyes: small, round cookies sandwiched with soft ganache, the filling—in Marie Antoinette colours— pistachio green, strawberry pink, malt, ecru, nestling against each other, gleaming edible jewels. The crisp meringue offers the faintest resistance before melting in the mouth. Taste the almonds. The ganache is infused with the scent of pistachios or strawberries.
Pierre Desfontaines created the first macaroon at Laduree at the beginning of the 20th century. He was the one who thought of taking two macaroon shells and joining them with a delicious ganache filling. A century later, Laduree often introduces new and eccentric flavours such as blackcurrant and rose petal but chocolat amer (bittersweet chocolate), dark café, and caramel-beurre-salé remain classic favorites.
They sell around 12,000 macaroons per day. The meringue is made from egg whites, ground almonds and confectioner’s sugar; the little rounds are then baked in a slow oven until firm. The ganache is butter, sugar, cream, chocolate and flavouring. Laduree claims that they add a pinch of unique “know-how” to their macaroons. Once baked and filled, it takes two days for the textures and flavours to arrive at a fine balance of taste. Sometimes queues stretch for more than a block for the trademark pistachio- coloured box of macaroons created by Philippe Andrieu, Laduree’s pastry chef. Andrieu has worked in Michelin-starred restaurants like Georges Blanc and Michel Bras. Be glad you didn’t miss that door.
( E-mail the writer at umita.venkataraman@gmail.com )
