A winter break in Paris gives you the delicious opportunity to taste the galettes des rois (king cakes) of the great chefs of Paris. Epiphany takes place on January 5th, offering a tasty ray of sunshine for cake lovers during the bleakest month of the year. During this period, the chefs compete to produce the most creative and imaginative king cakes. It’s impossible not to be tempted, so the Hotel du Continent recommends that you simply let yourself indulge!
Savour a traditional king cake…
The chef chocolatier Jean-Paul Hévin offers a gourmet galette des rois combining almonds and chocolate. Guy Martin plays the originality card with a galette des rois that boasts a caramel frangipane and a cashew cream. To get off the beaten track, the king cake crafted by Hugues Pouget mixes an almond cream, Bourbon vanilla, caramelised pecans and pieces of dark chocolate.
…or one that’s a little different!
Pistachio is in the flavour of the moment for some chefs! Let yourself be seduced by the creation of Jeremy Del Val for the Maison Dalloyau; a king cake bursting with cream and green pistachios from Iran and Bronte, Sicily. The pastry chef at Maison Aleph, Myriam Sabet, has put together sesame and orange blossom with Iranian pistachios. Chef pâtissière Laurent Duchêne has thought outside the galette box and come up with a creation inspired by the Tatin Sisters, creators of the tarte Tatin. Finally, the pâtissier-boulanger Benoit Castel also offers an inverted king cake.
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Hotel du Continent, a charming hotel in the heart of Paris