19 January, 2018
Cocorico
Yesterday I went to Cocorico Patisserie (35 Whitchurch Road, Cardiff CF14 3JN) to undertake a ‘Basics of Patisserie’ course. Cocorico is Cardiff’s premier Patisserie. Head chef Laurian Veaudour and his team have been creating delicious French delicacies in the Capital since 2010. They first came to my attention last Spring when they appeared on my favourite cookery programme ‘GBBO Crème de la Crème’, on which teams of professionals compete to create towering showpieces and multitudes of miniatures, under the scrutiny of two of the industry’s top Patissiers – Benoit Blin and Cherish Finden. They eventually finished as runners-up and it’s no wonder when you see the jaw dropping masterpieces and beautifully constructed cakes that they produce.
I first visited Cocorico last April, just before the final of GBBO was aired, to treat myself to a box of their exquisite cakes. I sampled a Strawberry Cosmos (strawberry, lime, white chocolate and sponge), a Lemon Meringue tart and a Tarte au Chocolate.
I also sampled the coffee (of course!) They serve James Gourmet Coffee, which is roasted in Ross on Wye. The Baristas use a wide variety of brew methods, from espresso to aeropress and pour over.
They also serve a selection of seasonal loose leaf teas and have a licence, should you fancy a Baileys hot chocolate or a glass of sparkling Saumur with an afternoon tea. The Café serves a brunch, lunch and afternoon tea menu as well as vegetarian dishes and their flagship sandwiches. There is a wide selection of cakes to eat in or take away as well as beautiful chocolate bonbons and vibrant macarons, if you are looking for a gift.
Speaking of macarons….. last June I attended the ‘Art of the Macaron’ masterclass at Cocorico. This was a relaxed and informal demonstration evening, where chefs Laurian and Thibault guided us through the skills and techniques involved in creating the perfect macaron. Nibbles and drinks were included, as well as tasters of macarons! It was here that I learned of the plans to launch the patisserie courses.
So back to yesterday….. I arrived for a 9am start. There were another 4 people on the course (maximum class size is 6). We had coffee and a chat and were ready to set to work at 9:30am. We were presented with a booklet of recipes and our very own aprons to keep! The plan was that collectively we would prepare 11 components of patisserie and then assemble them into 6 different patisserie items. Laurian led the session but we were all involved in preparing the recipes. The tasks were distributed between the 5 of us and we all had an involvement in the production of each cake. All techniques were fully explained and alternative ideas were given on how to tweak each recipe if attempting at home, also ideas were given on different flavours that could be used for each cake. We all had an opportunity to individually try out techniques such as piping choux pastry, Charlotte sponge and Italian meringue, as well as applying a finishing glaze. Firstly we prepared sweet and choux pastry and charlotte sponge as base components. Then we made fillings of lemon curd, chocolate ganache, salted caramel mou and Crème Patissiere, followed by a bavaroise, a fruit mousse and Italian meringue.
The recipes and techniques that we learned could be put together in a number of ways and with a variation of flavours, giving us a good foundation in patisserie, which is exactly what the course set out to do. Under Laurian’s watchful eye we combined our components to make the following:
Éclair – filled with praline crème patissier and topped with fondant and flaked almonds
Choux Bun – topped with a craquelin and filled with diplomat cream and raspberries
Lemon Meringue Tart
Chocolate Tart – filled with a salted caramel mou
Fruit Charlotte – blackcurrant & blackberry mousse surrounded by sponge
Nougat Bavaroise
I think you’ll agree that they look rather splendid!
There was a lot to get through on the course but it was a lot of fun and the atmosphere was very relaxed and friendly. There was plenty of opportunity to ask questions about all aspects of Patisserie and to chat with Laurian in general. I enjoyed listening to him talk about his background, business and future plans, as well as hear anecdotes from the Great British Bake Off. Lunch and numerous hot drinks were included on the course. I ordered the ‘Cocorico club sandwich’, which is a triple decker of chicken, chorizo, tomato, cucumber, mixed leaves and club mayo in focaccia bread. It was delicious, especially as I was so ravenous after a morning of preparing these incredible creations!
It was a fantastic experience. For a GBBO Creme super fan like myself, it was a real thrill to see one of the Country’s top pastry chefs at work. It was a real treat to bring home such an incredible box of goodies at the end of the day. I went on the course to enjoy myself (which I certainly did) and I didn’t necessarily think I would leave it believing that I would be able to recreate the recipes at home, but I do feel that I have a decent basic grounding in the world of patisserie and I certainly wouldn’t be afraid to give it a go.
Big thanks to Laurian and the team.
Website: www.cocoricopatisserie.co.uk
Instagram: cocoricopatisserie
Twitter: @CocoricoCardiff
Facebook: @cocoricocardiff