Smoked Rosemary & White...Smoked Rosemary & White Peach Mille-Feuille with Olive Oil Gelato

An exquisite multi-layered fine dining dessert featuring delicate caramelised pastry, verbena-poached white peaches, rich smoked rosemary diplomate cream, and a silky extra-virgin olive oil gelato.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   To make the gelato: Warm 200ml milk, 200ml cream, and 90g sugar in a saucepan until warm. Slowly whisk into 2 egg yolks, return to heat, and cook to 82°C (180°F). Cool completely over an ice bath, then emulsify the extra-virgin olive oil into the base using an immersion blender. Churn in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer instructions, then freeze until firm.

2. 02

   For the smoked rosemary cream: Char 3 rosemary sprigs using a blowtorch until fragrant and smoking. Steep in 250ml hot milk for 20 minutes, then strain. Whisk 4 egg yolks, 50g sugar, and 25g cornstarch together. Reheat the rosemary milk and temper into the egg mixture. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until thickened into a pastry cream. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap touching the surface, and chill. Once cold, fold in 150ml whipped heavy cream to form a smooth diplomate cream.

3. 03

   For the poached peaches: Combine water, 150g sugar, and lemon verbena leaves in a medium saucepan. Bring to a bare simmer. Add white peach halves and poach gently for 8-10 minutes until tender. Remove from heat, allow peaches to cool in syrup, then peel and slice thinly.

4. 04

   For the puff pastry: Preheat oven to 200°C (390°F). Roll puff pastry between two parchment sheets and weight down with a second baking tray. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove top tray, dust pastry generously with powdered sugar, and bake uncovered at 220°C (425°F) for 5 minutes until glass-like and caramelised. Trim into 12 precise, identical rectangles (approx. 4x10cm).

5. 05

   Assembly: Pipe dots of smoked rosemary diplomate cream onto a caramelized pastry rectangle. Arrange fan-folded white peach slices on top. Place a second pastry rectangle, repeat cream and peach layers, and crown with the final pastry sheet. Dust lightly with powdered sugar.

6. 06

   To serve: Place the mille-feuille off-centre on a chilled plate. Place a rocher of olive oil gelato on a bed of crushed pastry crumbs beside it. Garnish with micro opal basil and a tiny drizzle of raw extra virgin olive oil.