Chef Michael Ferraro’s Pistachio Cake with Blood Orange Curd

Chef Michael Ferraro taught this class as De Gustibus in the Spring of 2018, when he was executive chef at Delicatessen. His rise in culinary stardom included stints at Beacon Restaurant, Jean-Georges’ Mercer Kitchen, The Biltmore Room, Patina Restaurant Groups’ Café Centro, and Fresh in Tribeca. Below, we're spotlighting his Pistachio Cake with Blood Orange Curd and include the complete menu served, which featured three dishes paired with caviar.

Pistachio Cake with Blood Orange Curd

Ingredients 

1 oz a/p flour
70 g pistachio flour
70 g almond flour
75 g confectioner sugar
3 eggs
3 eggs white
50 g sugar
2 Tb melted butter

Method

• In a bowl of an electric mixer with a whip attachment, combine the three whole eggs and flours. Whip this mixture until a thick ribbon forms, about 5 minutes. 
• Place the egg whites in another bowl and whip until a light meringue starts to form. Slowly, sprinkle in the sugar and whip until semi-stiff peaks form.
• Mix a third of the meringue into the flour and egg mixture. Add the rest of the meringue and fold gently. Add the melted butter and fold until it is all incorporated. 
• Divide this batter into two half sheet pans and spread the batter into an even layer so when the cake bakes, it is even. Bake at 350°F for 8 to 10 minutes. Let it cool.

Blood Orange Curd

1 cup Blood orange puree/juice
2 orange zest
3 oz. Eggs
1/2 cup of sugar
1 pinch salt
1 gelatin sheet, bloomed
1 1/2 Tbsp butter
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 Tb confectioner sugar

Method

• In a saucepan, heat the blood orange until it reduces to about ⅔ cup of juice.
  Mix the zest, eggs and the sugar and beat well until the mixture is lighter in color.
• Slowly pour the blood orange juice and lemon juice if using into the egg mixture, beating the eggs constantly as you do so. Sprinkle in the salt and mix in.
• Bring the saucepan onto the stove over medium-low heat (or over a double boiler) and mix constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture thickens. You should be able to leave a trail
  when you run your finger down the back of your spoon. The temperature of the curd should reach about 170 °F. Once it reaches this consistency, turn off the heat and add the butter. Stir until the butter melts and incorporates into the curd.
• Take the mixture and push through a strainer into a container, discarding whatever remains in the strainer. Let cool on ice bath.
• Whip the heavy cream and confectioner sugar and mix in the orange curd very gentle with a rubber spatula.
• Build the cake staring with biscuit, then curd, alternating both until finish with curd. Let set up on fridge.
  
  
  

  Suisse Meringue

  2 egg whites
  1/2 cup sugar

Method

• Mix in a bowl over hot bath water gently beat in egg whites with the sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved.  Then remove from the heat and move to mixer and whip to soft peaks.

Assembly

Build the cake staring with biscuit, then curd, alternating both until finish with curd. Let set up on fridge. Pipe Suisse Meringue in pattern as desired. Torch the meringue until the tops are properly caramelized and lightly burnt. 

Chef Michael Ferraro’s Menu