Fruit

This pancake recipe dates back to Jean-Georges’s apprenticeship in Alsace. For me, the warm flavor of semolina combines well with the double whammy of pear in this dessert. Cumin brings out the rustic edge of all the ingredients. (See the photograph pages 92–93.)

Rich texture is abundant in this multiflavored, multilayered dessert. The pears are presented in three different forms—caramelized, as a creamy mousse, and as a tender gelée—and each opens differently on the palate.

Here is another example of presenting one flavor two ways, each reinforcing the other. The icy, refreshing sorbet captures all the bright freshness of Granny Smith apples; the chips present that fresh flavor in a completely different, shatteringly crisp form.

I go apple picking every year, and I’m always amazed by how easily you can taste the difference between varieties right off the tree. So when I work with apples, I try to capture those flavors. This soup reminds me of mulled cider but lighter and fresher.

Beets and raspberries complement each other perfectly, covering sweet and acidic, earthy and bright flavors. The chocolate in this dessert is the secondary flavor, reinforcing the earthiness of the beets and bringing two additional textures to the plate.

Here, I’ve created my version of sweet potato pie, but it’s not as heavy and not as sweet. The cranberry foam gives a nice added pop of acidity.

I really like the combinations of flavors and textures that result when soft-curd cheeses are served with poached fruit. In this dessert, I add to that by layering on an icy granité and a crisp cracker. I’m not giving you a yield here, since this is more of a combination of flavors than anything, and you can make as many as you like.

One summer, the peaches were so amazing that I didn’t want to do anything to them. Unfortunately, you can’t put a peach on a plate and send it out to a customer. So I chose ingredients—mellow cheeses, sweet and crunchy pistachios, and a mild balsamic vinegar glaze—that complemented the sweet raw peach.

I often find myself reflecting back on principal recipes and techniques when I’m changing the menu at Jean Georges, then reworking them with modern flavor combinations. The fresh jam in this recipe makes a traditional tart more seasonal. Thai basil has a distinct flavor, so in addition to striking a modern note, it holds up well against the more homey notes struck by the cherries.

Daniel Skurnick, my past sous-chef, brought me this recipe, which came from his travels through Asia. Since Jean-Georges is also influenced by the flavors of Asia, it was a natural to incorporate this into the menu. It’s a great combination of tastes and textures: The tender peaches contribute their sweet acidity; the rice has a nutty bite; and the coconut glaze contributes the fattiness that gives the dessert such a good mouthfeel.

Chef Alex Lee used to serve a tomato mosaic at Daniel, and when I got two super-ripe watermelons, one yellow and one red, I mimicked the appearance of his savory dish on my dessert menu. The cheese and granité add depth of flavor. I’m not giving you a yield here, since this is more of a combination of flavors than anything, and you can make as many as you like.

Inspiration here comes from my many Mexican friends who add chocolate to savory dishes. I thought I’ d return the favor and add chiles to dessert. This frozen chocolate cake has a gentle heat, tamed by the chocolate and its hidden apricot center.

When I go to the farmers’ markets in summer and see all the bounty, I start asking myself, “What can work with what?” and “What would balance that fruit?” Apricots and peppermint are both refreshing flavors. In this dessert, the mint livens the apricot, providing an herbal contrast to the natural sweetness of the fruit.

These ingredients all strike floral notes and to my mind are a natural combination. Raspberries contribute sweetness; champagne, acidity; rose water, depth of flavor; and the apricots, texture.

Cacao nibs give the flavor of chocolate without added sweetness, and they’re a great side texture to this airy soufflé.

This dessert was inspired by “Tomato Tim” Stark of Eckerton Hill Farm at the Union Square farmers’ market in New York City. We were talking one morning and he gave me some tomatoes that were so sweet they tasted like berries. So I roasted them and paired them with super-ripe blackberries for an after-dinner fruit salad. Use a mix of tiny tomatoes for the best-looking and -tasting dessert.

Ripe figs are delicious right off the tree, but in this recipe, I’m applying a touch of heat just to make them that much more tender.

I’ve adapted this dessert from one of Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s recipes. It starts with his base soup, and I’ve added the tanginess of yogurt and the toasted nuttiness of sesame for depth of flavor and contrasting textures.

The flavor combinations here—particularly the strawberry and coconut—remind me of some Caribbean cocktail, the kind with an umbrella in it.

I’m not a fan of angel food cake or sponge cake for shortcakes; I prefer the texture and bite of biscuits, which I like to shape into small squares instead of large rounds. And I love gently roasted fruit. The long, slow roasting eliminates a lot of the water content of the fruit, concentrating the flavor and opening it up. The tangy crème fraîche in the whipped cream rounds out the flavors on the plate.