Millet Canelé
Pastry Chef Charbel Abrache of Seylou | Washington, D.C.
Yield: 50 canelés
“Back in Venezuela, and with all my previous experience, I had never worked with freshly milled whole grains. It’s a big challenge, but I don’t believe in boundaries. I can always do more. I’m using buckwheat, sorghum, and Einkorn for pasty. This canelé was inspired by a trip Jonathan took to Senegal. I was struggling with whole wheat, and he told me to move toward millet, which has been working better for me. It’s more interesting, with character and intense flavor.” — Charbel Abrache
Adapted by StarChefs | NOVEMBER 2018
INGREDIENTS:
1.5 kilograms milk
130 grams butter
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
150 grams heavy cream
220 grams egg yolks
310 grams freshly milled millet flour
600 grams sucanat (dehydrated cane juice)
7 grams salt
100 grams beeswax, melted
Fifty 2-inch canelé molds, preferably copper
METHOD:
In a pan, combine milk, butter, and vanilla. Heat mixture, while stirring, until temperature reaches 194°F. Remove pan from heat and let cool to 149°F. To a bowl, add cream and eggs yolks; using an immersion blender, combine. In a stainless steel, cylindrical container, combine millet, sucanat, and salt. Add cooled milk mixture. Using an immersion blender on slow speed (to prevent aeration), combine. Add the cream-egg mixture and continue to mix for 4 minutes. Cover and refrigerate batter at least 24 hours and up to 48 hours. Heat oven to 330°F. Place canelé molds in the oven and eat for 5 minutes. This will help create a thin and even beeswax coating. Brush beeswax into hot molds. Onto a wire rack set over parchment paper, invert and drain molds. Increase oven temperature to 410°F. Fill molds, using 60 grams batter per canelé. Bake 10 minutes, decrease heat to 375°F and bake 40 minutes. Using a kitchen towel to cover your hand, invert molds and very gently unmold each canelé. Cool on wire rack 20 minutes before serving.
