Noisette citron & praliné, Matthieu Carlin's terribly gourmet galette at the Hôtel de Crillon

After the end-of-year festivities, it's time to kick off 2024 with another gourmet rendezvous, synonymous with sharing, that also delights sweet tooths: here comesEpiphany and its famous galettes des rois! For the occasion, the finest Parisian addresses are unveiling their interpretations and reinterpretations of this traditional delicacy. While some are looking for a good classic almond galette, others are taking the opportunity to stray off the beaten track in search of an original recipe that will surprise their loved ones. Fortunately, in Paris and throughout the Île-de-France region, a league of talented pastry chefs and bakers manages to unveil so many tasty creations each year that everyone will find a galette to suit their fork.

The great hotels also lend themselves to the game, and at theHôtel de Crillon, the mythical palace on Place de la Concorde, we discover anexceptional galette that offers us a fine revisiting of this greatEpiphany classic. It's sometimes said that when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade out of them. Matthieu Carlin, on the other hand, has decided to make a galette out of them. The hotel's pastry chef, hailed for his low-sugar creations that respect natural flavors, has come up with a creation that's gourmet, comforting and full of pep this year!

Covered with crushed hazelnuts on which tulle butterflies rest, echoing Butterfly, the Hôtel de Crillon's patisserie-tea room, this rather coquettish galette reveals a look imbued with poetry. The airy, very crisp puff pastry gradually gives way to a soft frangipane with roasted notes, in which whole hazelnuts complete the play of textures. The tangy notes of lemon are a delight to the taste buds, adding accents of sweet freshness. To achieve this, the chef and his team incorporate a homemade lemon marmalade into a Piedmont hazelnut frangipane to perfume it, giving us just the right amount of pep without the citrus taking over!

But this score is still incomplete: chef Matthieu Carlin has the gift of marking each of his creations with the seal of childhood, by integrating a regressive touch. And this is reflected in the jar of homemade praliné that accompanies this surprising galette des rois: a recipe rich in hazelnuts, combined with Madagascar vanilla and a hint of fleur de sel. The creamy texture makes it easy to cover our slice, while making our mouths water. Sweetness, pep and comfort: that's it, it's all there. You'd almost forget about the bean... but here it is!

• To be read
• Tips for the week of April 22 - 28, 2024 in Paris: free or inexpensive outings
• What to do in Paris and the Ile-de-France region in April 2024? Our good plans and ideas to discover
• In less than 100 days, Paris will unite the world! A historic chapter, to be written together

With this galette, pastry chef Matthieu Carlin has risen to the challenge of creating an original recipe whose flavors are accessible to young and old alike, making it an intergenerational creation. It is priced at 60€ for an 8-person format, including a jar of praline. A 120€ offer also includes a bottle of champagne. It can be picked up at Pâtisserie Butterfly from January 2 to 19, 2024.

This test was conducted as part of a professional invitation. If your experience differs from ours, please mention it in the comments.