Pierre Hermé :: Ispahan
By Paris Pâtisseries in Pastry Reviews, Pierre Herme
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Pierre Hermé has been on my mind quite a bit recently. Why? Because his team was kind enough to send me an advance copy of his new Pierre Hermé ‘Pastries’ book last week. And I wouldn’t say that it’s really a good recipe book so much as it is a great one 
The macarons, the croissants, the brioche, the éclairs and more . . . it’s almost too much to handle. Fortunately for you, Amazon just released it in advance of the official publishing date, so you can order Pierre Hermé ‘Pastries’ now
Monsieur Hermé has so many beloved pastries that I often wonder how many will stand the test of time in the way that the idea of the basic chocolate éclair, millefeuille, or tarte tatin have. Certainly his strongest contender for pastry immortality is our focus today – the Ispahan. Originally created during his tenure at Ladurée, it was never much of a hot seller. But Monsieur Hermé was convinced it could and would be. So when we opened his own shop, it became a fixture of the case and, ultimately, a blockbuster. Ladurée still carries it, and dozens of other shops in Paris offer-up either copies or their own renditions of its greatness. It’s a veritable living legend. So what do I think?
It’s a filling modern classic. Nice raspberries, lightly perfumed and super dense rose crème, plus a few nice nibblins of lychee . . . it all makes for a tasty treat, sandwiched by the delightful chew of the macaron shells. Very similar, of course, to the Ladurée version, I would certainly choose Monsieur Hermé’s any day of the week.
I’ve actually come to love the croissant version of the Ispahan much more than the namesake pastry here. I feel as though it’s a deeper perfection of the flavors and an even more satisfying textural romp. Monsieur Hermé also occasionally whips out the full “fetish” of the Ispahan and offers-up a half dozen incarnations of rose/lychee/raspberry in every conceivable combination of crème, biscuit, gelée and beyond. It’s impossible to get enough.
As I said, Monsieur Hermé is the genesis of the Ispahan. All variants owe their existence to him. And, as many of you know, my favorite re-imagining is Carl Marletti’s Marie Antoinette. It’s the same basic idea – macaron shell, rose crème, raspberries – but there are some key differences. The primary change is the use of a much smoother and more supple rose crème, which just blows my mind. Monsieur Marletti has also subtracted the lychee and swapped in both candied violets and raspberry confit. The end product is decidedly sweeter and far less subtle, but it’s quite something – so much so that it’s #14 on my Top 38 Best Pastries.
Two other great Pierre Hermé pieces people need to get on top of copying are his Gourmandises Constellation, which I’ll show you in detail in early April, and his Celeste. Both are brilliant flavor combinations most chefs would kill to have thought of first.
So, yes, to show one’s respect to a pastry that’s guaranteed to live on for generations, I’d suggest picking up an Ispahan. Snagging the Croissant Ispahan is also an excellent idea. While you’re there, grab a few other pastries and a box of macarons (Infinement Vanille and Mogador being my top picks). There are so many good reasons to over-eat chez Monsieur Hermé.
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