Blueberry Tart - Mountain Sweetness | Pastry1 Magazine

Regional Delicacies

France Through its Regional Delicacies

A mountain and summer fruit, the blueberry is a delight for pastry chefs. Sweet and tart, the little berry is also rich in antioxidants and vitamins. It can be used to flavor jams and ice creams, but the most traditional way of eating it is in the

form of a pie. This dessert is the specialty of mountain refuges in Savoie, Haute-Savoie and the Vosges.

Blueberry Tart, a Specialty without Borders

While blueberry tart is the pride of the inhabitants of these French regions, it also exists in other countries around the world. In Finland, for example, it's called mustikkapiirakka, a literal translation of its French name, and consists of sablé dough flavored with cinnamon, covered with a cream into which blueberries are poured. There's also a Canadian version: it doesn't contain cream, but a sort of blueberry compote, placed on a tart base and covered with latticework, similar to that of a linzertorte. The process is similar in the American version. In fact, in the United States, the sweet specialty has its own national holiday on April 28.

The Blueberry, a Wild Fruit

In France, Patrick Agnellet, a pastry chef and chocolatier based in Annecy (Haute Savoie), associates blueberry tart with a childhood memory. “I grew up in a chalet in the Alps, because my parents were farmers," he says. “As children, we used to go blueberry picking in the mountains in the summer with my mother and grandmother. We always used them to make pies and jams. Picking fruit is one of my fondest childhood memories.” Today, he is happy to return whenever his schedule permits. “I think fruit picking is in our genes," he jokes. My mom, who is 92, was still picking fruit in the woods last year."

It's a small fruit, but it needs a lot of attention

Small Berries Sensitive to Climate Variations

In his pastry kitchen, the chef uses only wild French blueberries, and usually from his native region. "Depending on the year and the weather, there may be some supply problems, blueberries often suffer from late frost. If there's drought, blueberries can't grow, and they don't taste good. Conversely, too much rain causes them to swell and become tasteless. In such cases, I turn to harvesters in other areas, such as the Vosges, Massif Central and Ardèche.” This department is the leading producer of wild blueberries. On average, 400 tonnes are harvested each year.

Blueberries stand on their own, and when used simply, they're a delight.

“It's a small fruit, but it needs a lot of attention," warns the Annecy-based chef. “I don't buy blueberries if it has rained in the previous few days, I wait for a few days of good weather for the fruit to regain its taste." Even harvesting blueberries is tricky. Whatever the region, professionals use a similar technique to pick the small fruit: a comb-like tool in the shape of a small shovel. It gently removes the blueberry from the plant without damaging it. Professionals pick it in season, generally from mid-July to the end of August, but Patrick Agnellet cooks it all year round, thanks to freezing. "Blueberries can be contaminated by the urine of wild animals, such as foxes. This can transmit disease.” To limit the risks, the baker systematically freezes the blueberries for several days at -21°C. “It's a precaution, because not all blueberries are contaminated," he reassures us. It's only a small portion.”

Simplicity and Generosity: the Secrets of a Successful Blueberry Tart

In his pastry kitchen, Patrick Agnellet also takes care to preserve his flavors. "The idea is to keep the fruit whole as much as possible, so that it bursts in your mouth when tasted." This requires careful preparation, to avoid over-stirring the fruit. When it comes to taste, he looks for simplicity, so that the blueberry remains central. "I wanted to highlight the fruit in my blueberry tart, without adding too much acidity or sweetness," he advises. “In fact, there are a thousand different ways to prepare it, depending on the region, the town and sometimes even from one house to another. The only advice I can give is to be generous: there have to be lots of blueberries, because that's what makes the tart so interesting, whether it's raw or cooked, on fine or sablé dough. Blueberries stand on their own, and when used simply, they’re a delight."

That said, the chef allows himself one eccentricity in his recipe: the addition of grated coconut to the edges of the tart. “People don't really understand what coconut does on this cake," he laughs. “It makes a lot of sense to me, though. As a child, I knew I wanted to be a pastry chef and I dreamed of tasting coconuts, because I didn't have access to them on the mountain pastures, where we were quite isolated. Today, this tart is a true symbol of my childhood, with memories of blueberry picking and this coconut. It has the taste of this dream and that long-awaited flavor." While this recipe is emblematic of mountain regions, it can also become very personal.