# Secrets of baked alaskas



## trystan87 (Feb 26, 2016)

Hi guys!

So my boss would like a baked Alaska to share on my menu. Problem is I've only had experience making 'blagged' versions of this dish. 

Very keen to make it properly and it has to be worthy of a one star restaurant. 

So any suggestions or help in regards to the best kind of meringue to use, biscuit or sponge base, and fat content or non fat milk solids/sugar content of the ice cream and wether or not to use stabilisers would be appreciated.

Also storage issues and how far in advance you can make them up without any compromise on flavour or texture 

I think she would like it flambee at the table as well so if anyone knows what affect this has on the meringue if any

Here's hoping 

Trys


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## chefross (May 5, 2010)

I'll take a stab at this one:

When I ran a banquet house, sometimes someone would order Baked Alaska as dessert. I am used to it in quantity.

I used sponge cake baked in sheet pans. I used a 4" biscuit cutter to cut out disks. I placed these on parchment lined sheet pans 15 per pan 3x5.

Next we scooped out balls of vanilla ice cream and placed one on each disk. This now went into the freezer for 4-5 hours.

I used regular meringue (egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar) Used a pastry bag to decoratively mask the disk and ball of ice cream.

Back in the freezer until needed. Blow torch to each, a splash of warm 151 Bacardi rum, light them and send them out. We turned off the lights and it was quite a show.

As for your line, you could make a few up ahead and keep them in the freezer until needed. Don't torch until ready to send out. Make your own vanilla bean ice cream, and either sponge or Genoise for the base. I say this because using a biscuit will cause the base to be too hard to eat.  Good luck...and welcome to Cheftalk.


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## chefbuba (Feb 17, 2010)

What Chefross said, I have only done them in a large scale banquet situation. We did individuals for the head table, platters for the rounds of 10. We put a half egg shell in the center for the 151. Very popular in the 80's!


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## trystan87 (Feb 26, 2016)

Thanks guys! Is torching it the best way? Or is there something in baking it in a high temperature oven to get the transfer between crisp baked meringue and Cold frozen ice cream?

I'll keep you posted on how it goes


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## chefbuba (Feb 17, 2010)

Torch


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## liza (Jul 10, 2011)

funny enough, I'm putting a Baked Alaska on the menu this rotation. My problem is that the 'line' are the ones that are sending them out (i.e. I'm not there to QC it) I was considering a cooked meringue that stayed separate (and stable) that the line put on the base. 

Then torched of course to give the toasty effect... has anyone tried this? 

I like the 151 80's throwback... will it work with the cooked meringue as well?


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## panini (Jul 28, 2001)

Back in the day, we used to insert 1/2 a shell to keep the alcohol in one place. Most of the time the waiters would parade in the room

with a full Alaska and cut and serve at the table. It was tradition to carry the trays level with the shoulders. If the alcohol was not contained, one slight tip of the tray would result in a toupee blaze.

Which reminds me, one day I must tell you about my first service using a Gueridon. Mr Sinatra's table after a show. Everything was going so smooth, I started to get cocky. While preparing Cherries Jubilee I was exaggerating my movements and as soon as I flambeed the cherries I threw the match to the bottom of the Gueridon. I nodded to the Boss and turned away. Within a couple of minutes I heard screams. I had set the back-up singers pouffy dresses on fire!


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## queequeg (Apr 21, 2016)

The November/December 2015 issue of Cook's Illustrated has a fantastic and in-depth 3 page article on the perfect Baked Alaska, including plenty of trouble shooting. I haven't tested it myself, but ATK is famous for its meticulous recipe development, so that might not be a bad place to start.


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## chefpeon (Jun 14, 2006)

Queequeg said:


> The November/December 2015 issue of Cook's Illustrated has a fantastic and in-depth 3 page article on the perfect Baked Alaska, including plenty of trouble shooting. I haven't tested it myself, but ATK is famous for its meticulous recipe development, so that might not be a bad place to start.


I love Cook's Illustrated too. Here's the link to that back issue, if you want to read it: https://www.cooksillustrated.com/recipes/8575-baked-alaska


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## dueh (Mar 4, 2015)

I love a good baked Alaska!

I had toyed in my head with the idea of sandwiching semi-freddo between two sheets of sponge cake, cutting rectangles, and then meringue and torch from there. 

The goal was to be able to cut, baked Alaska petit fours, and maybe serve a trio of flavors...Pistachio jaconde with a raspberry balsamic semi. 

Never made it to any sort of production stage, just thoughts bouncing around inside my head.


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## someday (Aug 15, 2003)

Baked Alaska's are tough to execute today, because the first step is to build a time machine and go back about 30 years. By the time you have the machine ready to go, who wants to cook??!?! Sysco stopped stocking plutonium a few years ago too, so its hard to find.


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## phaedrus (Dec 23, 2004)

I guess I must really geezer!  I still eat dishes that predate the food network.  Hell, sometimes I even even a seared chunk of rare cow just like the cavemen did.   And I even eat BBQ!  How gauche!


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## someday (Aug 15, 2003)

Phaedrus said:


> I guess I must really geezer! I still eat dishes that predate the food network. Hell, sometimes I even even a seared chunk of rare cow just like the cavemen did. And I even eat BBQ! How gauche!


Do you mean putting liquid smoke into sous vide bag?


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## phaedrus (Dec 23, 2004)

Someday said:


> Do you mean putting liquid smoke into sous vide bag?


If that's BBQ to you remind me to never eat in your restaurant! /img/vbsmilies/smilies/eek.gif


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## chefogi (May 9, 2016)

Helloo, i am new here, i am from croatia, i work in Restautant Mano, on the grill, can you tell me yours best receipe for BBQ souce, thanks for help, in our BBq souce receipe we have about 20 ingredients, first we cook on light fire until the ingredients connect then close the pen with paper and smoke 2 hours on the grill


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## someday (Aug 15, 2003)

Phaedrus said:


> If that's BBQ to you remind me to never eat in your restaurant! /img/vbsmilies/smilies/eek.gif


Its modernist, OK?!!?!?! I put a mayo/mustard injected baby potato and a dehydrated baked bean chip on the side and charge $45 for it.


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## phaedrus (Dec 23, 2004)

Well, so long as you charged $45 for it it's okay! Why didn't you mention that in the first place?/img/vbsmilies/smilies/lol.gif


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