La Halle aux Grains' 2024 Yule log in a revisited rice pudding style, a regressive sweetness

For the third year running, chefs Michel and Sebastien Bras and pastry chef Jean-Julien Freydt unveil a Yule log at the Halle aux Grains restaurant in Paris' Bourse de Commerce. After featuring hazelnuts and buckwheat in last year's "coup de cœur" log, this year it's round white rice from the Camargue that takes center stage, in tandem with Corsican clementines. Yes, we're still paying tribute to the history of this exceptional place, which for a long time was a wheat market.

The log comes in two formats: the limited-edition signature log takes the shape of an ear of rice and is sure to surprise your guests, while the second takes the more traditional Christmas log format. In both cases, this creation invites us to return to childhood with regressive flavors.

For this creation, a touch of madness led the trio to work on a revisit of rice pudding. But be warned: if you tend to dread the heaviness of this gourmet dessert, here you can expect a surprisingly light version, just the thing to round off a hearty Christmas meal.

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The calculation is meticulous: a vanilla mousse mounted with rice milk serves as a showcase for a rice pudding that's not very sweet, with a soft texture yet firm enough to offer a nice chewiness. A Corsican clementine marmalade adds both pep and character, with a gentle bitterness that awakens the taste buds and embraces the vanilla sweetness. The whole rests on a crunchy puffed rice base that accentuates the lightness. A beautiful reinterpretation of childhood perfumes, sublimated by a savoir-faire that makes this log a harmonious whole.

The signature log, limited edition of 100, is priced at 98€, while the classic shape is 75€. Both are 8-person formats, and reservations are mandatory. It can be ordered by telephone from December 1, 2024 for collection from December 11, 2024 to January 1, 2025. The log can also be enjoyed in restaurants from December 4, 2024 to January 1, 2025, for lunch and afternoon tea (€17 a slice).