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Fil-Am chef Sally Camacho Mueller and the art of unlikely dessert pairings
The recently concluded Madrid Fusion Manila 2017 once again showcased an overwhelming amount of talent, with world-renowned chefs from different parts of the world flying in to share new ideas and fresh concepts in the ever-evolving world of gastronomy.
Some of the highlights of the event were varieties of local heirloom rice (sampled at the regional lunches and served at the expo), nose-to-tail cooking, and this year’s theme of sustainable gastronomy.
There were loads of locally sourced ingredients as well, and one of the visiting chefs who made sure that the dishes were sourced locally and incorporated Filipino flavors was Filipino-American pastry chef Sally Camacho Mueller.
Beyond sweet and savory
Introduced by her father and her husband at Madrid Fusion 2017, Mueller exhibited her expertise by making two desserts that make use of unexpected ingredients: duck eggs and uni.
Mueller’s first dish, the duck egg éclair, had a filling of duck egg yolks, local mangoes, and cream. She enhanced familiar Filipino flavors by adding yema—made with sous vide duck egg yolks. Topping off the dish were pieces of crispy duck skin dipped in sugar and garam masala and garnished with amaranth microgreens.
Mueller does not only make use of salty flavors to balance out the dishes; she exceeds boundaries by using almost unlikely pairings. Her second dish was a seafood-based dessert of locally sourced uni, ice cream, and chocolate cake artfully served on a slab of rock, with receptacles that resemble the spiny urchins.
Mueller later revealed that she would often use ube in her desserts, and that she’s a huge fan of Philippine mangoes, which she implied are better than the ones that they get in California.
Roots
After graduating from the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, Mueller started working at places like The Four Seasons Beverly Hills, Fairmont Turnberry Isle Resort, and Ritz-Carlton Hotel Los Angeles. She then started teaching at Ewald Notter's International School of Pastry Arts.
This was not Mueller’s first time in Madrid Fusión. In 2012, she represented the United States at the Valrhona C3 World Competition in Spain during Madrid Fusión, and won third place. This is the highest level any American pastry chef has ever reached in the prestigious global competition. In 2012, she was also included in the Top 10 National Pastry Chef list by the magazine Dessert Professional.
Most people may also recognize her from TV, as she was a finalist and runner-up on “Top Chef: Just Desserts Season 2.”
On making unusual desserts
When asked about balancing the sweet and savory in desserts, Mueller has one essential tip: “Taste your food.”
This is especially the case when using ingredients that people are not accustomed to, or not used to eating together.
"Taste it first. Don't let your customers be your tasting guinea pigs. You need to do that as a professional," Mueller said, adding that flavors should always come first. "Back your plate, back your flavors, and back your desserts."
While it's true that people eat with their eyes first, Mueller is not a fan of putting unnecessary things in the dish. "If you see a garnish, and it's not edible, don't put it on the plate," she said.
The end of Mueller’s presentation shed light on some of her food philosophies: as much as possible, they should be seasonal, local, and natural—three things that are also reflective of this year’s fruitful and inspiring event.
With an impressive résumé and a reported new concept coming up soon, Mueller is showing no signs of slowing down. If the two dishes she made during the event are any indication, it looks like we’ll see more of her innovations in the years to come. — BM, GMA News
