<p>Grant Crilly is the Executive Director and cofounder of ChefSteps. Grant is a classically trained chef and, prior to ChefSteps, he worked on the award-winning cookbook series Modernist Cuisine and cooked at various restaurants, including L’Astrance in Paris, Busaba in Mumbai, and Mistral Kitchen in Seattle.</p>

Grant Crilly

<p>When French chef <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joel_Robuchon">Joël Robuchon</a> introduced <a href="http://vimeo.com/33266451">“Le Caviar”</a> to his menu years ago, it became an instant classic, and it remains a dish people travel to eat. It is often served as a small bowl of cauliflower cream dotted with parsley oil and topped with a mound of Osetra caviar. We used it as a springboard for a Robuchon-inspired dessert. Instead of cauliflower cream, we make a smooth almond custard, barely set with carageenan, and garnish it with mint juice. We top this with tiny chocolate spheres, which uncannily resemble dark Osetra caviar. It’s the kind of dish that makes you smile: clever, delicious, and beautiful. <a href="http://www.nealstephenson.com/">Neal Stephenson</a>, science fiction author extraordinaire, stopped by for a bite and didn’t stop until he’d inhaled the whole thing.</p>

Chocolate Mint Almond Custard