A seaweed panettone, Petrossian and Christophe Louie's idea to brighten up the festive season

Christmas and the festive season are all about rituals, often unchanging. Soft blinis for smoked salmon, with a little cream or butter and a few drops of lemon juice. Or perhaps, for the more daring, sandwich bread. But Petrossian, house of caviar, smoked salmon and fish roe, and Christophe Louie, France's most famous panettone maker, decided to shake things up. The result is a savory panettone with nori seaweed, a delicately spiced yuzu condiment and a touch of cheddar. Meet the authors of this festive collaboration, Christophe Louie and Mikaël Petrossian.

How did this idea come about?

Christophe Louie: Originally, my team and I were thinking of simply using Petrossian products like salmon for our street food range. As is often the case, I wanted to do something more, to imagine a real collaboration.

Mikaël Petrossian: Petrossian products go well with the world of bakery. We're not talking about our caviars here, as we always say that it's best to eat them as simply as possible, with a spoon. Instead, we're talking about smoked fish, fish roe, taramas and so on. The texture and fat of a product like panettone are a perfect match.

Do these collaborations often take time?

C.L.: In this case, it was quite the opposite, a real last-minute project (laughs). The idea came up in mid-November, the feeling got across and I gave it a try, just to test the waters. We liked the trial, refined things a bit and within three weeks it was in the store. Sometimes, it's better when things are done quickly: no room for doubt, no big promotion. And in the end, the first batch went out very quickly!

M.P.: Christophe came to the boutique, we tasted the products together and it was he who made the proposal on the direction to take. The most important thing was that he understood our products and how they were made, so that he could be inspired by them.

C.L.: Obviously, I immediately thought of adding a hint of iodine to accompany the seafood, with seaweed, which is easy to work with in panettone because it's dry. Yuzu was also an obvious choice, as lemon is often associated with seafood, and goes well with the oily side. The final element is the cheddar cheese that we put on top, which serves above all to give a texture and a pleasant little crust.

M.P.: The yuzu brings out the fruity character of the panettone, the candied fruit side, without adding too much sugar, so it's a perfect match for the smoked fish.

What's your favorite way to use it?

M.P. : I love to spread plain tarama on it. I don't toast it; it's pure softness. There's just the very slightly crunchy cheddar rind, which also dirties things up and gives it an almost umami quality. You don't even need to add lemon, since the panettone contains yuzu.

C.L.: There's nothing better for me than a slice of this panettone with a good raw cream and smoked salmon. I agree, there's no need to toast.

Is making a salted panettone a particular challenge?

C.L.: The sugar content is a variable that has to be precisely adjusted. We obviously use less for the taste, but it's still essential to the final product. For another salted panettone, in the cacio e pepe style, I struggled for a while to find the right balance. I drew on that experience for this collaboration. Besides, salted panettones grow very quickly. A classic panettone takes 6 to 8 hours to bake, while a savoury panettone takes 3 hours to bake. You have to be careful, because if you put it in the oven too late, it falls apart.

The caviar world is often static, but Petrossian's DNA is all about exploration and innovation: is this collaboration a good example?

M.P. : We're convinced that consumption patterns are changing, and that we need to dare and explore. We maintain a link with our customers through our new products, such as the Beluga caviar velouté which has just been launched. People need to understand why Beluga caviar is so expensive: it's the result of an ultra-selective process. So what happens to the eggs that don't qualify? We work with them and use them differently in this velouté. Back in the 90s, our environment was very different. Today, people are mature enough to understand these approaches. Besides, without this creative element, we'd get bored.

Christophe, collaboration is also in your company's DNA...

C.L.: Of course, not least because I haven't always had my own store. It's a joy to cross-fertilize know-how and imagine something with products I like, it's always stimulating. Sometimes it doesn't work, sometimes certain products don't lend themselves to being used in a panettone. But the research part, figuring out how to integrate these products into my savoir-faire, is fun. There's also a lot to imagine around panettone in the context of tasting. It's not just a breakfast or a holiday snack as people imagine. Wine bars serve my panettone cacio e pepe. This panettone with Petrossian works well as a starter for a meal with seafood. If I made a panettone with a good rum, maybe it could be served in a cocktail bar? It takes time, but we're starting to show people that panettone isn't limited to the idea they have of it.

By the way, can this collaborative panettone help decode holiday meals?

M.P.: Absolutely, let's get away from the traditional framework. I shouldn't say this, but I don't like blini at all, even though we sell a lot of them at Petrossian. It's often badly reheated. I prefer a good loaf of bread or a baguette with our products, rather than a blini in the microwave. With this panettone, we can break away from the sacrosanct blini-crème and have a more playful moment of discovery. What's more, it's a beautiful product that can be placed in the middle of the table, shared, cut up and so on.

What about episode 2 of the collaboration between Petrossian and Christophe Louie?

M.P. : Perhaps we could find an arrangement around caviar, pressed caviar or matured caviar. Caviar with enough character to be paired with something else. We haven't looked into it yet, but it's an interesting avenue to explore.

Practical information :

• Panettone Christophe Louie x Maison Petrossian: €25
• Available only from December 1 to 31, 2024, while stocks last
• available exclusively at Christophe Louie and Petrossian boutiques in Paris.