Baking with Michel
"This type of cooking evokes fond memories of my apprenticeship when, at the age of fourteen, I learnt to handle the baker's shovel in a three-tier oven; it was 3 meters long - twice my own height! The temperature of each tier was different to enable the pâtissier to bake a whole range of cakes and baked goods. Certain pastries require an oven temperature of 160° C, while others need to be cooked at 240° C; the 300° C hottest oven at the bottom, which we called "lethal," was only used for glazing pithiviers, millefeuilles, and the like. The heat it emitted was so intense that I only had 3 or 4 seconds to thrust in my shovel laden with pastries dusted with icing sugar, and hastily pull it out again before they got burnt - a fascinating experience for a young chef!

Baked goods must be carefully watched; the oven can heat, dry and cook, but unfortunately, it can also burn - and all too often it does. That is why I always recommend using a kitchen timer. Do not forget: an oven is a piece of equipment that is in constant use, and it must be cleaned regularly, especially after cooking onions, garlic, fish or anything that spatters grease. Cleaning will prevent the oven from smoking and ensure that your delicate macaroons or brioche are not contaminated by strong, inappropriate flavours. I recommend that you invest in a self-cleaning oven to avoid such pitfalls.