The presentation took place at a gastronomic conference organised by the solidarity restaurant located in the Evangelical Church of Castelldefels.

Like the fragility of an egg that breaks and the imperfection of a shell that flakes, but to make way for a tasty delicacy. The “Imperfect dessert” is already a reality and evokes the essence that defines the well-known project of the solidarity restaurant located in the building of this church in the city south of Barcelona, Spain.

The dish was presented at a gastronomic conference organised by the restaurant itself, which was attended by the person behind the sweet creation: the master pastry chef Francisco Somoza, who, among other awards, has won the prize for Best Master Artisan Pastry Chef in Spain 2007 and the Spanish Chocolate Master 2011.

Somoza presented the dessert as part of tasting of wine and cava attended by the city’s councillor for Cooperation and Solidarity. The work of Imperfect and the Asociación Con Pasión (Association with passion, the legal entity that manages the church project) has been increasing its influence in the municipality over the years, so that it also has the support of both public and private institutions.

In addition to the work reintegration programme for people at risk of social exclusion, in 2023 alone the restaurant linked to the church donated 9,336 menus for people suffering from food insecurity.

The space also hosts the practical training of a vocational training module of the Castelldefels Catering School.

Break the egg!

As the diners were watching the freshly served “Imperfect dessert” on our tables, a comment echoed around the restaurant: “break the egg”. And several of them dared. With their spoons, they tapped on the surface of a white chocolate egg which, on contact, cracked to reveal the fusion of a whitish and orange cream. Then came the silence of delight.

It is hard to imagine that sweetness, which we are used to associating with good things, can emerge from something like breaking. The whole dessert is full of symbolism, as Somoza pointed out, which connects with the essence of Imperfect restaurant’s project: breaking is inevitable in this life, but there is life after breaking. A life that can be delicious.

A beautiful legacy with which chef Somoza wanted to contribute to the solidarity project. “Before, master pastry chefs were afraid of losing their recipe, so they only gave one ingredient to each of their assistants. None of them knew the combination of all the ingredients, except the master”, he explained. “But really, the idea is to help others so that they can help more people tomorrow. I have come here with this eagerness to serve”.

Somoza also explained that he wanted to “look for a dessert that would leave the sensation of a forest” on the palate.

The dish will be available on the restaurant’s menu in two months’ time. It consists of a square of coconut panna cotta and a chocolate egg filled with a vanilla and mango mousse, accompanied by a pineapple fruit salad and drops of mango purée.

Demonstration

Before the wine tasting and the presentation of the dessert, the charity restaurant hosted a cooking demonstration by Somoza. The master pastry chef made a small glass of cheesecake and another dessert called ‘Asturian’, which combines apple compote with rice pudding, and which is part of the cake he entered in the competition to make the wedding cake for the wedding of the King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain in 2004. He won the competition.

“We confectioners make too much of ourselves”, continued Somoza, laughing as he stirred and stirred ingredients, while confessing his passion for basic milk-based desserts, such as the typical Spanish flan or rice pudding. “The beauty of the job is the day to day”.

The night before (Friday 27 September), the pastry chef, who is currently head of the R&D Department at the pastry company Viena Capellanes and also a member of an evangelical church in Madrid, had prepared a “sweet experience” for a group of thirty business people, also at Imperfect’s restaurant.