At the Currahee Club, desserts showcase the best fruits of each season.
The artistry inside the pastry shop at the Currahee Club (Toccoa, Ga.) is driving member satisfaction in new and seasonally sweet ways. This is all thanks to Currahee’s new Pastry Chef, Veejooruth Purlmessue—known as “Chef P”—who came to the club in October 2016.
A native of the Republic of Mauritius, Purlmessue has served in numerous roles prior to taking his current post, including Executive Pastry Chef positions at the Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort, Villages & Spa, and the Beaches Negril Resort & Spa in Jamaica.
As Currahee’s new Pastry Chef, Purlmessue is introducing members to high-end desserts that are both seasonal and surprising. He plans to change the dessert menu frequently, and feature new and different specials even more often than that. So far, his menus are thoughtful and well-balanced, as they mix comfort with adventure.
“I want to create exciting flavors that stay with my members and guests long after they leave the club,” says Purlmessue.
“Chef P”’s menu template features seven different dishes. One is a special that rotates weekly. Three are chocolate-based, as Purlmessue is a skilled and fanatic chocolatier. Three others range from cakes and cheesecakes to fruit-focused desserts.
“Fruit desserts are the best way to highlight the seasons,” says Purlmessue. “In autumn, apples and pumpkins are everywhere. So we do an apple cobbler with a slight twist—we top it with a house-made caramel, and include starfruit with the apples.”
Other seasonal favorites include Chef P’s creamy pumpkin cheesecake pressed into a graham-cracker crust (pictured), as well as his tropical-fruit and orange-glazed sponge cake.
“When fruit is the focus, you must start with the best quality ingredients,” says Purlmessue. “It’s also important to consider how different fruits react and behave with other ingredients. This can affect plating and prep immensely. Some fruits have too much water, while others are too acidic and some have a lot of sugar. Balance and planning is critical.”
Purlmessue also looks to fruit to create sauces and garnishes that add flavor, depth, color and balance to plates.
“When you taste a chocolate dish that is accompanied by a bright passion-fruit sauce, you taste each element individually,” he says. “It makes for a more interesting flavor experience that is exciting and new for the member. That’s the goal for all of our desserts—[to present] interesting and delicious flavor experiences.”