Back of the House

Inside Blackbird’s Pastry Kitchen with Chef Patrick Fahy

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It’s been a scant three months since Patrick Fahy took over running the pastry kitchen at Blackbird from the much-beloved Tim Dahl, but already the French Laundry vet has earned legions of converts for his particular take on dessert. Shying away from the usual workhorses of the dessert menu, Fahy instead tries to incorporate seasonal ingredients and unconventional flavors into his menu. He took us behind the scenes to show us exactly what goes into one of his (and our) favorites, the milk chocolate crémeux with butternut squash, gingerbread and horchata sorbet — on the menu now, and likely to stay there until at least February. Check out the slideshow to find out how the candy ribbon gets so shiny, just how much butternut squash is in there, and how the darn thing stays so square.

Inside Blackbird’s Pastry Kitchen with Chef Patrick Fahy