The honeycomb semifreddo is a unique twist on a classic French cheese plate and features a semifreddo, which is a half-frozen Italian dessert. The dish combines elements of sweetness from quality honey, bitterness and crunch from honeycomb candy, and the savory and nutty notes from the aged comte cheese. The result is a well-balanced and exquisite dessert that plays with a variety of flavors and textures.
Washington DC
Lutèce
Honeycomb Semifreddo
Shaved 18-month-aged comte cheese / Clover honey / Baking soda / Salt / Egg whites / Egg yolks / Heavy cream / Mezcal
Signature Dish
From Prep to Plate
Seth visits neo-bistro Lutèce in Georgetown to sample their imaginative honeycomb semi-freddo. Made with shaved 18-month-aged comte cheese, the dessert is a fresh take on a classic French cheese plate. As Chef Isabel demonstrates, the dish starts with a homemade honeycomb cracker, which is broken apart and mixed into a cream dessert, half frozen, and topped with cheese shavings.
There, I had one of the most outrageous desserts I've ever had, which combined some of my favorite things (aged cheese, honey and semifreddo, which is a "semi-frozen" Italian dessert that is basically an un-churned approximation of ice cream). This dessert was beguiling and has truly been dancing in my head ever since.
Michael La Corte, Salon
