When Stephan Schubert grew up wanting to be an airplane mechanic, he probably never imagined one day he’d be named 2014 Pastry Chef of the Year by the American Culinary Federation. St. Louisans can sample Schubert’s creations at River City Casino & Hotel, where he’s executive pastry chef and creates all the baked goods, including breads and desserts, for the property.
Schubert didn’t always call St. Louis home. He was born in Georgia, and his parents moved the family back to their native Germany when he was a teen. That’s where he began learning his craft. “In Germany, you start an apprenticeship at age 16,” he says. “Your parents often have a high influence on what you do. I wanted to be an airplane mechanic, but my parents didn’t agree.”
The career choice ended up being the perfect fit. From an early age, he was steeped in the pastry world, watching his pastry chef father at work. “I have a picture of me standing on a stool stirring something and making my parents breakfast,” Schubert says. “At a young age, I already liked to play around with flour and dough. I was always drawn to it.”
Before landing in Missouri, Schubert worked as a chef for Cunard Cruise Line, which brought him to exotic locales around the world. He also spent time in Las Vegas at Caesar’s Palace. The global experience taught him a lot, he says, and opened his eyes to different ways of approaching pastry. “My time on the cruise ship brought me all around the world, including to places not many people go, like the Galapagos Islands,” he says. “It’s an eye-opener to go into different countries and work with different cultures.”
His crowning accomplishment is winning ACF Pastry Chef of the Year, but at first, he didn’t even want to compete. “It was almost a bet to the end whether or not I would do it, but my wife wanted to see me do something different,” he says. During the national competition, he had 2.5 hours to make three creations: a dessert with cherries and pistachios, 24 cookies and a 2-foot-tall showpiece reflecting the event’s theme, The Wizard of Oz. “It was a lot of pressure, both mentally and physically,” he says. “I could not come back as a loser or as a second-place winner, because I had canceled vacations to practice, and I spent a lot of time away from my family getting ready.”
Schubert now has his sights set on global domination. In October, he travels to Ecuador to compete in the Americas’ ACF Pastry Chef competition on behalf of the U.S. The theme is Greek mythology—a topic Schubert confesses he is a “geek” about.
He’s come far since his early days in his parents’ kitchen, and now he works to pay forward his good fortune by assisting aspiring pastry chefs. “I give young kids, who are not always from culinary school, a chance,” he says. One woman Schubert and his wife knew from her days at their local Blockbuster video store told him she wanted to be a pastry chef but couldn’t afford culinary school. “I gave her a chance years ago, and now she’s a full-fledged baker,” he says. “I basically replicate my apprenticeship experience—I give them one task to do over and over and try to teach them a little bit at a time.”
[ice cream with chocolate mousse, raspberry snow and meringue cardamom]
chocolate mousse
1 c. chocolate
1 c. heavy cream
2 egg whites
1 egg yolk
1 T. sugar
>> Melt chocolate. Whisk cream to a soft peak. Mix egg whites and sugar to a stiff peak. Combine chocolate and yolks. Fold in whipped cream, then add egg white mixture. Place in mold and let cool until set.
sauce
3 oz. passion fruit puree
2 oz. each mango puree and raspberry puree
2 oz. sugar
>> Combine sugar and purees in a sauce pot and boil for one minute.
raspberry snow
2 oz. white chocolate
½ oz. freeze-dried raspberries
1 t. tapioca dextrin
>> Melt chocolate. Add to blender with raspberries and dextrin. Mix until it creates a fine ‘snow.’
cardamom meringue
3 large egg whites
¾ c. sugar
1 pinch each ground c ardamom and kosher salt
>> Mix egg whites and sugar until it forms a stiff peak. Add spices. Spread onto a silipad and place in dehydrator.
to serve
Place chocolate mousse on a plate. Sprinkle raspberry snow on top, followed by meringue drops, a drizzle of sauce, and a scoop of ice cream.
Photos: Bill Barrett
