Luke Mangan's 25th anniversary liquorice lime parfait dessert

When chef extraordinaire, Luke Mangan, says that he's been working on a dessert recipe for 25 years, you know you're in for something truly special.

That's exactly what you get with the 25^th anniversary liquorice and lime parfait that is gracing the menu at Mangan's Glass Brasserie in Sydney's CBD.

To say he's been working on it for a quarter of a century sounds like he's been feverishly reinventing, rebuilding, or starting from scratch each time, waiting to unveil the ultimate masterpiece. And while a masterpiece is indeed the end result, the slow process of getting there has been fluid, gentle and ongoing and very much in the public eye. An evolution of a flavour combination that the chef loves.

So at 9Honey we were thrilled to have the chance to sit with the chef and hear the story of this unique dish. Check out the video above to see exactly what the dessert is made of, described by the man himself. If nothing else, you'll want to see the satisfying moment the dessert is cracked open.

"This dessert has been around for 25 years," says Luke, adding that it started as a simple slab of parfait, dressed with lime segments and syrup.
"The over the years it evolved and we put some meringue with it, some blueberries... but really once we've got to this, I think this is it."

The liquorice, lime and apple flavour pairing is one that has stood the test of time and continually takes people by surprise. That's a lot of its charm; the element of surprise. It was certainly an interesting experience when I tasted it recently. And I was surprised to hear that it's been such a staple when a diner might opt for the more familiar flavours of a chocolate mousse, caramel doughnut, or vanilla crème brulee to end a spectacular meal at Glass. But Luke assures me that with just a little gentle encouragement, diners try the liquoroice and lime dessert and adore the unexpected flavours.

While Luke tells me that this is the final incarnation of the dessert, I feel he will always be one to play around with these flavours – they're such a signature after all.

From the original ice cream parfait, to the mousse sphere it is today, we're glad it's here to stay. It was worth the 25 years of gentle development, for its white chocolate shell finish, that gold dust and all the liquorice ice cream, custard and apple pieces of delight inside.    

See Luke cooking Australian summer pavlova below, find the recipe here, and take a listen as he chats all things pork belly with food editor Jane de Graaff in the What the F is for Dinner podcast right here.