Pineapple Fritters “à la Favorite”

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Small heavy-bottomed saucepan
• •Whisk and heatproof spatula
• •Small offset spatula
• •Metal tray that fits the freezer
• •Deep heavy saucepan or Dutch oven
• •Clip-on deep-frying thermometer
• •Wire draining rack
• •Fine-mesh sugar sifter

Instructions

1. 1

   Macerate the pineapple

   Cut each pineapple roundel in half to make eight half-discs. Lay them in one layer in a shallow dish, sprinkle with the macerating sugar and kirsch, and turn them so every surface is moistened. Leave for 30 minutes, no longer, then drain and blot both sides very thoroughly with clean towels. The sugar draws juice from the fruit, and any syrup left on the surface will make the frangipane slide away.

   Use pineapple that is fragrant but still firm. An overripe fruit collapses under coating and releases too much liquid into the fryer.
2. 2

   Build the frangipane

   For the crème pâtissière (pastry cream), warm the milk in a small saucepan until bubbles gather around the edge. Whisk one yolk with its 2 tablespoons of sugar and the cornstarch until smooth. Whisk in half the hot milk, return everything to the saucepan, and cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until the cream boils and becomes thick enough to leave a clean path across the pan. Keep it bubbling gently for 1 minute, then scrape it into a shallow bowl, cover the surface directly, and cool until barely warm. Beat the softened butter with the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar, almond flour, and second yolk until smooth. Beat in the crème pâtissière, then fold in the chopped pistachios. The crème frangipane should be very thick and almost cold. If warm pastry cream melts the butter and the mixture loosens, do not coat the fruit yet. Ça se rattrape: chill it for 15 minutes, stir until firm, and continue.

3. 3

   Coat and chill

   Line a small metal tray with parchment. Turn each dry pineapple half-disc through the frangipane, using a small offset spatula to jacket the top, bottom, cut edge, and curved edge in an even layer about 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick. Set the pieces apart on the tray and freeze for 40 to 50 minutes, until the coating feels hard and lifts with the fruit as one piece, though the pineapple itself need not freeze solid. If a patch slips or exposes fruit, press on a little cold frangipane and return the piece to the freezer for 10 minutes. The cold set is the dish, not optional waiting.

   Peel the parchment away from each chilled fritter instead of tugging the fritter upward. This protects the frangipane jacket.
4. 4

   Mix the thin batter

   Shortly before frying, whisk 1/2 cup (60 g) of the flour with the salt. Add the whole egg and 5 tablespoons of the ice water, whisking only until smooth, then add enough of the final tablespoon of water to make a pâte à frire (thin frying batter) that falls in a continuous ribbon and leaves only a light veil on a spoon. Rest it in the cold for 10 minutes. If it runs off like water, whisk in the reserved tablespoon of flour a teaspoon at a time; if it sits thickly, add the remaining water a teaspoon at a time. The batter protects the frangipane without burying it.

5. 5

   Prepare the hot fat

   Pour the oil into a deep, heavy saucepan, leaving the pan no more than half full, and heat it to 350°F (175°C). Set a wire rack over a tray for draining. Heat the broiler to high and position an oven rack about 6 inches (15 cm) below it. This concentrated top heat is the home equivalent of the original fierce oven. Keep the coated pineapple in the freezer until the oil is steady and everything else is ready.

6. 6

   Batter and fry

   Working with two pieces at a time, detach the chilled half-discs from the tray, dip each completely in the pâte à frire, and let the excess fall away for a second. Lower them gently into the oil and fry for about 3 minutes, turning once, until evenly deep gold and crisp at the edges. Keep the oil between 340°F and 350°F (170°C and 175°C); cooler fat lets the frangipane escape before the shell sets. If cream begins leaking, lift out the batch and skim away the escaped pieces. Ça se rattrape: return the remaining fritters to the freezer for 10 minutes, let the oil regain its heat, and resume with one piece as a test. Drain each finished fritter on the rack.

   Never crowd the pan. Two fritters per batch keep the temperature steady and give you room to turn them without breaking the coating.
7. 7

   Glaze under heat

   Transfer the drained fritters to a bare, broiler-safe metal tray and sift the icing sugar generously over them. Broil for 20 to 45 seconds, watching without looking away, until the sugar melts into a fine gloss and freckles pale amber. Pull the tray before the sugar darkens. Arrange the fritters on a platter lined with a clean folded napkin, as the original service directs, and carry them straight to the table while the shell is crisp and the pineapple warm. À table!

Chef Tips

• •The frangipane must be thick before it touches the pineapple and hard before it touches the batter. If you can leave a fingertip hollow in the chilled coating without smearing it, the fritters are ready for the fryer.
• •Choose unsalted pistachios and chop them finely enough to sit inside the cream. Large pieces tear the coating when you detach it from the tray.
• •A thermometer earns its place here. Sugar, fruit, and frangipane all cool the oil quickly, so let it recover fully between batches.
• •Serve the fritters immediately after glazing. They wait badly, as fried pastry should. A small glass of kirsch or a chilled demi-sec Champagne belongs happily beside them.

Advance Preparation

• •The crème frangipane can be made a day ahead, covered directly on its surface, and kept cold. Stir it until smooth before coating the pineapple.
• •The pineapple can be macerated, dried, coated, and chilled up to 4 hours before frying. Once the coating is firm, move the tray from the freezer to the refrigerator so the fruit does not freeze through.
• •Measure the dry batter ingredients and arrange the frying station earlier in the day, but mix the pâte à frire shortly before cooking. Frying and glazing must wait until the guests are ready for dessert.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 225g)