Chef Juliette
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Crêpes au Couvent trap ripe Williams pear dice between two thin pours of sweet batter, then turn in one clean toss and reach the table butter-gold, powdered, and burning hot.
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Croûte à la Parisienne
Created by Chef Juliette
Based on No. 2459, Croûte à la Parisienne, from Le Guide Culinaire (1907) by Auguste Escoffier
Croûte à la Parisienne sets a crisp pralin brioche crown around jeweled fruit, Madeira-bright apricot, and thin pineapple, proving that grand presentation depends on timing, not a brigade.
Desserts
French
Dinner Party
Celebration
Special Occasion
40 min
Active Time
10 min cook•1 hr 10 min total
Yield6 servings
Croûte à la Parisienne (Parisian pralin brioche crown) teaches moisture control. The one true thing to know before touching a pan is this: crisp pralin and juicy pineapple can share a platter beautifully, but they cannot wait there together. Every component must be ready before the pineapple is blotted dry and laid on last.
The old pastry station assumed Pralin (No. 2352), the coated brioche crust work from Croûte à la Maréchale (No. 2457), and separate pans of apricot purée and apricot syrup already waiting. At home, you keep those cross-referenced preparations whole, then turn one good apricot preserve into two consistencies with a sieve, water, and Madeira. Several brigade pans were scaffolding and can go. The crisp croûtes, the Madeira-apricot binding, and the pineapple arrangement are the dish, so they stay. One cook, one stove, one evening.
When it is right, the crown is almond-gold and crisp, the center glows with jewel-colored fruit, and the apricot catches the light without running across the platter. Assemble only when the table is nearly ready, and set the pineapple at the last possible moment.
Croûte à la Parisienne belongs to the Parisian entremets repertoire, where pastry cooks arranged sweetened bread crusts and preserved fruit into composed table pieces served whole. Its pralin-coated croûtes borrow the brioche treatment named in Croûte à la Maréchale, while Madeira-scented apricot binds pineapple and preserved fruits from the richer Paris pantry. Parisienne describes the arrangement and manner of service, not a pineapple tradition native to the region.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
pralin-coated stale mousseline brioche crusts
Quantity
12 crusts from 10 ounces (285 g) brioche, prepared through the crust stage of Croûte à la Maréchale (No. 2457)
smooth apricot preserves
Quantity
1 cup (240 ml / 320 g)
water
Quantity
⅓ cup (80 ml / 80 g)
divided
Madeira
Quantity
¼ cup (60 ml / 60 g)
divided
mixed preserved fruits
Quantity
1½ cups (360 ml / 300 g)
thoroughly drained and cut into small even pieces
thin pineapple half-moons
Quantity
12 pieces, about 1½ cups (360 ml / 250 g)
thoroughly drained and blotted dry
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| pralin-coated stale mousseline brioche crusts | 12 crusts from 10 ounces (285 g) brioche, prepared through the crust stage of Croûte à la Maréchale (No. 2457) |
| Pralinused to prepare the brioche crusts | ⅔ cup (160 ml / 150 g) Pralin (No. 2352) |
| smooth apricot preserves | 1 cup (240 ml / 320 g) |
| waterdivided | ⅓ cup (80 ml / 80 g) |
| Madeiradivided | ¼ cup (60 ml / 60 g) |
| mixed preserved fruitsthoroughly drained and cut into small even pieces | 1½ cups (360 ml / 300 g) |
| thin pineapple half-moonsthoroughly drained and blotted dry | 12 pieces, about 1½ cups (360 ml / 250 g) |
Equipment Needed
- •12-inch (30 cm) flat round serving platter
- •Fine-mesh sieve
- •Small saucepan
- •Pastry brush
- •Wire cooling rack
Instructions
- 1
Ready the croûtes
Begin with twelve pralin-coated brioche crusts prepared through the crust stage of Croûte à la Maréchale (No. 2457), using Pralin (No. 2352). They must be completely cold, dry to the touch, and crisp at the edges before assembly. If the coating still feels tacky, ça se rattrape: return the crusts to a 250°F (120°C) oven for 5 to 8 minutes, then cool them completely on a rack. Never build the crown on warm croûtes, because warmth traps moisture beneath the coating.
Keep the cooled croûtes uncovered until they are entirely cold. Enclose them while warm and their own condensation will soften the pralin. - 2
Build the apricot base
Warm the apricot preserves with 2 tablespoons (30 ml / 30 g) of the water over gentle heat, stirring only until fluid. Press the mixture through a fine sieve, then divide it two-thirds to one-third. Stir 2 tablespoons (30 ml / 30 g) Madeira into the larger portion to make a thick apricot purée. Add the remaining Madeira and enough remaining water to the smaller portion to make a glossy apricot syrup that falls from a spoon in a thin ribbon. If either portion becomes loose, simmer it briefly; if it tightens too far, add water by the teaspoon. Ça se rattrape.
- 3
Bind the fruit garnish
Spread the mixed preserved fruits on a clean towel and blot away every trace of surface syrup. Cut any large pieces into a salpicon, a small even dice, then fold them into the Madeira-flavored apricot purée. Add only enough purée to cohere the fruit into a spoonable garnish; it should mound softly rather than swim. If liquid gathers beneath it, drain the fruit briefly through the sieve and fold back just enough purée to bind it.
- 4
Form the crisp crown
Arrange the cooled croûtes on a flat 12-inch (30 cm) serving platter in a close, slightly overlapping circle, with the pralin-coated faces visible and a broad well left in the middle. Adjust the spacing now, before any fruit arrives. The ring should hold its shape by careful placement alone, without hidden supports or decorative construction.
- 5
Glaze and finish
Spoon the bound fruit garnish into the middle of the crown, keeping it below the upper edge of the croûtes. Brush the circle lightly but completely with the Madeira-flavored apricot syrup, coating rather than drenching it. Blot the pineapple once more, then arrange the slices last in a radiating circle, with their outer ends resting on the croûtes and their inner ends framing the fruit. The old pastry station could assemble and send the dish immediately; at home, placing the pineapple last buys the crisp crown its full quarter-hour at the table. Serve at once. À table!
Chef Tips
- •Choose mixed fruits with distinct colors and textures, such as pear, apricot, cherries, golden raisins, and a little candied orange peel. Drain them rigorously. The apricot must bind the pieces, not disguise them.
- •A ripe fresh pineapple is splendid in season. Otherwise, pineapple packed in juice is the classical pantry's honest answer, but blot every slice on both sides before it approaches the croûtes.
- •Use a Madeira you would pour into a small glass. Add it after the apricot leaves the boil so its nutty aroma remains present rather than cooking away.
- •Do not refrigerate the assembled dish. Cold dampens the brioche and the pineapple continues releasing juice; prepare the components ahead, then assemble within 15 minutes of serving.
Advance Preparation
- •Prepare the pralin-coated brioche crusts from Croûte à la Maréchale (No. 2457), using Pralin (No. 2352), up to one day ahead. Cool them completely before storing them in an airtight container at room temperature.
- •The two Madeira-apricot preparations can be made up to two days ahead and chilled separately. Bring them to room temperature before assembly, loosening the syrup with a teaspoon of water if needed.
- •The mixed fruit can be cut and drained several hours ahead. Keep it covered in the cold, then blot it again before folding it into the apricot purée.
- •Slice and blot the pineapple shortly before serving. Assemble the entire dessert only when the table is ready.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 230g)
Calories
650 calories
Total Fat
17 g
Saturated Fat
6 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
10 g
Cholesterol
60 mg
Sodium
180 mg
Total Carbohydrates
121 g
Dietary Fiber
4 g
Sugars
93 g
Protein
7 g
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