Cabinet Pudding

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •1¼ litre straight-sided charlotte mould or deep 15 cm cake tin
• •Deep roasting pan for the bain-marie
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Pastry brush
• •Thin skewer and slim palette knife

Instructions

1. 1

   Macerate the salpicon

   Combine the candied-fruit salpicon and currants with ¼ cup (60 ml) of the kirsch. Cover and leave for 30 minutes, stirring once, until the fruit is glossy and fragrant. Keep the dice small and even. Large pieces tear the custard when the pudding is sliced, while a proper salpicon travels neatly through every layer.

   Candied cherries and citrus peel give both colour and acidity. Avoid a mixture dominated by sugary melon, which tastes flat once enclosed in the rich vanilla custard.
2. 2

   Line the mould

   Butter the mould thoroughly, covering the base, sides, and especially the upper rim. Reserve two ladyfingers for repairs, then trim and arrange the others across the base and around the sides, fitting them closely without crushing them. Brush with the remaining ¼ cup (60 ml) kirsch in two passes, allowing the first to soak in before adding the second. They should be saturated and flexible but still hold their shape. If one collapses, patch the space with a reserved dry piece rather than pressing the damaged biscuit back into place.

3. 3

   Build the layers

   Lift the macerated fruit from its bowl with a slotted spoon, keeping the kirsch left behind. Arrange a thin layer of salpicon and currants over the biscuit base, add a few small dabs of apricot jam, then cover with pieces of ladyfinger. Brush those pieces with a little of the reserved fruit liquor. Continue in alternate layers, distributing the jam here and there rather than making a solid band, and finish about 2 cm below the rim.

4. 4

   Fill little by little

   Pour the Crème à la Vanille, Moulée (No. 2639) into the mould in three or four additions. After each addition, wait for the custard to sink, tap the mould gently against a folded towel, and tilt it a little in each direction so the liquid reaches the walls. If custard pools at the top while dry spaces remain below, slide a thin skewer down beside the biscuits to open a channel, then continue. Do not stir the layers. Stop with about 1 cm of headroom and leave the filled mould for 5 minutes before poaching.

5. 5

   Poach without boiling

   Heat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Cover the mould with a buttered round of parchment and a snug layer of foil, then set it on a folded kitchen towel in a deep roasting pan. Add water heated to 185°F (85°C) until it reaches halfway up the mould. Poach for 65 to 80 minutes, keeping the water close to 185°F (85°C), until the centre trembles as one mass rather than moving like liquid; an instant-read thermometer inserted near the centre should register 170 to 175°F (77 to 79°C). The water must never boil, because boiling overheats the air in the custard and leaves it riddled with holes. If bubbles appear, lower the oven, remove a cup of hot water, and replace it with cool water at once. Ça se rattrape.

6. 6

   Unmould and sauce

   Lift the mould from the bain-marie, uncover it, and rest for 15 to 20 minutes. Meanwhile, warm the crème anglaise over very gentle heat until it flows easily, never letting it simmer; if it begins to look grainy, remove it immediately and pass it through a fine sieve. Loosen only the upper edge of the pudding with a slim knife, invert a warm serving platter over the mould, turn both together, and wait one full minute before lifting the mould. If the pudding refuses to release, wrap the mould in a hot damp towel for 20 seconds and try again. Coat it generously with crème anglaise, letting the sauce pool around the base, and serve at once. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Choose crisp, dry ladyfingers, not soft sponge fingers. They need enough structure to drink in the kirsch without dissolving before the custard sets.
• •Test the mould's capacity with water before beginning. A straight-sided vessel holding about 1¼ litres gives the pudding enough height to show its layers while still fitting an ordinary roasting pan.
• •Kirsch keeps the candied fruit bright and gives the pudding its clean cherry-stone perfume. The source permits another liqueur, but changing it changes the whole register; use one liqueur consistently rather than mixing bottles.
• •The bain-marie is gentle heat made visible. Watch the water, not the oven clock. A smooth cut face without pinholes tells you the poach stayed calm.
• •Keep leftovers and their sauce in separate covered containers in the cold for up to 2 days. The pudding remains good, though the biscuits soften further after the first service.

Advance Preparation

• •The candied-fruit salpicon and currants may be macerated in kirsch up to a day ahead. Keep them covered in the cold and bring them out when the mould is ready.
• •Prepare the Crème à la Vanille, Moulée (No. 2639) according to its own entry on the day of assembly, then keep it cold until needed. The crème anglaise may be made a day ahead and warmed very gently before serving.
• •For a dinner party, line the mould and measure every component earlier in the day. Begin filling and poaching about 2 hours before dessert so the pudding has time to cook and settle without being rushed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 270g)