Chevreuse Pudding

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Four 6-ounce (180 ml) straight-sided ceramic ramekins
• •Deep roasting pan for the bain-marie
• •2-quart saucepan
• •Large heatproof bowl that fits over a 10-inch skillet without touching the water
• •Balloon whisk
• •Instant-read thermometer

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the ramekins

   Heat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Butter four 6-ounce (180 ml) ramekins generously with 1 tablespoon (14 g) of the butter, taking it right to the rims so the puddings release cleanly. Set them in a deep roasting pan lined with a folded kitchen towel, which keeps the ramekins from sliding, and bring a kettle of water to the boil.

   Choose straight-sided ramekins if you have them. Fluted or sharply shouldered molds cling to a soft pudding and make unmolding needlessly dramatic.
2. 2

   Cook the semolina

   Bring the milk, pudding sugar, and salt to a gentle simmer in a 2-quart saucepan. Rain in the semolina in a thin, steady stream while whisking constantly; adding it by handfuls makes lumps before the grains have time to separate. Lower the heat and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring steadily, until the grains are tender and the mixture falls from the spoon in heavy ribbons. If small lumps appear, lift the pan from the heat and whisk firmly before they set. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons (28 g) butter, then leave the mixture for 5 minutes so it is hot but no longer fierce.

   The semolina is ready when a little pressed between two fingers feels tender rather than sandy. Thickness alone is not enough; the grain must be cooked through.
3. 3

   Lighten the pudding

   Whisk the 2 egg yolks into the warm semolina one at a time. Beat the 2 egg whites in a clean bowl until they hold soft peaks with tips that bend. Fold one-third of the whites into the semolina to loosen it, then fold in the remainder with broad strokes, stopping as soon as no white streaks remain. Divide the mixture among the ramekins without packing it down.

4. 4

   Bake in bain-marie

   Pour the boiled water into the roasting pan until it reaches halfway up the ramekins. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the puddings are lightly puffed, set around the edges, and still tremble slightly at the center. A liquid center needs another 5 minutes; a gentle wobble is exactly right. Lift the ramekins from the bain-marie and rest them for 5 minutes, then run a thin knife around the upper edge. Leave the puddings in their molds while you make the sabayon.

5. 5

   Whisk the sabayon

   Bring 1 inch (2.5 cm) of water to a bare simmer in a wide saucepan or skillet. Whisk the 3 egg yolks and sabayon sugar in a heatproof bowl until pale, then whisk in the kirsch and all but 1 teaspoon of the white wine. Set the bowl over the water without letting its base touch. Whisk continuously for 7 to 9 minutes, moving around the edges as well as through the center, until the sabayon has tripled in volume, reads about 160°F (71°C), and holds the trail of the whisk for 2 seconds. If it turns grainy at the rim, remove the bowl immediately and whisk in the reserved cold wine. Ça se rattrape. Strain out any tiny curds, then keep whisking off the heat until smooth. If the sabayon is simply loose, it is undercooked; return it to the gentle bain-marie and continue.

   The water should barely quiver. A hard boil attacks the bowl with too much heat and cooks the yolk before the whisk can carry air into it.
6. 6

   Unmold and serve

   Invert each pudding onto a warmed dessert plate. If one clings, press a hot damp towel against the base of the ramekin for 10 seconds, then try again; do not dig at the pudding. Spoon the sabayon over each crown and let it pool generously around the base. Carry the plates straight to the table while the sauce is airy and glossy. No fruit, no dusting, no decoration is needed. The semolina and kirsch sabayon are the entire finish. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Buy fine wheat semolina intended for puddings. Coarse semolina remains gritty in the short cooking time, while couscous and cornmeal belong to entirely different preparations.
• •Kirsch is a clear, dry cherry eau-de-vie, not a sweet red cherry liqueur. The sugar is already balanced for the dry spirit; a syrupy bottle makes the sabayon cloying and hides its clean cherry perfume.
• •Use a crisp, dry white wine without heavy oak. It supports the kirsch and gives the yolks enough liquid to expand without competing with the pudding.
• •A sabayon is made for waiting guests. If dinner runs late, keep the puddings warm and leave the measured sabayon ingredients untouched until everyone is seated.

Advance Preparation

• •The puddings may be baked up to 4 hours ahead. Cool them in their ramekins, cover, and chill; rewarm them in a covered bain-marie at 300°F (150°C) for 15 to 20 minutes before loosening and unmolding.
• •Measure the wine, kirsch, sugar, and yolks before dinner, and fit the bowl over its pan. Do not whisk the sabayon ahead. Once made, it should go directly over the puddings and out to the table.
• •If a finished sabayon waits briefly and begins to settle, whisk it over the gentle bain-marie for 20 to 30 seconds. Serve as soon as its volume returns.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 220g)