Fruit Soufflé in a Croustade

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •8-inch (20 cm) straight-sided round cake pan, about 1 1/2 inches (4 cm) deep
• •Small heavy saucepan
• •Electric hand mixer or balloon whisk
• •Flexible spatula
• •Rimmed heatproof serving platter
• •Long fireplace match or long-reach lighter

Instructions

1. 1

   Ready the croustade

   Heat the oven to 350°F (180°C), conventional setting, with a rack just below the middle. Have the Croûtes et Croustades (No. 2393) ready in its shallow mould, lined very thinly with sugared paste and still unbaked, then keep it cold while you prepare the fillings. The general drying-box treatment belongs to empty croustade shells; this formula directs a single filled bake, so don't blind-bake it first.

2. 2

   Stew the fruits

   Split the vanilla bean lengthwise, scrape out the seeds, and divide both seeds and pod in half. Put the apples in a small saucepan with half the fruit sugar, half the water, and half the vanilla. Cover and cook gently for 3 minutes, then uncover and stir for 6 to 8 minutes, until the apples are tender and thick enough to hold a furrow drawn through them. Remove the pod and spread the apples on a plate to cool. Use the same pan for the seasonal fruit, adding the remaining fruit sugar and water. Begin with firm pears or cherries, then add quicker-cooking plums, apricots, or berries so every piece becomes tender without losing itself. If the fruit releases a puddle, strain it, boil the liquid alone until syrupy, and fold only a spoonful back into the fruit. Ça se rattrape. Spread the fruit on another plate and cool it completely.

   The mould should be half-filled after the apple and seasonal fruit are layered. Judge by volume, not by pressing the fruit down, which would make a dense, wet foundation.
3. 3

   Cook the vanilla base

   Warm the milk with the remaining vanilla seeds and pod until small bubbles gather at the edge. Cover, leave it for 5 minutes, remove the pod, and pour the milk into a jug. Melt the butter in the same saucepan over gentle heat, stir in the flour, and cook for 1 minute without letting it color. Add the warm milk gradually, whisking after each addition, then cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the base is smooth, glossy, and thick enough to leave a clean trail across the pan. If it forms lumps, take it off the heat and whisk vigorously before continuing. Let it cool for 5 minutes, until warm rather than hot, then beat in the yolks one at a time.

4. 4

   Whisk and fold

   Put the egg whites and salt in an impeccably clean bowl. Whisk at medium speed until they make soft peaks, then add the soufflé sugar gradually and continue only until the whites are glossy and hold supple medium peaks. Dry, clotted whites have gone too far and won't fold cleanly. Stir one-third firmly into the vanilla base to loosen it, then fold in the remainder with broad strokes, turning the bowl and stopping as soon as no white streaks remain.

5. 5

   Fill the mould

   Spread the cooled vanilla apples evenly over the bottom of the chilled croustade. Arrange the cooled seasonal fruit over them, quartered sides facing down where the pieces are large; together the fruits should fill the mould halfway. Spoon the soufflé preparation over the fruit and bring it gently to the rim without pressing or stirring the layers. Smooth the surface with two light strokes. Any extra can bake separately in a buttered ramekin, but don't overfill the croustade.

6. 6

   Bake at moderate heat

   Bake immediately for about 25 minutes. Don't open the oven during the first 20 minutes; the sudden loss of heat can drop the centre before it has set. The croustade is ready when the visible pastry rim is evenly bronzed, the soufflé has risen, and its centre springs back softly under a fingertip without feeling liquid underneath. A fierce oven darkens the sugared paste too soon. Moderate heat lets crust and soufflé finish together.

7. 7

   Turn out and flambé

   Let the croustade stand for 1 minute, no longer. Set a rimmed, heatproof serving platter over the mould and invert both in one decisive movement, protecting your hands with dry towels. Lift away the mould. If the pastry clings, don't pry at it; wrap the outside of the mould with a towel wrung in hot water for 15 seconds, then try again gently. Measure the rum into a clean small saucepan and warm it over low heat until hot and fragrant but nowhere near boiling. Remove it from the stove, turn off the burner and extractor fan, clear the serving area of candles and bottles, then pour the rum around the croustade, never directly from its bottle. Ignite the rum at the platter's edge with a long match and let the low flame die naturally before cutting. If it doesn't catch, don't chase the flame; serve the warm rum around the croustade. À table!

   Use a rimmed heatproof platter for the flambé. A flat cake plate lets burning rum escape over the edge, which is excitement nobody ordered.

Chef Tips

• •Choose at least one firm fruit and one tender one. Pear with plum, apple with apricot, or cherry with raspberry gives contrast; add berries only for their final minute in the pan so they remain recognizable.
• •Use the Croûtes et Croustades (No. 2393) cold, thinly lined, and unbaked for this particular formula. A thick shell overwhelms the soufflé, while a blind-baked one becomes too dark during the required 25-minute filled bake.
• •Fruit moisture is the true enemy. If the cooled fruit leaves syrup on its plate, drain it before filling the croustade and reduce the liquid separately rather than pouring it under the soufflé.
• •This waits for nobody once baked. Have the platter, matches, rum pan, and guests ready before the croustade enters the oven. Serve with black coffee or a lightly sweet Loire Chenin; it needs no cream or ice cream beside it.

Advance Preparation

• •The Croûtes et Croustades (No. 2393) can be prepared in its mould and chilled several hours ahead. Keep it covered so the pastry doesn't dry at the rim.
• •Both fruit layers can be stewed one day ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator. Check for released syrup before using them, drain if necessary, and bring them only to cool room temperature, never warm.
• •Cook the vanilla base up to 2 hours ahead, press parchment directly against its surface, and keep it cool. Whisk the whites, fold, fill, bake, turn out, and flambé only when the table is ready.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 200g)