Subrics

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •1½-to-2-quart lidded ovenproof saucepan
• •6-inch square metal pan
• •3-inch round cutter
• •1-inch round cutter
• •12-inch heavy skillet
• •Wide thin spatulas

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare pan and oven

   Heat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Line the bottom of a six-inch square metal pan with parchment, then butter the parchment and sides with half the softened butter. This compact pan replaces the broad service tray and gives the half-batch its proper two-thirds-inch thickness.

2. 2

   Cook the semolina

   Bring the milk and sugar to a full boil in a lidded ovenproof saucepan, stirring so the sugar dissolves without catching. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Sprinkle in the semolina in a steady rain while whisking, then add the 1½ tablespoons butter and salt. If lumps appear, keep whisking while the mixture is still loose; stubborn ones can be pressed out against the side of the pan. Ça se rattrape. Cover and cook in the oven for 25 minutes, until the grains are tender and a spoon drawn through the paste leaves a furrow that closes slowly.

   Add the semolina gradually, never in one heap. Each grain needs a moment to meet the hot milk before its neighbor arrives.
3. 3

   Thicken with yolks

   Whisk the egg yolks in a heatproof bowl. Beat in one large spoonful of the hot semolina, then another, before scraping the tempered yolks back into the saucepan off the heat. Whisk vigorously until the paste becomes smooth and glossy. Do not boil it once the yolks are in, since hard heat will turn them grainy. If only a few cooked threads appear, push the paste through a fine sieve while it is still hot.

4. 4

   Spread and chill

   Scrape the paste into the prepared pan and level it to an even two-thirds inch (1.7 cm), pressing it firmly into the corners so no air pockets remain. Pass the remaining softened butter over the surface in a thin film; this is the original protection against a dry skin, and it works better than fussing with the paste later. Cool for 20 minutes, then refrigerate for at least 2½ hours, until the center is completely cold and firm. If the middle still yields under a finger, give it more time. Warm semolina cannot be argued into holding a ring.

5. 5

   Cut the rings

   Turn the cold slab onto a board and peel away the parchment. With a three-inch round cutter, cut four discs in a tight two-by-two arrangement, pressing straight down without twisting. Cut a one-inch hole from the center of each disc, then transfer the rings to a cold plate with a thin spatula. Keep them refrigerated while the pan heats.

6. 6

   Brown in butter

   Heat the clarified butter in a wide heavy skillet over medium heat until it shimmers. Lower in the rings with a broad spatula and brown them for 3 to 4 minutes per side, turning each with two spatulas when the underside is evenly bronze. If a ring bends or cracks as you lift it, it was not cold enough: slide it onto a plate, press the crack closed while the paste is pliable, chill it for 20 minutes, and try again. Ça se rattrape. Lower the heat if the surface colors before a light crust forms.

7. 7

   Fill and serve

   Arrange the four hot subrics in a circle on a warm platter. Stir the jelly just enough to make it supple, without melting it, and spoon one tablespoon into the center of each ring. Serve at once, while the exteriors are crisp and butter-glossed and the vanilla centers remain tender. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Use fine or medium durum-wheat semolina, not couscous and not a powdery semolina flour. The grains must absorb the milk yet remain substantial enough to set into a clean slice.
• •Choose jelly, not loose jam. Red-currant jelly supplies the sharpness the mild semolina needs and sits neatly inside the rings; very firm quince jelly is the source recipe's equal alternative.
• •Clarified butter matters because its milk solids have been removed, allowing the rings to bronze without scorched specks. To make it, melt about 5 tablespoons of unsalted butter gently, skim the foam, and pour the clear golden fat away from the pale solids.
• •Brown the trimmings beside the rings and keep them for the cook. They won't make the platter, but butter and red-currant jelly have never objected to an irregular edge.

Advance Preparation

• •The semolina slab can be cooked and chilled a day ahead. Once completely cold, cover the pan and keep it refrigerated until cutting.
• •The rings can be cut up to 4 hours before serving. Arrange them in one layer on a cold plate, cover, and refrigerate so their edges stay firm.
• •Clarified butter keeps well in the refrigerator, so it may be prepared several days ahead and brought back to a fluid state over gentle heat.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 145g)