Timbale à la Parisienne

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •7-inch (18 cm) Charlotte mould or straight-sided cake tin, about 4 inches (10 cm) deep
• •Stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, or a large bowl and sturdy dough scraper
• •Small serrated knife
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Slotted spoon
• •Pastry brush
• •Instant-read thermometer

Instructions

1. 1

   Mix the brioche

   Combine the flour, sugar and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer, then place the salt on the opposite side so it doesn't sit directly against the yeast. Add the milk and three eggs. Mix with the dough hook on low speed until no dry flour remains, then knead on medium for 6 to 8 minutes, until the pâte à brioche, the butter-rich yeast dough, begins to clear the bowl and stretch without tearing. Add the cubed butter gradually, waiting until each addition disappears before adding the next. Continue kneading until the dough is glossy, elastic and very soft. If it turns greasy or the butter smears around the bowl, stop and chill everything for 15 minutes before continuing. Ça se rattrape. The butter has simply become too warm.

2. 2

   Rise and chill

   Cover the bowl and leave the dough at comfortable room temperature for 60 to 75 minutes, until visibly swollen and airy but not necessarily doubled. Press out the large pockets of gas, fold the dough over itself several times, then flatten it into a thick disc. Cover and chill for 30 to 45 minutes. This short chill firms the butter and turns a sticky dough into something one pair of hands can shape cleanly.

3. 3

   Shape in the mould

   Butter a 7-inch (18 cm) Charlotte mould or straight-sided cake tin generously, reaching into every corner. Shape the chilled dough into a tight round and place it seam-side down in the mould. Cover and let it rise for 60 to 75 minutes, until its crown approaches the rim and a light fingertip press springs back slowly. If the dough springs back at once, give it more time. If it begins to slump, gently deflate it, reshape it and proof it once more. Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Beat the remaining egg with the tablespoon of water and brush the exposed dough lightly, keeping the wash away from the sides of the mould.

4. 4

   Bake and cool

   Bake for 15 minutes, then lower the oven to 350°F (175°C) and continue for 20 to 25 minutes. The brioche should be deeply butter-gold, sound hollow when tapped and reach about 190°F (88°C) at its centre. If the crown colours before the centre is ready, cover it loosely with foil. Rest it in the mould for 10 minutes, turn it onto a rack and cool it completely, at least 90 minutes. Quite cold means quite cold here. A warm brioche compresses and tears when hollowed.

5. 5

   Hollow and decorate

   Cut a lid about ½ inch (1.25 cm) thick from the top of the cold brioche. With a small serrated knife and then your fingers, remove the crumb from the centre, leaving a wall and base about ¾ inch (2 cm) thick. Work slowly around the curve. If you nick the wall, press a little reserved crumb into the gap with a dab of apricot preserve; once glazed, the repair holds. Warm one-third of the sieved apricot preserves until fluid, then brush it over the outside of the case and lid. Press the candied cherries and citrus peel into the glaze in a simple band or scattered pattern, and set the timbale on its serving platter.

6. 6

   Prepare the garnish

   Cover the raisins with the tepid water and leave them for 15 minutes, until plump, then drain and dry them well. Split the blanched almonds lengthwise, cut the angelica into lozenges and dice the pineapple into substantial pieces. Keep these ingredients dry and separate while the orchard fruit cooks; excess water would thin the apricot purée and soak the brioche.

7. 7

   Poach the fruit firm

   Bring the syrup water, sugar, vanilla bean and its scraped seeds to a boil, stirring only until the sugar dissolves. Lower the heat and simmer gently for 5 minutes. Poach each fruit separately because each softens at its own pace: pears for 5 to 8 minutes, apples for 3 to 5 minutes, peaches for 1½ to 3 minutes and apricots for 45 to 90 seconds. Lift each batch onto a wide tray with a slotted spoon as soon as a knife enters with slight resistance. The fruit must remain firm. If a batch softens faster than expected, lift every piece at once and spread it on a cool tray to stop the cooking. Ça se rattrape, but only if you move promptly. Strain ½ cup (120 ml) of the syrup into a small pan and reduce it to ¼ cup (60 ml).

   Never park cooked fruit in the syrup while the next batch poaches. It continues absorbing heat and goes from shapely to compote while your back is turned.
8. 8

   Build the apricot purée

   Warm the remaining two-thirds of the apricot preserves with the reduced vanilla syrup, whisking until smooth and glossy. Remove the pan from the heat, let it cool for 5 minutes and stir in the Kirsch to make the purée d'abricots au kirsch, the kirsch-scented apricot purée. It should cling softly to a piece of fruit without setting like jam. If it runs freely, reduce it briefly before adding the Kirsch; if it is too tight, loosen it with a spoonful of reserved syrup. Fold in the pears, apples, peaches, apricots, pineapple, angelica, almonds and drained raisins with a wide spoon, preserving every clean edge.

9. 9

   Fill at the table

   Carry the decorated brioche case and the warm fruit garnish to the table separately. Spoon the fruit and its apricot purée into the timbale in front of your guests, letting the glossy filling rise generously above the rim, then rest the decorated lid at an angle. Filling at the last moment is not theater for its own sake; it keeps the brioche tender rather than sodden. Cut the case with a serrated knife and serve each wedge with plenty of fruit and purée. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Choose fruit by firmness, not perfume alone. The pear and apple should feel dense, while the peach and apricots should yield only slightly at the stem; fully soft fruit has already volunteered for compote.
• •Fresh peaches and apricots rarely share a perfect season with apples and pears. When either is poor, use good canned halves packed in juice, drain them carefully and warm them in the vanilla syrup for no more than 30 seconds. An honest preserved fruit is better than a tired fresh one.
• •Use smooth apricot preserves with good acidity and press them through a sieve. Large pieces of peel catch on the brioche outside and prevent the filling purée from coating the fruit evenly.
• •Kirsch is part of the structure of the flavour, not a decorative splash. Stir it in away from the heat so its clear cherry perfume remains distinct against the apricot.
• •Serve with demi-sec Champagne or a lightly sweet sparkling wine. The bubbles answer the butter-rich brioche, while enough sweetness remains to meet the candied fruit without turning sharp.

Advance Preparation

• •Bake the brioche one day ahead, cool it completely and keep it whole in an airtight container at room temperature. Hollow, glaze and decorate it up to 4 hours before serving.
• •Poach the fruit up to 6 hours ahead. Drain each kind separately, chill it in a single layer and bring it to cool room temperature for 30 minutes before binding it with the warm apricot purée.
• •The raisins, almonds, pineapple and candied angelica can be prepared a day ahead and kept separately covered. Do not combine the filling or load the brioche until the moment of service.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 230g)