Abricots Gratinés

Abricots gratinés (apricots beneath a lightly browned almond crust) teaches the architecture of a fruit gratin: the base must carry the fruit before the topping ever meets heat. Stew the apple until it stands on the spoon, firmer than you would serve as compote, because the apricots surrender syrup in the oven. A loose base weeps, and the handsome almond covering slides with it.

The original entry assumes a pâtissier’s mise en place already contains stiff stewed apple or semolina, syrup-poached apricot halves, and Pralin (No. 2352) ready at spreading consistency. Those prepared brigade quantities are scaffolding. At home, we cook one small batch, poach ten halves, and use an 8-inch gratin dish. The upper rack of a hot oven, with a few seconds under the broiler only if needed, supplies the close overhead heat of a pastry station. What remains unchanged is the dish itself: an inch-deep base, well-drained fruit, complete coverage, icing sugar, and only enough heat to colour the top.

When it is right, the apricots remain bright and tender beneath a pale hazelnut-coloured lid, while the tart apple keeps the sweetness lively. Before you assemble, draw a spoon through the cooled base. The trench must stay open; if it closes, return the base to the pan and evaporate a little more water.