Pine-apple à la Favorite

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Parchment-lined sheet pan
• •Refrigerator with freezer compartment
• •Small deep 3 to 4-quart saucepan
• •Clip-on frying thermometer
• •Wire skimmer or spider
• •Wire cooling rack
• •Broiler-safe baking sheet

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the linked fritters

   Make one home-scaled batch of Pineapple Fritters “à la Favorite” (No. 2429) exactly as its own entry directs, yielding eight pineapple half-discs. Keep the preparation whole. Plain pineapple dipped in batter is another fritter; the kirsch maceration, pistachio frangipane, chilling, frying, and glaze together define à la Favorite.

2. 2

   Guard the final chill

   At the chilling checkpoint in Pineapple Fritters “à la Favorite” (No. 2429), press the thickest coated edge lightly. It must feel solid and release from the tray without smearing. If the frangipane dents or clings, stop and return the whole tray to the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes. Ça se rattrape. Frying soft pieces only sends the cream into the fat.

   Chill the pieces right through, not merely across the surface. A cold crust around a soft centre gives way as soon as the pineapple reaches the pan.
3. 3

   Finish at service

   Complete the frying and glazing of Pineapple Fritters “à la Favorite” (No. 2429) only when the table is ready. In a home saucepan, work two pieces at a time so the fat holds its heat and each fritter has room to float. The small batches replace the brigade fryer honestly; they do not change the technique.

4. 4

   Bring them directly

   Let the finished fritters shed excess fat on a wire rack before moving them to their serving napkin. Arrange them in a loose overlapping row and carry them to the table at once, while the glazed shell is crisp and the pineapple remains bright beneath it. À table!

Chef Tips

• •The full chill is not brigade fuss. It is the structure holding the fruit, frangipane, and batter apart until the shell sets. If the coating softens while you work, return every piece to the cold before continuing.
• •A small deep saucepan is better than a broad shallow pan here. It gives the fritters enough fat to float without demanding a service-kitchen quantity, and a clip-on thermometer keeps that smaller volume steady.
• •The original fierce oven means concentrated top heat. Use a fully preheated broiler and watch without looking away; icing sugar passes from a fine glaze to bitterness very quickly.
• •The napkin is presentation, not drainage. Let the fritters lose their excess fat on a rack first, then place them on fresh linen at the last moment so the undersides stay crisp.
• •This dessert cannot wait politely in the kitchen. Finish it after the main-course plates have been cleared and serve immediately.

Advance Preparation

• •Pineapple Fritters “à la Favorite” (No. 2429) may be taken through its fully chilled, frangipane-coated stage up to 6 hours before serving. Once firm, cover the tray loosely and keep it cold.
• •Set out the frying equipment, rack, icing sugar, and broiler-safe tray before dinner. Once frying begins, there should be no cupboard searching.
• •Do not fry the fritters ahead. The shell softens as it stands, while freshly fried pieces arrive crisp and properly distinct from their creamy centre.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (2 fritters, about 175g)