Meringued Cherry Flawn

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •23 cm by 3 cm removable tart or flawn ring
• •Heavy rimmed baking sheet
• •Rolling pin
• •Cherry pitter
• •Slim offset spatula or palette knife

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the pâte fine

   Mix the flour, confectioners' sugar, and salt. Rub in the cold butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with no large pieces remaining. Add the yolk and 1 tablespoon of ice water, then press the crumbs together without kneading. If dry flour remains, add the second spoonful of water a teaspoon at a time. Flatten the dough into a disc, wrap it, and chill for 45 minutes. Rest makes the pastry tender and keeps it from drawing back in the oven.

2. 2

   Line and dock

   Heat the oven to 190°C / 375°F. Butter a 23 cm by 3 cm removable tart ring and set it on a parchment-lined heavy baking sheet. Roll the pâte fine about 3 mm thick, line the ring without stretching it, and press the dough firmly into the bottom corner. Leave the rim slightly proud, then prick the entire base at 1 cm intervals with a fork. These small holes release trapped air before it can lift the crust. If you find a tear or thin place, press on a scrap of dough and dock around it. Ça se rattrape. Chill the lined ring for 15 minutes.

   Do not blind-bake this shell. The source bakes pastry, cherries, and custard together; thorough docking is what makes that sequence work.
3. 3

   Arrange the cherries

   Check the stoned cherries carefully for any missed pits, then blot them until their cut surfaces are dry. Arrange them closely across the chilled pastry in a single layer. Do not macerate or sweeten them first. Loose cherry syrup would thin the custard before it has time to set.

4. 4

   Add the custard

   Give the Crème Anglaise (No. 2397) one gentle stir, without beating air into it, and pour it slowly between the cherries. Stop about 5 mm below the pastry rim. If the custard starts escaping through a tear, stop pouring, spoon back enough filling to expose the damage, patch it with a scrap of chilled dough, and refill carefully.

5. 5

   Bake the flawn

   Bake for 15 minutes at 190°C / 375°F, then reduce the oven to 175°C / 350°F and continue for 25 to 30 minutes. The pastry rim should be deep gold, the cherries tender, and the custard set around the edges while the centre gives a small, unified quiver. It must not slosh. If the pastry colors before the custard sets, cover only the rim with narrow strips of foil. If the custard begins to dome, lower the heat by 15°C / 25°F; a slight swelling will settle as it rests.

6. 6

   Remove the ring

   Let the baked flawn stand on its sheet for 3 minutes, then pass a slim knife around the inside of the ring and lift the ring straight upward. Work while the tart is still warm, but do not tug at the pastry. Leave the flawn on the baking sheet for its meringue finish.

7. 7

   Coat with meringue

   Increase the oven to 200°C / 400°F. Spread the Ordinary Meringue (No. 2382) over the warm flawn, carrying it fully to the pastry edge so the cap is anchored all around. Shape broad folds with the back of a spoon; piping belongs to brigade presentation and contributes nothing to the eating. If cherry juice has pooled on top, lift it away first, then spread a thin anchoring layer of meringue before adding the rest. Bake for 7 to 9 minutes, until the surface is set and its highest folds are pale gold.

8. 8

   Brown and settle

   If the meringue needs more color, set the sheet about 15 cm below a hot broiler for 20 to 60 seconds, turning it as the tips deepen to hazelnut brown. Do not look away. Cool the flawn for at least 45 minutes so the custard can settle, then slide it onto a low serving plate. Cut with a thin knife wiped between slices and serve cool or barely warm. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Sweet cherries give a rounder flawn, while sour cherries give the custard more contrast. Both are proper here. Out of season, use frozen pitted cherries, thawed in a sieve and dried very well; an honest preserved fruit is better than a tired fresh one.
• •Crème Anglaise (No. 2397) must be prepared in the form its own entry specifies for a custard that will be baked. Do not substitute a thin bottled pouring custard. It lacks the yolk structure needed to set among the cherries.
• •Dock the pastry closely and evenly. A few ceremonial fork marks in the centre are not enough; trapped air will simply move to the untouched corner and lift it there.
• •Ordinary Meringue (No. 2382) is best used as soon as it is prepared. Seal it to the pastry edge and color it with patience, because a pale hollow can be browned further but a burnt peak cannot be made pale again.
• •Serve the flawn without extra sauce. Black coffee or a glass of demi-sec Champagne is enough beside it; the cherries, custard, and meringue have already made their argument.

Advance Preparation

• •The pâte fine can be mixed up to two days ahead and kept chilled. The lined and docked ring can be refrigerated for several hours before filling.
• •The cherries can be stoned a day ahead and held covered in the refrigerator. Drain and dry them again before they meet the pastry.
• •Prepare the Crème Anglaise (No. 2397) ahead as directed in its own entry, but make the Ordinary Meringue (No. 2382) while the flawn bakes so it can be spread immediately.
• •The finished flawn can stand for up to two hours before serving. Refrigerate it if holding longer, then let it lose its refrigerator chill for 20 minutes; prolonged cold softens the meringue and pastry.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 160g)