Pêches à la Bourdaloue

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •9-inch (23 cm) fluted tart pan with removable base
• •2-quart (2-liter) wide saucepan
• •Parchment paper for a poaching cartouche
• •Broad slotted spoon
• •Small offset spatula
• •Wire cooling rack

Instructions

1. 1

   Ready the tart formula

   Prepare the nonfruit elements of Apricots à la Bourdaloue (No. 2549) exactly as its own entry directs, scaled to one 9-inch (23 cm) tart. Have its flawn-crust baked without coloration, its macaroon-enriched frangipane ready, and its finishing macaroons and melted butter measured. Withhold the apricots. That separate formula is the foundation, so keep it whole rather than rebuilding it here.

2. 2

   Halve the peaches

   Run a small knife around each unpeeled peach from stem to tip, following the natural seam. Twist the halves apart and remove the stones. Leave the skins on for poaching: they protect the tender flesh, lend the syrup a delicate blush, and slip away far more cleanly afterward.

3. 3

   Make vanilla syrup

   Combine the water and sugar in a snug, wide saucepan. Scrape in the vanilla seeds, add the pod, and bring the syrup gently to a simmer, stirring only until the sugar dissolves. Let it simmer for 2 minutes so the vanilla opens into the syrup, then lower the heat before the fruit goes in.

4. 4

   Poach at a tremble

   Set the peach halves in the syrup in one layer and cover them with a parchment circle to keep their surfaces wet. Hold the syrup at the barest tremble for 6 to 12 minutes, turning the fruit once, until a small knife enters with slight resistance. Never let it boil hard. If a peach softens too quickly, ça se rattrape: lift it onto a tray with a broad spoon and chill it before handling; any small crack will disappear beneath the upper frangipane.

   Ripeness decides the clock. Begin testing at 6 minutes and remove each half as it becomes tender rather than waiting for the whole batch.
5. 5

   Peel and drain

   Let the peaches cool in the syrup just until you can handle them. Pinch each skin near the cut edge and draw it away; it should slip off nearly whole. If a patch clings, return that half to the warm syrup for 1 minute instead of scraping the flesh. Drain the peeled halves cut-side down for at least 15 minutes, then blot them gently. This matters most: syrup carried into the tart loosens the cream.

6. 6

   Build the Bourdaloue

   Complete the assembly prescribed for Apricots à la Bourdaloue (No. 2549), substituting the six poached peach halves for its apricots and changing nothing else. Spread its thin lower layer of macaroon-enriched frangipane in the pale flawn-crust, settle the peaches rounded-side up without crowding, then cover them with the same cream. The fruit belongs between the two layers, not displayed on top.

7. 7

   Glaze under broiler

   Finish with the crushed macaroons and melted butter specified by the referenced preparation. Set the tart about 6 inches (15 cm) below a fully heated broiler and glaze it quickly, turning the pan as needed, until the top is butter-gold with darker toasted flecks. Watch without leaving the oven. If one patch catches first, ça se rattrape: shield it with a scrap of foil and let the paler side color.

8. 8

   Rest and serve

   Set the tart on a rack and leave it for at least 45 minutes. The frangipane settles around the fruit as it cools, giving you clean slices instead of a soft spill. Unmold and serve slightly warm or at room temperature, generous wedges rather than timid slivers. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Choose fragrant peaches that yield slightly at the shoulder but remain firm around the seam. A hard peach stays wooden in the syrup, while a fully soft one collapses before you can peel it.
• •The macaroons in this preparation are dry almond macaroons, not filled Parisian macarons. Their crumbs absorb fruit moisture, strengthen the almond flavor, and toast handsomely beneath the butter.
• •Out of season, use good peach halves canned in light syrup rather than a sad fresh peach. Warm their drained syrup with the vanilla, steep the fruit off the heat, then drain it thoroughly; double-poaching would turn it to pulp.
• •Strain and chill the leftover vanilla syrup. It keeps for several days and is splendid over other poached fruit, but don't pour it over this tart, which has already found its proper balance.
• •Serve with coffee or a small glass of Barsac. The tart needs no cream, sauce, or decorative distraction.

Advance Preparation

• •Poach and peel the peaches up to one day ahead. Chill them in the cooled vanilla syrup, then drain cut-side down and blot thoroughly before assembly.
• •The components supplied by Apricots à la Bourdaloue (No. 2549) may be prepared ahead only as that entry permits. Keep the pale shell dry and the cream cold until assembly.
• •The finished tart can rest at cool room temperature for 2 to 3 hours before serving. Refrigerate leftovers, then let slices lose their chill before they return to the table.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 180g)