Poires à la Sultane

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •8-inch (20 cm) deep border mould or savarin mould for the referenced foundation
• •3-quart (3-liter) nonreactive saucepan
• •Parchment paper for a cartouche
• •Melon baller
• •Slotted spoon
• •Wire rack set over a tray
• •Small sauceboat

Instructions

1. 1

   Complete the foundation

   Prepare Apricots à la Sultane (No. 2557) as the separate finished foundation required by the book, scaled to one 8-inch (20 cm) border. Complete its browned meringued Génoise border and domed vanilla rice bound with frangipane and pistachios, but omit the apricot garnish; reserve its chopped pistachios and almond-milk syrup for the finish. The cross-reference is the architecture of this dish and remains whole. Only the fruit changes. Let the filled border cool completely.

2. 2

   Make the vanilla syrup

   Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Put the seeds, pod, water, and sugar in a saucepan, then bring them slowly to a boil while stirring just until the sugar dissolves. Once the syrup is clear, stop stirring and simmer gently for 5 minutes. If crystals form along the pan, cover it for 1 minute so condensation washes them down; if they persist, add 2 tablespoons of the measured water and dissolve them over low heat.

3. 3

   Trim the pears

   Peel the pears and halve them lengthwise, cutting through the stem if it divides neatly. Quarter very large pears so every serving remains graceful rather than formidable. Scoop out each core with a melon baller, cut away the narrow fibrous line running toward the stem, and trim the pieces evenly. Lower each piece into the warm syrup as soon as it is ready so the flesh stays pale.

4. 4

   Poach at a tremble

   Lay a cartouche (parchment lid) directly over the pears to keep them beneath the syrup. Return the pan to the barest simmer and poach for 15 to 25 minutes, turning the fruit once, until a thin knife enters the thickest part with only faint resistance. Pull the pan from the heat and leave the pears in the syrup for 15 minutes so carryover heat finishes them. If they remain hard, return them to low heat. If they have softened too far, lift them out immediately, chill them on a tray, and arrange them later as overlapping thick slices. Ça se rattrape.

   Judge the pears with a knife, not the clock. Ripeness and variety change the poaching time, and an intact pear must be tender enough for a spoon while still able to hold its shape.
5. 5

   Drain and cool

   Lift the pears onto a wire rack set over a tray and let them drain for at least 15 minutes, then cool them completely. Blot the cut surfaces if they remain wet; syrup running into the rice will loosen the dome and soften the Génoise. Strain the poaching syrup and brush only a thin film over the pears to restore their gloss.

6. 6

   Crown the rice

   Set the pear halves over the rice dome supplied by Apricots à la Sultane (No. 2557), arranging them radially with their tapered ends toward the centre. If you quartered or sliced the fruit, overlap the pieces evenly while preserving the rounded form of the dome. Sprinkle with the chopped pistachios reserved from Apricots à la Sultane (No. 2557). Use a generous hand, but add nothing else.

7. 7

   Finish the syrup

   Reserve 1 tablespoon of the almond-milk syrup from Apricots à la Sultane (No. 2557) while cold, then warm the remainder gently in a small saucepan. Off the heat, monter au beurre (whisk in butter) with the hazelnut-sized piece specified by that preparation until the syrup gleams. If the butter separates into oily specks, whisk in the reserved cold syrup drop by drop until smooth. Serve this sauce warm and apart in a small sauceboat, then cut the Sultane at the table. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Choose Bosc or Conference pears that yield slowly under a thumb but have no soft patches. A fully ripe Bartlett perfumes the syrup beautifully, then collapses before it reaches the border.
• •Drain the pears thoroughly before assembly. A glossy surface is welcome, but a wet cut face sends syrup into the rice and turns the Génoise soft.
• •The old division of labour is unnecessary, but the order is not. Finish and cool the border, poach and drain the pears, then assemble. Cooking well is not cooking fancy.
• •Finish the almond-milk syrup with real butter immediately before serving. Margarine will not give the same clean emulsion or flavour. We don't apologize for butter.

Advance Preparation

• •Poach the pears up to one day ahead. Cool them in their syrup, cover and chill, then drain them on a rack for 30 minutes before assembly.
• •Prepare the Génoise border and dry-paste base from Apricots à la Sultane (No. 2557) one day ahead, then coat with meringue, brown, fill, and assemble within 4 hours of serving so the border remains dry.
• •The finished dessert may stand in a cool room for 1 hour. Warm and finish the almond-milk syrup only when everyone is ready for dessert.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 240g)