Cream Bavarois

Bavarois à la crème (moulded vanilla custard lightened with whipped cream) teaches one exact piece of pastry grammar: two mixtures should be folded only when they have the same body. The crème anglaise, a stirred vanilla custard, supplies richness; gelatine gives a tender set; whipped cream carries the air. Fold while the anglaise is warm and the cream melts. Wait until it has set firm and you'll chase lumps while knocking out every bubble.

The original formula assumed fourteen yolks, an enamelled basin, and a pastry cook free to stir the custard as it cooled. Here the quantities are reduced by two-sevenths to four yolks and a one-litre mould, while a bowl over ice replaces the long watch. Weighed powdered gelatine replaces variable-sized leaves and is bloomed before use. The brigade quantity and its attendant are scaffolding; the anglaise, the gelatine, and the timing of the fold are the dish. One cook, one stove, one evening.

The moment that matters comes when the cold anglaise first thickens around the edge and holds a fleeting trail from the spatula. Have the cream softly whipped by then. If the custard firms too far, don't force the cream through it. Ça se rattrape: warm the bowl gently until the custard loosens, then fold when both mixtures move alike.