Flamri

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Heavy 2-quart (2-liter) saucepan
• •Balloon whisk and flexible spatula
• •Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
• •Six straight-sided 6-ounce (180 ml) metal molds or ramekins
• •Deep roasting tin for the Bain-Marie
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Blender or food processor

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the molds

   Heat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Brush six straight-sided 6-ounce (180 ml) metal molds or ramekins with a thin, complete coat of softened butter, paying particular attention to the rims. Set them in a deep roasting tin and bring a kettle of water nearly to the boil. The butter is practical here: an uncoated patch is where a cold pudding chooses to cling.

2. 2

   Cook the semolina

   Bring the wine and water to a full boil in a heavy saucepan. Reduce the heat slightly and rain in the semolina with one hand while whisking steadily with the other. Lower the heat and cook very gently for the full 25 minutes, stirring often at first and almost continuously as it thickens. The grains must swell until completely tender, with no chalky point when tasted. If lumps form, lift the pan from the heat and whisk hard; stubborn ones can be pressed through a fine sieve while the base is warm. Ça se rattrape.

3. 3

   Add sugar and egg

   Take the pan off the heat and stir in the superfine sugar and salt until the crystals dissolve. The mixture will loosen slightly. Beat the whole egg in a bowl, whisk in three generous spoonfuls of the hot semolina to temper it, then whisk that mixture back into the saucepan. If the egg forms a few fine threads, pass the base through the sieve immediately; do this before the whites enter, and nothing is lost. Transfer the base to a wide bowl and cool for 10 to 15 minutes, until warm rather than searing.

4. 4

   Fold in the whites

   Beat the egg whites in a clean, grease-free bowl until they hold stiff, glossy peaks. They should stand upright without looking dry or clotted. Stir one-quarter of the whites firmly into the warm semolina to lighten it, then fold in the remainder in two additions with broad strokes from the bottom of the bowl. Stop when only a few pale ribbons remain. If the semolina has cooled into a tight mass, warm the bowl briefly over barely warm water and stir until pliable before folding; forcing whites into a rigid base only knocks out their lift.

5. 5

   Poach in Bain-Marie

   Divide the mixture among the molds, filling each to about 1/2 inch (1 cm) below its rim. Pour the hot water into the roasting tin until it reaches halfway up the molds, forming the Bain-Marie, or hot-water bath. Poach in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until the tops are set and the centers retain only a faint tremble. The water should remain calm, never boil hard. If it begins bubbling vigorously, remove a little hot water and replace it with cool water; violent heat makes the pudding coarse at the edges.

6. 6

   Cool and chill

   Lift the molds from the Bain-Marie and leave them on a rack for about 30 minutes. Cover once they are no longer hot, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Cooling is part of the setting, not merely a pause before service. Unmolding a warm Flamri gives you a slump, while a properly chilled one holds its soft, aerated shape.

7. 7

   Make the raw purée

   Blend the strawberries with 2 tablespoons of the superfine sugar until completely smooth. Taste before adding more sugar, since ripe fruit may need very little and red currants would need considerably more. Pass the purée through a fine sieve for the classical smooth finish. Do not cook it. Its fresh acidity and vivid color are the counterpoint to the sweet, wine-scented semolina.

8. 8

   Turn out and coat

   Run a thin knife around the upper edge of each pudding. Dip the base and sides of a mold in warm water for 5 seconds, dry it, then invert it firmly onto a chilled plate. If it clings, warm the mold once more rather than shaking it apart. Spoon the raw strawberry purée generously over the tops and let it pool around each pudding. Serve cold. À table!

Chef Tips

• •This is exactly half the source formula: wine, water, semolina, sugar, whole egg, and whites all keep their original relationship. The quantity was reduced because one whole egg and three whites divide honestly, while a smaller fraction would require weighing portions of eggs and gain nothing at the table.
• •The source's powdered sugar means a finely granulated sugar, what a modern cook buys as superfine or caster sugar. Do not use confectioners' sugar containing starch; it muddies both the flavor and the set.
• •Choose a dry, clean white wine without assertive oak. Wine is half the cooking liquid, not a background seasoning, so harshness in the bottle remains quite plainly in the pudding. Replacing it with juice or more water would make a different dessert.
• •Strawberries are the gentlest fruit here. Red currants give a sharper, more classical contrast, while pitted cherries make a darker purée. Out of season, unsweetened frozen strawberries picked ripe are more honest than pale fresh berries; thaw them fully and drain only the loose water before blending.
• •This remains a wine pudding after cooking. Heat reduces the alcohol but does not guarantee its complete removal, so choose another dessert for anyone who must avoid alcohol entirely.

Advance Preparation

• •Poach and chill the Flamri in its molds up to 24 hours before serving. Keep the molds covered so their surfaces do not dry.
• •The strawberry purée can be prepared up to 2 hours ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator. Its raw fragrance and bright color are best on the day it is made.
• •For an outdoor meal, transport the puddings in their molds and the purée in a separate cold container. Unmold and coat them at the table, and keep everything chilled until service. Do not leave the egg-based puddings unrefrigerated for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour in very hot weather.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 210g)