Ananas à la Ninon

Ananas à la Ninon (pineapple with vanilla ice cream, wild strawberries, and raspberry purée) teaches the first law of cold assembly: cold is structure. Before you touch the soufflé timbale, chill it thoroughly and dry every piece of fruit. The vanilla lining must support the pineapple, not melt beneath it.

The source assumed a pâtissier, house-made vanilla ice held at precisely the right softness, a chilled metal timbale, and enough hands to prepare fruit while another cook laid the frozen lining. At home, a straight-sided 1½-quart soufflé dish, a frozen sheet pan, and excellent purchased vanilla ice cream perform the same honest work. I have scaled the composition to six servings and removed the brigade scaffolding of churning and extra hands. The oblique lining, projecting pineapple rows, strawberry pyramid, raspberry purée, and pistachios remain, because they are the dish. One cook, one stove, one evening, with the stove enjoying the night off.

When it is right, pale vanilla ice rises toward the rim beneath overlapping gold pineapple, while tiny red strawberries stand in the center under a sharp crimson purée. Work quickly, but don't panic. The step that decides Ananas à la Ninon is shaping the oblique vanilla lining and freezing it firm before the fruit touches it.