Poires à la Florentine

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •1 litre (4 cup), 18 to 20 cm (7 to 8 inch) border or savarin mould
• •Heavy medium saucepan
• •Electric hand mixer or balloon whisk
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Chilled serving platter

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare mould and gelatin

   Brush the inside of a one-litre border or savarin mould with the neutral oil, then wipe it almost dry with kitchen paper. The source calls for an oiled mould, but it means the faintest film, not a visible slick. Sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the cold water and leave it for 5 to 10 minutes, until every granule is swollen and no dry patches remain.

   Oil the central tube as carefully as the outside wall. That inner curve is where a Bavarois most often clings during unmoulding.
2. 2

   Cook the semolina

   Bring the milk, superfine sugar, and salt to a bare simmer in a heavy saucepan. Shower in the semolina slowly while whisking without pause, then lower the heat and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring into the corners, until the grains are fully swollen and the mixture falls from the spoon in a thick ribbon. The semolina must become tender now because chilling will set it, not finish cooking it. If lumps form, lift the pan from the heat and whisk firmly; stubborn ones can be smoothed with one or two brief pulses of an immersion blender. Ça se rattrape.

3. 3

   Lighten the Bavarois

   Remove the semolina from the heat, add the bloomed gelatin, and stir until it has dissolved completely. Transfer the mixture to a wide bowl and let it cool for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally so the edges do not set first. Whip the cold cream to soft folds that hold their shape but still bend from the whisk. When the semolina feels barely warm and remains fluid, fold in one-third of the cream to loosen it, then fold in the rest. If the base is warm enough to melt the cream, wait. If it has begun setting into little ropes, stand the bowl briefly over warm water and whisk it smooth before folding. This temperature is the dish.

4. 4

   Mould and chill

   Spoon the Bavarois into the prepared mould, working it firmly into the curved base and around the central tube so no air pockets remain. Level the surface, tap the mould once against a folded towel, and cover it without touching the cream. Chill for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight, until the ring is set through but still yields slightly when pressed.

5. 5

   Stew the pears

   Combine the water, granulated sugar, and lemon juice in a saucepan just wide enough to hold the pears. Bring it to a simmer and stir until the sugar dissolves, then add the pear wedges and cover with a round of baking paper or a lid left slightly ajar. Keep the liquid at the gentlest tremble for 8 to 15 minutes, depending on the pears, until a small knife enters easily but the wedges still hold their shape. Lift them out carefully and cool them in a single layer. Reserve ¼ cup (60 ml / 60 g) of the poaching syrup. If a few wedges become too soft, place them at the bottom of the finished centre and save the firm pieces for the top.

6. 6

   Make vanilla apricot purée

   Put the apricot preserves and reserved pear syrup in a small saucepan. Scrape in the vanilla seeds, add the pod, and bring the mixture to a bare simmer for 3 minutes. Cover, remove from the heat, and infuse for 10 minutes, then discard the pod and press the sauce through a fine sieve. It should be glossy and thick enough to coat a pear wedge. If it runs like syrup, reduce it briefly before adding the fruit; if it sits like jam, loosen it with another spoonful of pear syrup. Cool completely, then fold it gently through the pears so they are cohered by the purée rather than drowned in it.

7. 7

   Turn out and fill

   Chill the serving platter before you begin. Gently ease the outer and inner edges of the Bavarois away from the mould with a fingertip, place the platter over it, and invert both together. If the ring does not release, wrap the mould for 5 to 10 seconds in a cloth wrung out in warm water, then try again; prolonged heat will soften the surface. Spoon the pear wedges into the centre, letting the vanilla apricot purée gleam between them, and serve at once. The ring will soften as it stands, exactly as the original entry warns. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Use fine semolina, not coarse cornmeal or polenta. The grain should disappear into a tender cream while retaining just enough body to support the ring.
• •Choose Bosc, Conference, or firm Anjou pears. They soften without collapsing and keep a clean wedge; a fully ripe Bartlett is better eaten over the sink than asked to survive this saucepan.
• •A grand pastry station kept apricot purée ready by the pot. Smooth apricot preserves, loosened with pear syrup, scented with real vanilla, and passed through a sieve are the honest home equivalent because they supply the same fruit concentration, gloss, and binding power.
• •The gelatin supports the Bavarois but should never announce itself. Do not add extra for security. A rubbery ring may stand all evening, but it has missed the point of the dish.
• •Serve with a small glass of demi-sec Vouvray or simply coffee. The pear and apricot already provide the finish, so no mint, berries, or ornamental cream are needed.

Advance Preparation

• •Set the Bavarois in its mould the day before serving. Keep it covered and chilled, and unmould only when the table is ready for dessert.
• •The pears and vanilla apricot purée can be prepared a day ahead and chilled separately. Bind them together once both are cold so the fruit does not release extra liquid into the sauce.
• •Chill the serving platter for at least 30 minutes. A cold platter buys you a little more time, but this remains a last-minute turn-out by design.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 390g)