Poires Marquise

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •18 cm by 5 cm-deep manqué mould or solid round cake tin
• •Deep roasting pan for the bain-marie
• •15 cm square shallow dish for setting the apple jelly
• •Cooling rack set over a rimmed tray
• •Soft pastry brush
• •Thin-bladed knife

Instructions

1. 1

   Set the apple jelly

   Sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water and leave it for 5 minutes, until every grain has swollen. Warm the apple jelly over low heat just until fluid, remove it from the heat, and whisk in the bloomed gelatin until completely dissolved. Strain it into a plastic-lined 15 cm square dish to form a layer about 6 mm deep. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours. If the jelly bends when cut, chill it for another 20 minutes or give it 8 minutes in the freezer; it must be firm enough to hold a sharp triangle.

   The added gelatin replaces the pastry kitchen's apple jelly cooked to an exact cutting concentration. It should support the croûtons without turning them rubbery.
2. 2

   Soak the diplomate

   Combine the candied fruit and kirsch and leave them for 20 minutes. Butter an 18 cm by 5 cm-deep manqué mould generously. Arrange the brioche and drained candied fruit evenly inside, saving any kirsch left in the bowl. Heat the milk and cream until small bubbles gather at the edge. Whisk the eggs, yolks, sugar, salt, and reserved kirsch until smooth, then pour in the hot milk mixture gradually while whisking. Strain this custard over the brioche. Press gently so every cube drinks, then leave it for 15 minutes. Dry corners of bread now become hard corners later, so turn any stubborn pieces into the custard before baking.

3. 3

   Bake the pudding

   Heat the oven to 325°F / 160°C. Set the mould in a deep roasting pan and pour hot water around it to reach halfway up the sides. Bake in this bain-marie for 45 to 55 minutes, until the outer edge is set and the centre trembles as one piece when nudged. An instant-read thermometer should register about 175°F / 80°C at the centre. If the custard swells or bubbles at the edge, add a little cool water to the bath and lower the oven by 20°F / 10°C. Cool the Diplomatic Pudding in its mould for 30 minutes, then refrigerate it for at least 4 hours.

4. 4

   Poach and dry pears

   Combine the water, poaching sugar, vanilla pod and seeds, and lemon juice in a wide saucepan. Bring it to a boil, stirring only until the sugar dissolves, then lower it to the gentlest simmer. Add the pear halves and cover their surface with a round of parchment so they remain submerged. Poach for 12 to 20 minutes, according to ripeness, until a small knife enters the thickest part with slight resistance. Cool the pears in the syrup for 30 minutes, then drain them cavity-side down on a rack and refrigerate uncovered for at least 1 hour. Their surfaces must feel cold and dry, not slick with syrup.

5. 5

   Make burnt almonds

   Toast the almonds in a dry pan over medium heat until biscuit-gold, then tip them onto a plate. Combine the almond sugar and water in the pan and cook without stirring until the syrup becomes a deep amber caramel. Add the toasted almonds, turn them quickly through the caramel, and spread them on parchment to cool. Chop them into small irregular pieces once hard. Burnt here means dark caramel, not black almonds; if the caramel smells acrid, begin again, because bitterness will follow every pear to the table.

6. 6

   Thicken the red glaze

   Melt the redcurrant and raspberry jellies together over low heat. Bring them to a brisk simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring and skimming away any foam, until a drop placed on a cold plate thickens promptly and holds a rounded edge. Strain the glaze, then let it cool until it flows from the brush like warm honey. If it remains watery, simmer it for another minute. If it sets before the pears are ready, warm it gently with a teaspoon of pear syrup.

7. 7

   Lacquer the pears

   Blot the chilled pears once more and place them cavity-side down on a rack over a tray. Brush each one with a very thin coat of red glaze, refrigerate for 5 minutes, then repeat until the surface carries four to six clear, ruby layers. Work on one pear at a time for the final coat and sprinkle it immediately with the chopped burnt almonds before the jelly sets. If the first coat beads or slips, stop. Ça se rattrape: blot and chill the pears again, let the glaze thicken for several minutes, then begin with a thinner coat. One heavy pass will only slide into the tray.

   Collect the glaze that drips into the clean tray and rewarm it gently. Repeated thin coats are the dish, not decorative fuss.
8. 8

   Turn out and border

   Run a thin knife around the edge of the chilled Diplomatic Pudding. Dip the base of the mould in warm water for 5 seconds, dry it, place a round serving dish on top, and invert decisively. If it holds, repeat the warm dip rather than pulling at the pudding. Turn out the apple jelly and cut it with a warm knife into neat triangles about 3 cm wide. Arrange these apple-jelly croûtons in an overlapping border around the base. Set the six glazed pear halves radially on top, tips pointing toward the centre. Keep the finished dessert chilled until 10 minutes before serving. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Choose pears of equal size that are firm at the neck but smell distinctly of pear. Soft fruit collapses in the syrup, while hard green fruit stays chalky however patiently you poach it.
• •Use clear redcurrant jelly and seedless raspberry jelly, not a preserve heavy with fruit pulp. The glaze must catch the light and show each coat; pulp makes it muddy and prevents a clean lacquer.
• •A manqué is a solid round cake mould with sides deep enough to hold the custard. A 7-inch / 18-cm solid cake tin is the honest home equivalent. Avoid a springform tin because the bain-marie will find every gap.
• •Serve a small glass of demi-sec Champagne or Coteaux du Layon alongside. The wine should meet the pear and apple without bullying the raspberry.

Advance Preparation

• •The Diplomatic Pudding and apple jelly can be made up to 2 days ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator.
• •The pears may be poached 1 day ahead and refrigerated in their syrup. Drain and chill them uncovered before glazing so their surfaces become completely dry.
• •The burnt almonds keep for 2 days in an airtight container at room temperature. Keep them away from refrigerator humidity, which softens their caramel.
• •Assemble the finished dessert up to 4 hours before serving and refrigerate it beneath a high cover that does not touch the glaze. The almonds lose their crisp bite if left on the pears overnight.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 420g)