Poires à la Religieuse

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Medium saucepan
• •Parchment paper for a poaching round
• •Fine-mesh strainer
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Electric hand mixer or balloon whisk
• •1.2 to 1.5 litre porcelain timbale or straight-sided serving dish

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the pears

   Scrape the vanilla seeds into a saucepan and add the pod, 3 cups water, and 1 cup sugar. Bring to a boil just long enough to dissolve the sugar. Meanwhile, peel the pears neatly, leaving the stems attached, and remove each core through the base with a small melon baller or the point of a teaspoon. Keep the walls intact so the pears remain upright and whole.

2. 2

   Poach at a tremble

   Lower the pears into the vanilla syrup and place a parchment round directly on the surface to keep them beneath the liquid. Hold the syrup at the barest tremble for 15 to 25 minutes, turning the pears occasionally, until a small knife enters the thickest part with only faint resistance. A hard boil bruises the fruit, while overcooking makes it slump beneath the Bavarois. If one pear softens before the others, lift it out immediately and let the rest continue; ça se rattrape.

3. 3

   Cool and arrange

   Remove the pan from the heat and let the pears cool in their syrup for 30 minutes so the vanilla reaches the centre. Transfer them to the refrigerator until completely cold, about 45 minutes. Drain them thoroughly, blot the surfaces dry, and trim the bases only enough to make them stand. Arrange them upright in a snug 1.2 to 1.5 litre porcelain timbale or straight-sided serving dish whose depth roughly matches their height. Return the dish to the cold.

4. 4

   Cook the crème anglaise

   Sprinkle the gelatin over the 2 tablespoons cold water and leave it to bloom for 5 minutes. Heat the milk until small bubbles appear at the edge. Whisk the yolks with the ¼ cup sugar until smooth, then gradually whisk in the hot milk. Return everything to the saucepan and cook over gentle heat, stirring constantly, until the crème anglaise (pouring custard) coats the spoon and reaches 180°F to 183°F (82°C to 84°C). Never let it boil. If a few egg flecks catch at the edge, remove the pan at once, whisk in 1 tablespoon of the measured cold cream, then strain; a slight curdle can be rescued, but fully scrambled custard must be remade.

5. 5

   Finish the Bavarois

   Put the chopped chocolate and bloomed gelatin in a bowl, then strain the hot crème anglaise over them. Leave it untouched for 1 minute, then whisk from the centre outward until smooth and glossy. Cool the chocolate base to about 86°F (30°C), stirring occasionally. Whip the remaining cold cream only to soft peaks, fold one-third into the chocolate to loosen it, then fold in the rest. The finished Bavarois must fall from the spatula in a broad ribbon and level itself within seconds. If it starts setting into ridges, set the bowl briefly over lukewarm water and fold just until it flows again. Ça se rattrape.

6. 6

   Cover and chill

   Take the cold pears from the refrigerator and immediately pour the Bavarois over their crowns, letting it run down each pear and settle around them in one smooth sheet. Guide uncovered patches with the back of a spoon, but do not keep working the surface once it begins to hold a trace. Refrigerate undisturbed for at least 2 hours. Cover the dish only after the surface has set, so wrapping cannot mark the chocolate.

7. 7

   Serve from the timbale

   Serve the Poires à la Religieuse directly from their chilled porcelain timbale; this dessert is not unmolded. Slide a broad spoon beneath each pear and carry some of the softly set chocolate Bavarois with it. The fruit should yield without collapsing, and the cream should hold a tender spoon mark rather than bounce like firm jelly. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Choose small pears of equal size that are fragrant but still firm at the neck. A fully ripe pear may taste lovely raw, but it won't survive poaching and a second handling with its shape intact.
• •Use real heavy cream and whip it softly. Stiff cream leaves white streaks and makes the Bavarois coarse; soft peaks fold smoothly and preserve the flowing consistency the original recipe requires.
• •The vessel matters. A broad, oversized bowl spreads the Bavarois into a shallow puddle, while a snug porcelain timbale supports the pears and gathers the chocolate closely around them.
• •Save the vanilla poaching syrup. Strain and refrigerate it for up to five days, then use it to poach more fruit, sweeten iced tea, or moisten a plain sponge cake.

Advance Preparation

• •Poach the pears up to one day ahead and refrigerate them in their vanilla syrup. Drain and blot them thoroughly before arranging, because syrup left on the surface thins the Bavarois where it touches the fruit.
• •The assembled dessert may be refrigerated for 2 to 12 hours before serving. Longer chilling makes the Bavarois firmer, so the most tender texture comes on the day it is assembled.
• •Do not freeze the finished dish. Freezing damages both the pear flesh and the softly set cream, leaving water on the surface as they thaw.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 305g)