Coupes Jacques

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Small saucepan
• •Blender
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Two shallow metal pans, about 20 cm square
• •Food processor
• •Four 200 to 220 ml footed coupe glasses
• •Narrow silicone or offset spatula

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the lemon base

   Put the water and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir only until the sugar has dissolved and the syrup turns perfectly clear, then remove it from the heat without reducing it. Cool completely before stirring in the strained lemon juice; adding juice to hot syrup dulls its fresh edge. Refrigerate the base for 1 hour, until thoroughly cold.

2. 2

   Purée the strawberry base

   Blend the strawberries with their sugar and water until completely smooth. Press the purée through a fine sieve to remove the seeds, scraping firmly so only dry seeds remain behind. Chill it beside the lemon base. Both mixtures should be cold before freezing, since a warm base forms coarse crystals before the centre catches up.

3. 3

   Freeze and refine

   Pour each base into its own shallow metal pan, keeping the layers no deeper than 2 cm. Freeze for 3 to 4 hours, until firm throughout. Let the lemon ice stand for 5 minutes, break it into chunks, and process until the dry-looking crystals gather into a smooth, dense ice; transfer it to a chilled container. Wash and dry the processor, then repeat with the strawberry ice so the colours stay pure. Freeze both for another 45 to 60 minutes. If a batch turns slushy, spread it back in its pan and freeze for 15 minutes; if the pieces whirl as hard chips, wait 5 minutes and process again. Ça se rattrape.

   Shallow-pan freezing followed by one quick processing replaces two brigade sorbetières. It gives the smooth, close texture the coupe needs without requiring two ice-cream machines.
4. 4

   Cut the macédoine

   Cut the strawberry, peach, and pear into even 5 mm dice. This macédoine, a mixture of small, evenly cut fresh fruit, must fit neatly on the spoon rather than behave like a heap of fruit salad. Fold the dice gently with the kirsch and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Lift the fruit into a sieve before serving and let the excess kirsch drain away; it should scent the fruit, not melt a channel through the ices.

5. 5

   Match the firmness

   Chill four 200 to 220 ml coupe glasses for 15 minutes. Set both ices in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes, then test them with a spoon. Each should yield like cold clay while holding its shape. If one is harder, leave only that one out for another few minutes; if one begins to slump, return only that one to the freezer. Equal firmness is what keeps the two halves clean.

6. 6

   Build the two halves

   Pack about ⅓ cup of lemon ice against one side of each chilled glass, working from the bottom upward. Use a narrow spatula or the back of a teaspoon to make a straight vertical face through the centre, then return the glasses to the freezer for 10 minutes. Pack an equal amount of strawberry ice into the empty side, pressing gently so there are no gaps but never stirring the two colours together.

7. 7

   Finish the seam

   Level the two ices at the rim while keeping their divide visible. Set one tablespoonful of drained macédoine along the seam of each coupe, distributing all three fruits through every serving. Bring the coupes straight to the table while the ices are dense and the glasses wear a fine chill. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Kirsch means the dry, clear cherry eau-de-vie, not a sweet red cherry liqueur. It is not cooked here, so the finished coupes retain their alcohol and belong at the adult end of the table.
• •Outside strawberry season, use 285 g unsweetened frozen strawberries, thawed with all their juices, for the strawberry ice. The macédoine still needs firm, ripe fresh fruit that can hold a clean 5 mm dice.
• •Cold suppresses sweetness and aroma. The unfrozen lemon base should taste slightly sweeter and sharper than you want at the table; freezing brings both into balance.
• •For outdoor dining, carry the assembled coupes on a cold tray and keep them shaded until the final moment. Add the macédoine only when everyone is seated.

Advance Preparation

• •The lemon and strawberry ices can be made up to 3 days ahead and kept separately in tightly covered containers. Let them temper until scoopable; if large crystals have formed, process each ice again and refreeze briefly.
• •The two halves can be packed into the glasses up to 2 hours before serving. Cover the glasses and freeze them, then move them to the refrigerator for 5 to 10 minutes before adding the fruit.
• •Cut the macédoine up to 2 hours ahead and keep it covered in the refrigerator. Add the kirsch only 20 minutes before serving so the dice stay distinct.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 212g)