Pudding Miramar

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •1.25-liter narrow scallop-shell Madeleine-mould, fluted metal mould, or narrow metal loaf tin
• •Electric hand mixer or stand mixer with whisk
• •Instant-read or sugar thermometer
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Pastry brush
• •Small offset spatula

Instructions

1. 1

   Make vanilla syrup

   Set the empty metal mould in the freezer. Scrape the vanilla seeds into a small saucepan, then add the pod, the water, and the sugar reserved for the syrup. Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring only until the sugar dissolves, and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover, and cool completely before chilling. Leave the vanilla pod in until serving, then strain the syrup into a small cold jug.

2. 2

   Concentrate the pomegranate

   Pour the pomegranate juice into a wide saucepan and simmer steadily until reduced to exactly 3/4 cup (180 ml), about 12 to 18 minutes. It should taste vivid and tart but still pour freely, not resemble jam. If it reduces below the mark, add enough cold water to restore 3/4 cup; ça se rattrape. Transfer it to a shallow bowl and chill until thoroughly cold.

3. 3

   Prepare and drain fruit

   Toss the thin pineapple slices with the kirsch and leave them for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the peeled tangerines into suprêmes, membrane-free segments, removing every seed without crushing the flesh. Drain the pineapple in a sieve for 10 minutes, then blot it firmly between clean towels; blot the tangerine sections separately. Both fruits must feel moist but show no liquid on the surface. If they still glisten, move them to fresh towels and chill for another 10 minutes. Loose syrup freezes into grit, and no amount of pretty moulding disguises it.

   Do not sweeten the fruit. The pineapple, pomegranate, biscuits, and pâte à bombe already carry enough sugar, while extra syrup gives the freezer more water to turn coarse.
4. 4

   Cook the pâte à bombe

   Put the sugar and water for the pâte à bombe in a small saucepan and heat without stirring. When the syrup reaches 230°F (110°C), begin beating the yolks at medium speed until pale and foamy. At 244°F (118°C), remove the syrup from the heat and pour it in a thin stream down the inside of the bowl, never directly onto the moving beaters. Beat at high speed for 6 to 8 minutes, until the mixture is thick, pale, and cool enough that the bowl no longer feels warm. It should fall from the whisk in a broad ribbon. If it remains thin after cooling, set the bowl over barely simmering water and whisk until the ribbon forms, then beat it cold again. Ça se rattrape.

   If sugar crystals gather on the saucepan, cover it for 30 seconds so condensation washes the sides clean. Stirring a boiling syrup encourages crystallization.
5. 5

   Fold the bombe

   Whisk the cold pomegranate reduction and the kirsch into the pâte à bombe until evenly rose-colored. In a separate cold bowl, whip the heavy cream to soft peaks that bend at the tip. Fold one-third of the cream into the pomegranate base to lighten it, then fold in the remainder with broad strokes, turning the bowl as you work. If the first cream melts into a thin pink liquid, stop because the base is too warm. Chill it over ice until cool and slightly thickened, then continue folding.

6. 6

   Line the cold mould

   Brush both sides of each ladyfinger repeatedly with Chartreuse until saturated but still firm enough to lift. Spread two spoonfuls of the bombe mixture in a paper-thin layer inside the frozen mould to hold the pattern. Arrange the biscuits against the bottom and sides, alternating them with the drained pineapple slices and raw tangerine suprêmes, with the neatest faces against the metal. Trim biscuits only where the ends require it. If a piece slips, hold it with another dab of bombe and return the mould to the freezer for 10 minutes before continuing.

7. 7

   Fill and freeze

   Spoon the remaining pomegranate bombe into the lined mould, working it carefully around the fruit so no hollow pockets remain. Tap the mould twice against a folded towel, level the top, and press a round of baking parchment directly onto the surface. Close it tightly with a lid or foil and freeze for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight, until firm through the center.

8. 8

   Unmould and serve

   Set a clean folded linen napkin on a chilled oval platter. Dip the closed mould in warm water for 5 to 8 seconds, wipe it dry, remove the covering, and invert it decisively onto the napkin. If it refuses to release, wrap the mould briefly in a warm towel or dip it for another 3 seconds; do not tug at the biscuits. If the surface softens too far, return the unmoulded pudding to the freezer for 10 minutes. Slice with a knife dipped in warm water and wiped dry between cuts, passing the cold vanilla syrup separately. À table!

Chef Tips

• •The original Madeleine-mould is one large, narrow scallop shell, not the small cake tin now sold under the same name. A 1.25-liter fluted metal mould gives a similar relief; a narrow metal loaf tin is the honest home equivalent. Avoid silicone here because metal chills faster and releases more cleanly.
• •Use fresh pineapple as the entry requires. Canned pineapple arrives saturated with syrup, and even aggressive draining leaves more free water than this frozen mould wants.
• •Chartreuse and kirsch are not decorative splashes. Chartreuse perfumes the biscuits, while kirsch sharpens the pineapple and pomegranate. Measure them, because too much alcohol prevents a clean freeze and too little leaves the composition mute.
• •Serve the pouding glacé directly from the freezer after a five-minute rest if it is very hard. The fruit should cut cleanly rather than tear away from the bombe, and the vanilla syrup should be refrigerator-cold.

Advance Preparation

• •The vanilla syrup and pomegranate reduction can be prepared up to 2 days ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator. Chill the reduction thoroughly before making the bombe.
• •Assemble and freeze the complete pouding glacé the day before serving. It holds well for 2 days when tightly covered; beyond that, the raw tangerine begins to lose its bright character.
• •Prepare the pineapple and tangerine on the day of assembly. Once cut and soaked, fruit continues to shed liquid, so early preparation works against the smooth frozen texture.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 200g)