Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume 1
Page 65
⅓ cup flour (scooped and leveled)
1 cup boiling milk
Beat the egg and egg yolk in the mixing bowl, gradually adding the sugar, until mixture is pale yellow and forms the ribbon. Beat in the flour. Then beat in the boiling milk in a thin stream of droplets.
A clean, heavy-bottomed, 2½-quart, enameled saucepan
A wire whip
A wooden spoon
Pour into saucepan and set over moderate heat. Stir slowly with the whip, reaching all over the bottom of the pan. When mixture begins to coagulate into lumps, beat it vigorously until it smooths and thickens into a stiff paste. Then over moderately low heat, beat it with a wooden spoon for 2 to 3 minutes to cook the flour thoroughly. Be careful the custard does not scorch on the bottom of the pan.
3 Tb butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp almond extract
½ cup pulverized macaroons, or pulverized almonds
Optional: 2 to 3 Tb kirsch
Off heat, beat in the butter, then the flavorings, macaroons or almonds, and optional kirsch. If not used immediately, clean custard off sides of pan and dot top with softened butter to prevent a skin from forming on the surface. Frangipane will keep for a week under refrigeration, or may be frozen.
FRUIT SAUCES
Fruit sauces are made from purées of fresh or frozen fruits, or from fruit jams and jellies. They are used with ice creams, custard desserts, and various puddings.
Sauce aux Fraises
[Fresh Strawberry Sauce]
Sauce aux Framboises
[Fresh Raspberry Sauce]
For about 2 cups
1 quart fresh strawberries or raspberries
A sieve and wooden spoon ¾ to 1¼ cups sugar (instant or very finely granulated if possible)
An electric blender or an electric beater
2 to 3 Tb kirsch, cognac, or lemon juice
Hull, wash, drain, and sieve the fruit. Add sugar to taste. Either whip for 2 to 3 minutes in a blender, or beat for 10 minutes with an electric beater. The sugar should dissolve completely; the purée will be quite thick. Beat in kirsch, cognac, or lemon juice to taste.
Made with frozen berries
Thaw the berries and drain them thoroughly. Force them through a sieve, and beat in some of their syrup to thin out the purée. Flavor with kirsch, cognac, or lemon juice.
Made with jam, preserves, or jelly (about 1 cup)
½ cup orange marmalade and ½ cup apricot preserves
OR, ½ cup strawberry or raspberry jam and ½ cup red currant jelly
2 to 3 Tb kirsch or cognac
A sieve and wooden spoon
Stir the mixture in a saucepan over moderate heat until melted. Simmer for a moment with the liqueur, then force through a sieve.
STRAINED APRICOT PRESERVES
Before using apricot preserves (or jam.) in a recipe, stir it over heat, if necessary, until it has melted, then rub it through a sieve to leave the bits of skin behind. If not used immediately, it will keep almost indefinitely in its original container.
GLAZES
Either apricot preserves or red currant jelly contains enough pectin so that when boiled to between 225 and 228 degrees it will stiffen slightly as it cools and not be sticky to the touch. You may then use it as a glaze, paint it over the top of a tart to give brilliance and glitter, spread it over a cake to act as a simple icing, or paint it inside a baked pastry shell to provide a light waterproofing before the filling goes in.
Abricot
[For Apricot Glaze]
Gelée de Groseilles
[For Red Currant Glaze]
For about ½ cup red currant or apricot glaze
½ cup apricot preserves, forced through a sieve OR, ½ cup red currant jelly
2 Tb granulated sugar
A small saucepan
A wooden spatula or spoon
Optional: a candy thermometer
Stir the strained apricot preserves or currant jelly with the sugar over moderately high heat for 2 to 3 minutes until thick enough to coat the spoon with a light film, and the last drops are sticky as they fall from the spoon (225 to 228 degrees on a candy thermometer). Do not boil beyond this point or the glaze will become brittle when it cools.
Apply the glaze while it is still warm. Unused glaze will keep indefinitely in a screw-topped jar; reheat again before using.
CUSTARDS, MOUSSES, AND MOLDS
Crèmes et Mousses
CRÈME PLOMBIÈRES PRALINÉE
[Caramel Almond Cream—a cold dessert]
A crème plombières is a custard filling into which beaten egg whites and a flavoring or fresh fruits are folded. It is spooned over ladyfingers or sponge-cake, then chilled. For the few minutes it takes to assemble, crème plombières makes a surprisingly attractive dessert.
For 6 servings
6 squares of stale sponge-cake or ladyfingers, about 1½ inches across and ½ inch thick
A 2-quart serving bowl about 4 inches deep or 6 dessert cups
2 Tb rum mixed with 2 Tb coffee
If the squares of cake or ladyfingers are not stale, dry them out for about an hour in a 200-degree oven. Arrange the pieces in the serving bowl, or place one in each dessert cup. Sprinkle with the rum and coffee.
4 egg yolks
⅓ cup granulated sugar
3 Tb flour
2½ cups boiling milk
1 Tb vanilla extract, or 2 tsp vanilla and 3 Tb rum
1 Tb butter
Following the procedure for crème pâtissière, beat the egg yolks and sugar in a mixing bowl until they are pale yellow and form the ribbon. Beat in the flour. Then beat in the boiling milk by droplets. Pour into a clean saucepan and, stirring with a wire whip, boil slowly for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and beat in the vanilla or rum, then the butter.
4 egg whites
Pinch of salt
1 Tb granulated sugar
3 Tb pralin (caramelized almonds), or the pulverized macaroons
Beat the egg whites and salt until soft peaks are formed; sprinkle on the sugar and beat until stiff peaks are formed into the hot crème pâtissière.
2 Tb pralin or pulverized macaroons
Spoon the cream into the serving bowl or dessert cups and chill for 2 to 3 hours, or until serving time. Just before serving, sprinkle with the rest of the pralin or macaroons.
VARIATIONS
Crème Plombières au Chocolat
[Chocolate Cream]
Use the ingredients and method in the master recipe, but substitute chocolate for all or part of the pralin as follows:
3 ounces or squares of semi-sweet baking chocolate melted with 3 Tb rum or strong coffee, and 2 tsp vanilla extract
Beat the smooth melted chocolate into 2½ cups of hot crème pâtissière. Then fold in the beaten egg whites.
1 ounce grated or shaved semisweet baking chocolate
Just before serving, sprinkle chocolate over the cream.
Crème Plombières aux Fruits
[Plombières with Fresh Strawberries or Raspberries]
Use the ingredients and method in the master recipe, but substitute fresh strawberries or raspberries for the pralin. Instead of soaking the cake in rum, use kirsch or cognac diluted with water; and use kirsch or cognac plus vanilla for flavoring the cream.
You may substitute defrosted frozen fruits for fresh fruits here, but they look rather limp, especially when used for a decoration on top.
1 cup sliced fresh strawberries or whole raspberries
2 Tb instant sugar (very finely granulated)
Sprinkle fruit with sugar and let stand for 10 minutes, or until ready to use. Fold into the cream with the egg whites.
12 to 18 whole strawberries or 1 cup raspberries
2 Tb instant sugar
Sprinkle the berries with sugar, let stand for 10 minutes. Arrange over dessert just before serving.
Crème Plombières à l’Ananas
[Plombières with Pineapple]
Follow the ingredients an
d method in the master recipe, but substitute pineapple for the pralin. And instead of soaking the cake in rum, use kirsch or cognac diluted with water; use kirsch or cognac, plus vanilla for flavoring the cream.
1 cup (1 No. 8Z can) crushed pineapple in heavy syrup
Drain the pineapple. Boil ⅓ cup of the syrup in a small saucepan for 5 minutes. Add the crushed pineapple and boil for 5 minutes. Drain. Stir 2 tablespoons of the syrup into the crème pâtissière. Fold in the egg whites and all but ¼ cup of the pineapple. Reserve remaining pineapple to decorate dessert just before serving.
BAVAROIS À L’ORANGE
[Orange Bavarian Cream—a cold desert]
Bavarian cream is a mold of crème anglaise (custard sauce) with gelatin, beaten egg whites, lightly beaten cream, and a flavoring. It is unmolded after it has been chilled, and makes a dessert as beautiful to see as it is to eat. When properly made, it has a most lovely, light, creamy, velvety quality and ranks as one of the best of the molded desserts.
We were curious to try out some recipes for Bavarian cream which claimed to produce masterpieces in seconds, so we experimented with the electric blender, raw egg yolks, cracked ice, and so forth. We also ran various changes of our own, such as substituting frozen fruits or ice cream for cracked ice. Though the molded results looked handsome, their flavor and consistency were disappointing. We have concluded that this particular masterpiece cannot be achieved in seconds; a cooked custard, well-dissolved gelatin, stiffly beaten egg whites, properly whipped cream, perfect flavoring, and then the right blending of one element into another at the right time seem to be the requisites for a true Bavarian cream. The classical method below is certainly far from difficult, and the whole dessert may be prepared the day, or even two days, before serving.
Orange Bavarian cream is our favorite. Other flavorings are suggested at the end of the recipe.
For 8 to 10 people
The orange flavoring
2 large, fine, bright-skinned oranges
2 large sugar lumps
A 4-quart mixing bowl
Wash and dry the oranges. One at a time, rub the sugar lumps over them until all sides of each lump are impregnated with orange oil. Mash the sugar lumps in the mixing bowl. Grate the orange part of the skins into the bowl.
A measuring cup
A strainer
1½ Tb (1½ packages) gelatin
Squeeze the juice of the oranges into the cup, to make ½ to ¾ cup of strained juice. Sprinkle the gelatin over the orange juice and set aside to soften.
The custard sauce
7 egg yolks
A wire whip or electric beater
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp cornstarch
Following the procedure for crème anglaise, add the egg yolks to the orange sugar in the mixing bowl. Gradually beat in the granulated sugar and continue beating for 2 to 3 minutes until mixture is pale yellow and forms the ribbon. Beat in the cornstarch.
1½ cups boiling milk
A 2-quart enameled saucepan
A wooden spoon
Optional: a candy thermometer
Beat the milk in a thin stream of droplets into the egg yolk mixture. Pour into saucepan and set over moderate heat. Stir with wooden spoon until mixture thickens enough to coat the spoon lightly (170 degrees). Do not overheat or egg yolks will scramble. Remove from heat and immediately add the orange juice and gelatin mixture, beating for a moment or two until gelatin has dissolved completely. Rinse out the mixing bowl and pour in the custard.
The egg whites
5 egg whites
Pinch of salt
1 Tb granulated sugar
A rubber spatula
A bowl with a tray of ice cubes and water to cover them
Beat the egg whites and salt until soft peaks are formed; sprinkle on the sugar and beat until stiff peaks are formed. Using the rubber spatula, fold the egg whites into the hot custard. Set over the ice. Fold delicately with spatula frequently while mixture is cooling, to keep it from separating. When cold and almost but not quite set, proceed with recipe.
The whipped cream and final flavoring
½ cup chilled whipping cream
A 3-quart metal bowl
A balloon whip
2 Tb orange liqueur
An 8-cup cylindrical mold or ring mold, preferably of metal as unmolding is easier
Beat cream over the preceding bowl of ice until cream has doubled in volume and beater leaves faint traces on the surface. Fold the whipped cream and orange liqueur into the custard.
Lightly oiled waxed paper
Rinse mold in cold water and shake out excess. Turn the Bavarian cream into the mold. Cover with the waxed paper. Chill for 3 to 4 hours or overnight.
Unmolding and serving
A long, thin knife
A chilled serving platter
Remove waxed paper. Dip mold in very hot water for 1 second (a second or two longer for a porcelain mold) run knife around the edge of the cream, and reverse on a chilled serving platter. (May be un-molded and refrigerated several hours before serving.)
Peeled orange segments sprinkled with orange liqueur and sugar
Serve surrounded with the orange segments.
VARIATIONS
Bavarois au Chocolat
[Chocolate Bavarian Cream]
Use the same method and ingredients as for the master recipe for Bavarian cream, but omit the orange flavoring and make the following changes.
5 egg yolks instead of 7
Fewer egg yolks are needed for the custard when chocolate is used.
½ cup strong coffee
2 tsp vanilla extract
Soften the gelatin in coffee and vanilla rather than in orange juice.
3 ounces or squares semi-sweet baking chocolate
Grate the chocolate into the 1½ cups of milk destined for the custard sauce. Heat slowly to the simmer, beating with a wire whip to blend the chocolate smoothly. Proceed with the custard sauce, beating in the coffee and gelatin at the end. Fold in the beaten egg whites and refrigerate, folding occasionally, until cool but not set.
2 Tb dark rum or orange liqueur
Rum is a more usual flavoring with chocolate, but orange liqueur may be used if you wish. Fold it in with the whipped cream, and fill the mold.
2 to 3 cups crème anglaise (custard sauce), or crème Chantilly (lightly whipped cream)
Serve chocolate Bavarian cream with crème anglaise or with crème Chantilly.
Bavarois Praliné
[Almond Bavarian Cream]
Use the same ingredients and method as for the master recipe for Bavarian cream, but omit the orange flavoring and substitute the following.
½ cup cold strong coffee
Soften the gelatin in coffee rather than in orange juice.
½ cup pralin (caramelized almonds), or pulverized macaroons
Fold the pralin or macaroons into the custard with the beaten egg whites. Chill, folding occasionally, until cool but not set.
1 Tb vanilla extract and ¼ tsp almond extract OR 1 tsp vanilla extract, ¼ tsp almond extract, and 2 Tb dark rum
Fold the flavoring into the custard with the whipped cream.
2 Tb pralin or pulverized macaroons
2 to 3 cups crème anglaise (custard sauce), or crème Chantilly (lightly whipped cream)
Sprinkle the top of the Bavarian cream with pralin or macaroons just before serving. No sauce is necessary, but you may serve with it crème anglaise or crème Chantilly.
Bavarois aux Fruits
[Strawberry or Raspberry Bavarian Cream—and other fruits]
This recipe calls for raspberries or strawberries. Other fruit purées may be substituted, such as apricot, peach, or caramelized pears. Use the method and ingredients in the master recipe for Bavarian cream, but omit the orange flavoring and make the following changes.
5 egg yolks instead of 7
The fruit purée gives body to the custard, so fewer egg yolks are needed.
&nbs
p; ½ cup strawberry or raspberry juice, or orange juice
If you are using frozen berries, dissolve the gelatin in ½ cup of the juice. Otherwise use orange juice.
1 pint fresh strawberries or raspberries OR, 1 lb. frozen berries, thawed and well drained
Force the fruit through a sieve and measure out ¾ to 1 cup of purée. (Any leftover purée may go into your sauce.) Fold measured purée into the custard along with the whipped cream.
2 to 3 cups strawberry or raspberry sauce OR, 1 pint fresh strawberries or raspberries, hulled and sprinkled with sugar
Serve this Bavarian cream with strawberry or raspberry sauce, or surround the dessert with fresh berries.