Deslignac or Cream Royale

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •7-inch (18 cm) round mold or shallow 1-quart baking dish
• •Deep roasting pan for the bain-marie
• •Medium saucepan
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Clean muslin or fine cheesecloth
• •Instant-read thermometer

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the quiet bath

   Heat the oven to 300°F (150°C) with a rack in the middle. Butter a 7-inch (18 cm) round mold or shallow 1-quart baking dish very lightly, leaving no thick streaks. Set it inside a deep roasting pan and bring a kettle of water to a boil. The roasting pan is the home equivalent of the brigade's watched poaching bath, giving the eggs gentle, even heat.

2. 2

   Bring cream to boil

   Pour the thin cream into a medium saucepan and heat it over medium heat until bubbles gather around the edge and the cream rises into its first full boil. Remove it immediately. The original says to boil the cream, and that brief boil stays; prolonged boiling would reduce it and disturb the formula.

3. 3

   Temper the eggs slowly

   Whisk the whole egg and six yolks in a heatproof bowl until completely blended but not foamy. Pour in the hot cream little by little, beginning with a thin thread and whisking constantly. Once the eggs have warmed, add the remaining cream in a steadier stream, then whisk in the salt and nutmeg. If a few cooked threads appear, stop pouring and whisk firmly until smooth; ça se rattrape, and the muslin will catch what remains. A mixture that becomes grainy throughout has gone too far and must be remade.

4. 4

   Strain through muslin

   Dampen a square of clean muslin or fine cheesecloth, wring it well, and use it to line a fine-mesh sieve set over a jug. Pour the custard through without pressing on the cloth. Let it stand for two minutes, then lift away any foam with a spoon. Straining is what gives the Deslignac its close, silken interior; pressing only forces trapped bubbles back through.

5. 5

   Poach at a tremble

   Pour the strained custard into the prepared mold and cover it loosely with foil. Set the roasting pan in the oven, then add enough just-boiled water to reach halfway up the mold. Poach for 35 to 45 minutes, until the edges are set and the center moves as one soft, trembling piece when nudged. An instant-read thermometer at the center should register 169 to 174°F (76 to 79°C). There should be no browning and no hard bubbles in the bath.

   If the water begins bubbling, pull the pan forward, replace a cupful of hot water with cold, and reduce the oven to 275°F (135°C). Ça se rattrape if you cool the bath before the custard turns porous.
6. 6

   Chill and unmold

   Lift the mold from the bain-marie and uncover it. Cool for 20 minutes, then refrigerate for at least 1½ hours, until thoroughly cold and firm enough to cut. Run a thin knife around the edge, dip the base of the mold in warm water for five seconds, and invert it onto a board or flat plate. If it clings, warm the base for another three seconds. Patience, not force.

7. 7

   Cut for service

   Cut the Deslignac with a hot, dry knife into small dice, diamonds, or narrow lozenges. Set the pieces in warmed shallow bowls immediately before the surrounding soup is added, so they warm through without breaking apart. The custard should hold its shape on the spoon and yield without resistance. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Thin cream means cream with roughly 18 to 20 percent fat, not heavy cream. If it isn't sold where you live, combine equal measures of heavy cream and whole milk, totaling 568 ml; the mixture preserves the intended light richness.
• •Whisk to combine, never to build foam. Air becomes holes under heat, and a royale should show a close, uninterrupted cut face. The blender is energetic and wrong for this job.
• •A crème royale is a soup garnish, not a cream-thickened soup. Cut it neatly and let the surrounding broth supply contrast; the custard itself needs no herbs, cheese, or decorative flourish.
• •Pull it while the center still trembles. Residual heat completes the set, while a custard baked until rigid will be coarse at the edge and may release liquid when cut.

Advance Preparation

• •The Deslignac can be poached and chilled up to two days before serving. Keep it in its mold, tightly covered, and unmold only when you are ready to cut it.
• •The royale may be cut up to six hours ahead. Arrange the pieces in a single layer in a covered container and refrigerate them; stacking can bruise their delicate edges.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 90g)