Chef Juliette
Suet Dumpling
Boulettes au suif, poached beside salt beef, turn equal weights of flour and finely chopped suet into tender, rich dumplings. Keep the beef liquor at a bare tremble and the old garnish works beautifully at home.
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Moulded Pease Purée for Garnish
Created by Chef Juliette
Based on No. 2196, Moulded Pease Purée for Garnish, from Le Guide Culinaire (1907) by Auguste Escoffier
Timbales de Purée Saint-Germain turn creamy pease purée into a poised garnish: whole egg and yolk bind it, a gentle bain-marie sets it, and five quiet minutes make the unmoulding clean.
Side Dishes
French
Dinner Party
Special Occasion
Make Ahead
20 min
Active Time
25 min cook•50 min total
Yield6 small timbales (4 to 6 servings)
Timbales de Purée Saint-Germain (moulded pease purée for garnish) teach the exact art of setting a vegetable purée without burdening it. The one true thing is this: the purée must be creamier than you would serve from a spoon, because the eggs firm it as they poach. Begin stiff and the timbale lands stodgy; begin with a slow, thick ribbon and it sets tender enough to yield under a fork.
The original direction assumed a quart of Saint-Germain purée already made under a saucier's eye, eggs passed through muslin, and a shelf of dariole moulds or baba moulds ready for service. For one cook, the formula is halved exactly to two cups, the muslin becomes a fine-mesh sieve, and six small metal moulds or straight-sided ramekins sit in a roasting tin. Those are brigade scaffolds stripped away; the egg ratio, gentle bain-marie, and five-minute stand are the dish, and they stay.
Poach them at a tremble, never a boil. If the water grows lively, cool it along the side of the tin and lower the heat. Ça se rattrape. The step that decides the finish is the five-minute stand before unmoulding; it lets the custard settle, so patience, not force, gives you clean sides.
Moulded vegetable purées belong to the Parisian tradition of grande cuisine, where small timbales were arranged as garnishes around roasts, braised meats, and substantial relevés. The form traveled readily to the bourgeois table because a bain-marie and a few dariole moulds could reproduce the brigade's gentle poaching at home. Despite their tidy shape, these are not soufflés: the eggs bind a creamy purée rather than raising it.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
prepared Saint-Germain purée
Quantity
2 cups (475 ml / about 500 g)
kept slightly creamier than for serving by the spoonful
large whole egg
Quantity
1
large egg yolks
Quantity
1½ yolks (1½ tablespoons / 27 g)
measured from 2 beaten yolks
unsalted butter
Quantity
2 teaspoons (10 ml / 9 g)
softened, for the moulds
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| prepared Saint-Germain puréekept slightly creamier than for serving by the spoonful | 2 cups (475 ml / about 500 g) |
| large whole egg | 1 |
| large egg yolksmeasured from 2 beaten yolks | 1½ yolks (1½ tablespoons / 27 g) |
| unsalted buttersoftened, for the moulds | 2 teaspoons (10 ml / 9 g) |
Equipment Needed
- •Six 3-fluid-ounce (90 ml) dariole moulds, baba moulds, or straight-sided ramekins
- •Fine-mesh sieve
- •Deep roasting tin for the bain-marie
- •Thin-bladed knife or small offset spatula
Instructions
- 1
Prepare the moulds
Heat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Brush six 3-fluid-ounce (90 ml) dariole moulds or baba moulds lightly but completely with the softened butter. A dariole mould is a small, deep cylinder that widens slightly toward its rim; a straight-sided metal or ceramic ramekin of similar capacity is the honest home equivalent. Stand the moulds in a deep roasting tin.
- 2
Ready the purée
Stir the prepared Saint-Germain purée until perfectly smooth. It should fall from the spoon in a slow, thick ribbon, creamier than a freestanding purée but never watery. If chilling has made it stiff, warm it over very gentle heat only until supple, then let it cool until merely lukewarm, no hotter than 110°F (43°C). Hot purée begins cooking the eggs before the moulds reach the water.
- 3
Strain the eggs
Beat the whole egg with the measured yolks just until completely blended, without whipping in a cap of bubbles. Pass them through a fine-mesh sieve, the home equivalent of the source's muslin. Stir a quarter of the purée into the eggs, then work this mixture gently into the remaining purée. If the egg catches into a few fine threads because the purée was too warm, pass the entire mixture through the sieve at once. Ça se rattrape.
- 4
Fill the moulds
Divide the mixture among the prepared moulds, stopping about ¼ inch (6 mm) below the rims. Tap each mould once against a folded towel to release large air pockets, but don't beat the mixture flat. Pour hot water into the roasting tin until it reaches halfway up the moulds. This is the bain-marie, a hot-water bath that shields the egg-bound purée from fierce direct heat.
- 5
Poach them gently
Transfer the bain-marie carefully to the oven and poach for 20 to 25 minutes. The water should scarcely tremble, never boil hard; boiling drives holes through the timbales and makes their edges rubbery. If it becomes lively, pour a little cool water down the side of the tin and lower the oven slightly. The timbales are ready when the edges are set, the centres retain a slight tremble, and a thin skewer emerges moist but without liquid purée.
- 6
Rest and unmould
Lift the moulds from the bain-marie and let them stand undisturbed for exactly 5 minutes. Loosen only the upper edge with a thin knife, place a warm serving platter over each mould, and invert decisively. If one clings, hold a warm damp cloth against the base for 15 seconds and try again; don't dig it out. Arrange the timbales around the meat they are meant to garnish, or bring them together on their own platter. À table!
Chef Tips
- •The source begins with Saint-Germain purée already prepared, so this entry keeps that component whole and concentrates on the moulding. Season the purée correctly before measuring it; once the eggs are added, repeated tasting is neither useful nor wise.
- •The half yolk is deliberate. The original proportion is two whole eggs and three yolks per quart of purée, and this home batch preserves that ratio exactly. Beat two yolks together, measure 1½ tablespoons (27 g), and reserve the remainder for another preparation.
- •Metal dariole or baba moulds give the cleanest sides and most even poach. Ceramic ramekins work, but they heat more slowly, so allow another 3 to 5 minutes and judge the centre rather than the clock.
- •Haricot-bean, flageolet, or lentil purée may be prepared in the same manner, provided it is completely smooth and kept a little creamier before the eggs are incorporated.
Advance Preparation
- •The Saint-Germain purée may be prepared up to 2 days ahead, covered closely, and chilled. Warm it only until supple, then cool it to lukewarm before adding the eggs.
- •The timbales may be poached up to 1 day ahead. Cool them in their moulds, cover, and chill without unmoulding. Reheat them in a 300°F (150°C) bain-marie for 10 to 12 minutes, then give them the full 5-minute stand before turning them out.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 95g)
Calories
130 calories
Total Fat
7 g
Saturated Fat
4 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
3 g
Cholesterol
90 mg
Sodium
180 mg
Total Carbohydrates
12 g
Dietary Fiber
4 g
Sugars
5 g
Protein
6 g
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