Crème Meringuée

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •1.5 L deep border mould or plain 6-cup metal ring mould
• •Deep roasting pan for the bain-marie
• •Ovenproof serving platter
• •Piping bag with a 12 mm grooved or open-star tip
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Instant-read thermometer

Instructions

1. 1

   Macerate the salpicon

   Cut the preserved fruit into a salpicon, a neat small dice of about 6 mm, so every spoonful receives several colours and textures rather than one large sticky piece. Toss the fruit with the Kirsch and leave it for at least 30 minutes. Drain it in a sieve for five minutes before folding it into the meringue; the fruit should carry the Kirsch, not trail a puddle that loosens the foam.

   Glacé cherries, preserved apricots, and candied orange peel make a good mixture. Avoid jammy fruit or anything packed in thin syrup, which carries too much water.
2. 2

   Prepare the bain-marie

   Heat the oven to 160°C / 325°F. Butter a 1.5 L deep border mould thoroughly, covering the central tube and every corner, then fill it with the prepared Crème à la Régence and cover the top loosely with buttered baking paper and foil. Set the mould in a deep roasting pan and pour very hot water around it until the water reaches halfway up the sides. This bain-marie, a hot-water bath, protects the custard from the oven’s direct heat.

3. 3

   Poach the Régence cream

   Poach the cream in the bain-marie for 55 to 70 minutes. The water should remain calm, never bubbling, and the cream is ready when the edges are set while the centre gives one soft, unified tremble; an instant-read thermometer should register about 80°C / 176°F near the centre. If the surface begins to puff or split, the bath is too hot. Ça se rattrape: add a cup of cool water to the roasting pan, lower the oven by 15°C / 25°F, and continue gently. A fine surface crack can later be covered by the piped meringue.

4. 4

   Make the orange anglaise

   While the cream poaches, warm the milk with the orange zest until small bubbles gather at the edge, then cover and infuse for 10 minutes. Whisk the yolks with the caster sugar until smooth, pour in the warm milk gradually, and return everything to a clean saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring continuously, until the crème anglaise, the orange-flavoured English custard specified by the source, coats the spoon and a finger drawn through it leaves a clean path. Never let it boil. If you see fine grains, take it off the heat immediately, whisk in a tablespoon of cold milk, and strain it into a cold bowl. Cool and cover.

5. 5

   Turn out the ring

   Lift the mould from the bain-marie and leave it undisturbed for 20 to 25 minutes, until warm rather than hot. Run a thin knife carefully around the outer rim and central tube, place an ovenproof serving platter over the mould, and invert in one confident movement. If the cream clings, wrap the mould briefly in a towel dipped in hot water and try again. Do not shake it. If a small piece stays behind, press it gently into place; the decoration will cover the repair.

6. 6

   Ready the meringue

   During the cream’s rest, prepare 4 cups of Meringue à l’Italienne (No. 2383) according to its own entry and use it while it remains glossy and supple. Keep 1 1/2 cups plain for piping, untouched by fruit, and reserve the remaining 2 1/2 cups for the centre. The source treats this as a finished component, and so do we; its cooked-sugar method belongs whole in its own preparation.

7. 7

   Fill the centre

   Blot the drained salpicon lightly, then fold it through the reserved 2 1/2 cups of Meringue à l’Italienne (No. 2383) with a broad spatula, turning only until the fruit is evenly distributed. Heap this fruit meringue generously into the centre of the Régence ring. If wet fruit has loosened the mixture, stop folding and mound it with a spoon instead of trying to pipe it; keep the plain meringue firm for the border.

8. 8

   Pipe and brown

   Raise the oven to 175°C / 350°F. Fit a piping bag with a 12 mm grooved or open-star tip, fill it with the remaining plain Meringue à l’Italienne (No. 2383), and pipe ridged shells or rosettes over the exposed Régence border. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes, rotating the platter once, until only the raised ridges are pale amber. Do not use the broiler. If colour races ahead or syrup beads appear, remove the dish immediately and let it settle for two minutes; more heat will only make the weeping worse.

9. 9

   Serve with anglaise

   Rest the Crème Meringuée for five minutes after browning. Bring it to the table whole, with the cool orange crème anglaise in a sauceboat. Cut through the custard ring with a thin knife, spoon some fruit-filled meringue beside each slice, and pour the anglaise around it rather than over the toasted piping. À table!

Chef Tips

• •This entry begins where its source does: with Crème à la Régence prepared but still unpoached, and with Meringue à l’Italienne (No. 2383) treated as its own finished preparation. That is not a shortcut. The classical repertoire is a family of components, and the word carries the technique.
• •A plain 1.5 L metal ring mould is the honest home equivalent of the deep border mould. A restrained, lightly fluted ring will also work, but avoid an intricate Bundt mould; delicate custard has no interest in escaping twenty decorative corners.
• •Preserved fruit means glacé cherries, candied apricot, and candied citrus peel, cut evenly. The dry salpicon matters because excess syrup thins the meringue and encourages it to weep.
• •Keep the moderate oven the source specifies. A broiler colours the peaks before the rest of the piping can dry slightly, leaving burnt ridges and syrupy valleys.
• •Serve within an hour of browning. Leftovers may be chilled for one day, but the meringue will gradually bead and soften. A demi-sec sparkling wine is generous enough for the kirsch and orange without overwhelming the custard.

Advance Preparation

• •The listed timing begins with the Crème à la Régence mixture prepared and unpoached, exactly as the source entry assumes. It may be mixed according to its own preparation and held cold for several hours before poaching.
• •The preserved-fruit salpicon may macerate in Kirsch for up to four hours. Drain and blot it only when the meringue is ready.
• •The orange crème anglaise may be made one day ahead and kept covered in the cold. Prepare Meringue à l’Italienne (No. 2383) during the moulded cream’s resting time, not the day before; it pipes and folds best while freshly made.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 285g)