Abricots Meringués (another method)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •20 cm loose-bottomed tart tin, about 4 cm deep
• •Rolling pin
• •Baking paper and ceramic baking weights
• •Medium saucepan
• •Wire rack
• •Offset spatula or broad table knife
• •Piping bag fitted with a 6 mm plain round tip
• •Fine serrated knife

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the pâte sucrée

   Make the pâte sucrée, the sweet tart pastry. Mix the flour, confectioners' sugar, and salt, then rub in the cold butter until the mixture resembles fine crumbs with no large pieces remaining. Add the egg and bring the dough together with a light hand, using the ice water only if dry flour remains. Flatten it into a disc, wrap, and chill for 1 hour. Do not knead it smooth; working the dough develops gluten, and gluten makes a deep shell shrink.

2. 2

   Poach and drain apricots

   Bring the water and granulated sugar to a clear, gentle simmer. Add the apricot halves in a single layer and poach for 2 to 4 minutes, turning once, until a knife enters with slight resistance. Lift them onto a rack or several layers of kitchen paper, cut side down, and cool completely. Pat them dry before assembly. If a tender half tears, fit the pieces together in the shell later; the meringue will cover the evidence.

3. 3

   Cook vanilla semolina

   Bring the milk, sugar, and salt just to a simmer. Sprinkle in the semolina slowly while whisking, then cook over low heat for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until it becomes a thick cream and the spoon leaves a clear trail across the pan. Remove from the heat and beat in the butter and vanilla. Spread it in a shallow dish, cover its surface directly, and cool completely. If small lumps appear, whisk firmly while the semolina is still warm with a teaspoon of milk.

4. 4

   Blind-bake the flawn

   Heat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Butter a 20 cm loose-bottomed tart tin about 4 cm deep. Roll the chilled pastry to about 3 mm thick, line the tin, and press it carefully into the corner without stretching. Leave a little pastry above the rim, prick the base, and chill for 20 minutes. Line with baking paper, fill completely with baking weights, and bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Remove the paper and weights, then bake for another 6 to 8 minutes, until the base is dry and set but remains ivory rather than brown. Pale is not raw. If a small crack appears, press in a scrap of raw pastry while the shell is warm and return it to the oven for 2 minutes.

5. 5

   Layer the tart

   Let the shell cool in its tin. Spread the cold vanilla semolina evenly across the bottom in a layer about 1 cm deep. Arrange the drained apricot halves closely over it, cut side down and rounded side upward, keeping the fruit below the pastry rim. The layer should feel generous but stable; leave no large hollows that would swallow the meringue.

6. 6

   Smooth the meringue

   Spoon about two-thirds of the Ordinary Meringue (No. 2382) over the apricots. First press a thin coat into the gaps and against the inner rim, sealing the fruit, then add enough to cover the top and all round with an even layer. Smooth it with the flat blade of a table knife or offset spatula. This undercoat is what supports the piping. If the meringue slides or beads, stop and scrape it gently back into the bowl. Ça se rattrape: blot the apricots again, apply one thin anchoring spoonful, smooth it, and only then replace the rest.

   Keep the blade nearly flat and wipe it between strokes. A steep blade digs into the fruit, while a flat one bridges the hollows.
7. 7

   Pipe and bake

   Reduce the oven to 150°C (300°F). Fit a piping bag with a small plain round tip, about 6 mm, and fill it with the remaining Ordinary Meringue (No. 2382). Pipe close, even ropes, loops, or small rosettes over the smoothed surface, keeping the decoration low enough to bake evenly. Bake for 22 to 28 minutes, until the meringue feels dry to a light touch and only the highest ridges have turned pale biscuit-gold. If those ridges darken too quickly, lower the oven to 135°C (275°F) and continue until the broad surface is set.

8. 8

   Rest and serve

   Cool the tart in its tin for 35 to 45 minutes so the semolina settles and the meringue releases cleanly from the knife. Remove the tin and transfer the tart to a serving plate. Cut with a fine serrated knife, using a gentle sawing motion and wiping the blade after every slice. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature, when the apricots remain tender and the meringue is crisp at its piped edges and soft beneath. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Fresh apricots must be ripe enough to perfume the syrup but firm enough to survive poaching. Outside their season, use 16 good canned apricot halves, drain them thoroughly, and blot them dry. The classical pantry solved this long ago.
• •The source also permits frangipane cream or sweet rice beneath the apricots. Substitute 1 cup (240 ml / about 250 g) of either, already cooked and cooled. Raw almond cream is not the same thing here; it won't bake properly beneath wet fruit and meringue.
• •A colourlessly baked shell still needs a dry base and firm walls. If it looks pale but feels damp, give it another few minutes before filling. Once the semolina and fruit are inside, that base cannot be corrected.
• •Ordinary Meringue (No. 2382) must be used promptly after preparation. Letting it stand while the other components cool costs volume, so make it only when the shell, semolina, and apricots are ready.
• •For a dinner party, serve the tart with a small glass of Sauternes or Monbazillac. The wine's apricot character belongs beside the fruit, and the meringue needs nothing else competing with it.

Advance Preparation

• •The pâte sucrée can be mixed and chilled up to 2 days ahead. The blind-baked shell can be made 1 day ahead and kept airtight at room temperature once completely cool.
• •Poach the apricots and cook the vanilla semolina up to 1 day ahead. Refrigerate them separately, with the fruit draining and the semolina covered directly on its surface.
• •Prepare the Ordinary Meringue (No. 2382), assemble, and bake the tart on the day it will be served. It may stand at cool room temperature for up to 3 hours; refrigeration is safe for a longer hold, but gradually softens the meringue.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 225g)