Pommes Meringuées

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Wide 12-inch (30 cm) saucepan
• •Wire rack set over a rimmed tray
• •Shallow 1 1/2-quart (1.4 L) oval ovenproof dish
• •Small offset spatula
• •Piping bag with 1/2-inch (1.25 cm) star tip
• •Instant-read thermometer

Instructions

1. 1

   Build the vanilla syrup

   Combine the water and granulated sugar in a wide saucepan. Add the vanilla seeds and pod, then bring the mixture slowly to a simmer, stirring only until the sugar dissolves. Simmer for 3 minutes without coloring it. This is a poaching syrup, not caramel; it should remain clear and smell distinctly of vanilla.

2. 2

   Poach the apple quarters

   Lower the quartered apples into the syrup in one snug layer, working in two batches if necessary. Cover them with a round of baking parchment and hold the syrup at the gentlest tremble for 8 to 12 minutes, turning the quarters once, until a knife enters with slight resistance and their edges remain sharp. Lift them carefully onto a wire rack set over a tray. If a quarter begins to fray, remove it at once and reserve it for the apple base; the sound pieces belong on top, and nothing is lost.

3. 3

   Cook the stiff base

   Remove the vanilla pod and measure 1/2 cup (120 ml / 120 g) of the poaching syrup into a clean saucepan. Add the diced apples and cook uncovered over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring and crushing them into a coarse mince, until the spoon leaves a trench that stays open for several seconds and no syrup beads around the edges. The base must be stiff enough to support the quarters. If it catches, lower the heat and add one spoonful of syrup; if it remains loose, keep cooking. Ça se rattrape.

4. 4

   Cool and mount apples

   Spread the stiff apple mince about 3/4 inch (2 cm) deep in a shallow 1 1/2-quart (1.4 L) ovenproof dish. Let it cool completely. Blot the poached quarters wherever syrup still shines, then arrange them tightly over the base in overlapping rings, building a low, even mound. Chill the assembled fruit for 15 minutes while the oven heats to 325°F (165°C), with a rack in the lower-middle position.

5. 5

   Mask the dome

   Reserve about 3/4 cup (180 ml / 50 g) of the Ordinary Meringue (No. 2382) for decoration. Spread a thin sealing coat of the remaining meringue over the cold apples, filling the gaps first, then add the rest and smooth it into a complete dome with no fruit showing. Work lightly so the meringue keeps its volume. If the covering skids, the fruit is still wet or warm: lift away the slipping portion, blot the exposed apples, chill them for 10 minutes, and mask again.

6. 6

   Pipe the decoration

   Transfer the reserved Ordinary Meringue (No. 2382) to a piping bag fitted with a 1/2-inch (1.25 cm) star tip. Pipe a ring of scallops around the base and broad ribs or rosettes over the smooth dome, keeping the decoration generous enough to brown without drying out. Sprinkle the entire surface evenly with the icing sugar.

7. 7

   Bake and brown

   Bake for 22 to 28 minutes, rotating the dish once, until the meringue is set, the piped ridges are pale biscuit-gold, and the thickest part reaches 160°F (71°C). If the dome is set but still pale, place it under a preheated broiler for 20 to 40 seconds, watching without looking away. If one point colors too quickly, shield that spot with a small loose piece of foil and continue at 300°F (150°C).

8. 8

   Rest and serve

   Let the pommes meringuées rest for 10 minutes so the meringue settles around the fruit without losing its delicate crust. Serve warm with a broad spoon, reaching through the golden shell for poached apple and the firm apple base beneath. Each helping should carry all three layers. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Choose firm, tart apples that keep their corners in syrup. Reinette-style apples are splendid when available; Granny Smith, Braeburn, or Pink Lady will do the work honestly. A soft eating apple collapses before the dome is built.
• •The source also permits a base of rice for croquettes. Replace the stiff apple mince with 1 1/2 cups (360 ml / about 300 g) of that finished, thoroughly chilled mixture, packed firmly into the dish. This is the book's alternative, not an invention.
• •Prepare Ordinary Meringue (No. 2382) immediately before masking the apples. Meringue loses volume as it waits, and this dome needs enough body to cover, smooth, and decorate with the same preparation.
• •For guests who require additional egg safety, use pasteurized whites when making the referenced meringue. The mild bake sets and colors the dome, but pasteurized whites remove uncertainty at the center.
• •Serve with a demi-sec Vouvray or cups of strong coffee. Avoid an extra sauce; the vanilla syrup already lives inside the apples, and the clean contrast between fruit and meringue is the pleasure.

Advance Preparation

• •The poached apple quarters and stiff apple base can be prepared up to 1 day ahead. Chill them separately, with the quarters draining on a rack or absorbent paper, then assemble only when both are cold and dry.
• •Make Ordinary Meringue (No. 2382) just before assembly and use it at once. Its own formula remains a separate preparation, exactly as the book intends.
• •The finished dessert is best served within 30 minutes of baking. It can stand for an hour, but overnight storage softens the browned shell and encourages syrup to collect beneath it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 310g)