Cream Bavarois

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •1 litre fluted bavarois or charlotte mould
• •Small heavy-bottomed saucepan
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Heatproof stainless-steel bowl
• •Large bowl for an ice-water bath
• •Flexible silicone spatula
• •Balloon whisk or hand mixer
• •Digital scale accurate to 0.1 gram
• •Instant-read thermometer

Instructions

1. 1

   Ready mould and gelatine

   Rinse a 1 litre bavarois or charlotte mould with cold water, shake out the excess without drying it, and place it in the cold. Sprinkle the powdered gelatine evenly over the cold water in a small bowl and leave it for 5 to 10 minutes, until every granule has swollen and no dry patches remain. Pouring gelatine straight into hot liquid makes stubborn little pellets; blooming lets it dissolve evenly.

   Weigh the gelatine if you can. A gram too much turns a trembling bavarois rubbery, while too little may leave it unable to stand after unmoulding.
2. 2

   Infuse the milk

   Put the milk in a small heavy saucepan. Scrape in the vanilla seeds, add the pod, and bring the milk just to the first rise over medium-low heat. Cover, remove from the heat, and infuse for 10 minutes. Remove the pod, add the bloomed gelatine, and stir until completely dissolved; warm the milk gently if necessary, but don't boil it.

3. 3

   Work yolks and sugar

   Whisk the yolks and caster sugar in a heatproof bowl until the mixture turns pale, thick, and falls from the whisk in a slow ribbon. Pour in the hot vanilla milk a little at a time while whisking steadily, especially at the beginning, so the yolks warm gradually instead of setting at the edges. Return everything to the saucepan.

4. 4

   Cook the anglaise

   Cook over the gentlest heat, stirring continuously with a flexible spatula and scraping the bottom and corners. The anglaise is ready at 82 to 84°C (180 to 183°F), when it nappes the back of a spoon and a finger drawn through the coating leaves a clean path. Never let it boil. If you catch a few fine grains at the first sign of curdling, remove the pan immediately, blend for several seconds, and strain; ça se rattrape. A custard boiled into firm curds cannot be returned to silk.

5. 5

   Cool to first thickening

   Strain the anglaise through a fine sieve into a stainless-steel bowl, then set the bowl over ice water. Stir slowly and regularly so the gelatine doesn't set first against the cold metal. Remove the bowl from the ice when the custard is cold, beginning to thicken at the edge, and a spatula drawn through it leaves a trail that closes slowly. If it becomes lumpy or nearly set, don't beat cream into it. Ça se rattrape: place the bowl over barely warm water and stir just until it becomes smooth and thickly fluid again.

6. 6

   Whip the cream softly

   While the anglaise cools, whip the cold heavy cream until it forms very soft peaks that bend immediately from the whisk. Sift over the powdered sugar and vanilla sugar, then whisk only until the cream holds a soft fold. Stiff cream won't blend cleanly and gives the bavarois a coarse, bubbly cut face; supple cream is what you want.

7. 7

   Fold at equal body

   Stir one-third of the whipped cream into the just-thickening anglaise to loosen it. Fold in the remainder with broad strokes from the bottom of the bowl, turning the bowl as you work, until no white streaks remain. This matching of textures is the principle that decides the dish: the custard must be thick enough to hold the cream, but fluid enough to accept it. Pour immediately into the chilled mould and tap it once, lightly, to settle large air pockets.

8. 8

   Chill and unmould

   Cover the mould and chill for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight, until the centre is fully set but still trembles when the mould is nudged. To serve, dip only the outside of the mould in warm water for 5 seconds, dry it, place a cold platter on top, and invert decisively. If it doesn't release, repeat the dip for 2 or 3 seconds; patience, not prolonged heat, preserves the clean fluted surface. Serve cold. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Use heavy cream with at least 35% fat. It whips into a stable, supple foam that can carry the custard; lighter cream remains loose, while overwhipped cream folds in as little grains of butter.
• •The source formula used gelatine softened in cold water. Powdered gelatine is the practical home equivalent, but strength varies, so choose a standard 200-bloom product and weigh 5.5 grams rather than trusting the packet's serving claim.
• •Don't leave the cooling anglaise unattended. Once it begins to thicken, the useful folding window is brief. Set the cream, whisk, spatula, and mould in place before the custard reaches the ice bath.
• •A metal mould releases fastest and gives the clearest definition. Glass and ceramic hold warmth longer during unmoulding, so use two very short dips rather than one long bath.
• •Keep the unmoulded bavarois cold until serving. Its proper texture is tender and softly trembling, not the firm bounce of a commercial jelly.

Advance Preparation

• •Make the bavarois the evening before serving and leave it covered in its mould overnight. The full rest gives the gelatine an even set and makes unmoulding calmer.
• •It can be held in its mould for up to 2 days. Unmould shortly before serving so the surface stays smooth and the dessert remains properly cold.
• •Measure the sugars, bloom the gelatine, chill the cream, and prepare the mould before beginning the anglaise. Once the custard starts cooling, the recipe should proceed without a long pause.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 105g)