Crème à la Florentine

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •1-litre (4-cup) metal charlotte mold
• •Deep roasting tin for the bain-marie
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Piping bag with a medium star tip

Instructions

1. 1

   Caramelize the mold

   Heat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Set a 1-litre metal charlotte mold beside the stove. Put the caramel sugar and water in a small heavy saucepan, stir only until the sugar is wet, then cook without stirring until the syrup turns a clear, deep amber. Immediately pour it into the mold and tilt carefully to coat the base and an inch of the sides. If the syrup crystallizes before it colors, add another tablespoon of water and melt it again over gentle heat. Ça se rattrape. Leave the caramel to harden while you prepare the custard.

   Caramel continues darkening after it leaves the heat. Pour it when it reaches deep amber, before it smells bitter, and protect your hands because cooked sugar clings.
2. 2

   Build the custard

   Heat the milk until small bubbles gather at the edge, then take it off the heat. Whisk the eggs, yolks, and custard sugar just until blended, keeping the whisk low so you don't beat in a cap of foam. Pour in the warm milk gradually while whisking. Pass the mixture through a fine sieve into a jug, then sift the Pralin (No. 2352) over it and whisk until evenly dispersed. Stir once more immediately before pouring the custard into the caramel-lined mold. The Pralin must pass cleanly through the sieve; coarse grains will sink during poaching, and no amount of decoration can mix them back through the set cream.

   Use the dry nougat-powder form of Pralin, the preparation specified for custards. Modern praline paste contains additional fat and gives a heavier, less stable set.
3. 3

   Poach the custard

   Set the mold on a folded kitchen towel inside a deep roasting tin, skim away any surface foam, and cover the mold loosely with foil. Pour hot water into the tin until it reaches halfway up the mold. This bain-marie, a water bath, replaces the brigade poaching setup and keeps the eggs below a boil. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until the edges are set and the center still trembles as one soft mass; an instant-read thermometer should register 176 to 180°F (80 to 82°C). If the water begins bubbling hard, add a little cold water and lower the oven temperature. A boiling bain-marie makes a honeycombed custard, but caught early, ça se rattrape.

4. 4

   Cool it completely

   Lift the mold from the bain-marie and cool it on a rack for 1 hour. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, until cold through. Don't try to turn it out warm. The chill firms the custard enough to hold its shape and gives the caramel time to dissolve into sauce.

5. 5

   Turn out the cream

   Run a thin knife around the upper edge without cutting into the custard. Dip the bottom of the mold in hot water for 8 to 10 seconds, dry it, place a rimmed serving dish upside down over the mold, and invert both decisively. Lift the mold straight up. If the custard clings, return the mold to hot water for 5 seconds and try again; don't shake or pry it. Let every spoonful of caramel run onto the dish.

6. 6

   Whip the Chantilly

   Whip the very cold cream in a cold bowl until it begins to hold soft ridges. Add the sieved icing sugar and kirsch, then continue only until the Chantilly holds a supple piping peak. Stop there. If it turns grainy, whisk in the optional cold cream a teaspoon at a time until it smooths. Ça se rattrape, provided it hasn't become butter.

7. 7

   Decorate and serve

   Fit a piping bag with a medium star tip and fill it with the kirsch Chantilly. Pipe generous rosettes around the crown and base of the cold custard, leaving enough amber surface visible to show the caramel. Sprinkle the chopped pistachios over the top and bring it to the table at once. Slice with a broad spoon so each serving receives custard, Chantilly, pistachios, and plenty of caramel. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Pralin (No. 2352) has two distinct forms in its own entry. This custard requires the second, a dry almond-caramel nougat powder made for creams and soufflés, not the egg-white preparation used for covering cakes.
• •Sieve the Pralin immediately before using it. Any pieces left behind are too coarse for this cream; save them for sprinkling over another dessert, but don't force them into the custard.
• •A metal mold releases more cleanly than thick ceramic because its base warms quickly during the brief hot-water dip. A straight-sided 1-litre charlotte mold gives six generous portions.
• •Keep the bain-marie quiet. Tiny bubbles around the outside are harmless, but active boiling toughens the edge before the center sets and leaves holes through the finished custard.
• •Serve with coffee or a small glass of kirsch. The custard already carries caramel, nuts, cream, and fruit spirit, so it needs no additional sauce.

Advance Preparation

• •Prepare the Pralin (No. 2352) from its own entry ahead of time and keep it in a tightly closed container in a dry place. Sieve the measured portion again before it enters the custard.
• •Poach the custard the day before serving and leave it covered in its mold overnight. Turn it out and decorate it shortly before the guests sit down to dessert.
• •The Chantilly can be whipped and piped up to 2 hours ahead, but the pistachios are best added near serving so they retain their crisp bite.
• •Keep leftovers covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days. The custard does not freeze well because thawing makes it weep.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 210g)