Pudding Diplomate aux Fruits

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •1.5 L (6 cup) plain charlotte mould, about 16 cm / 6 1/4 inches wide
• •Deep roasting pan for the bain-marie
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Sharp slicing knife or guarded mandoline
• •Instant-read thermometer

Instructions

1. 1

   Stew the surround

   Put the diced compote pear, sugar, water, and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Cover and hold at a gentle simmer for 4 minutes, then add the apricots for 2 minutes and the peach for the final minute. The fruit should be tender but still recognizable. Transfer it with its syrup to a shallow bowl, set that bowl over ice water for 15 minutes, then refrigerate while the pudding cooks. If very ripe fruit collapses, crush it lightly into a loose compote rather than discarding it; it will still make the proper cold surround.

2. 2

   Macerate the fruit

   Slice the pear, peach, and apricots no thicker than 3 mm. Thick slices become slippery shelves inside the custard, so shave down any piece that bends the layer beneath it. Toss the fruit gently with the powdered sugar and Kirsch, then leave it for 30 minutes, turning once. Two tablespoons is the honest home measure for the source's half port wine-glass. Drain through a fine sieve and reserve every drop of the fragrant syrup.

3. 3

   Prepare the mould

   Heat the oven to 160°C / 325°F. Butter a 1.5 L charlotte mould generously and press a buttered parchment round into its base. Fit brioche over the bottom and sides in one close layer, trimming pieces so they meet without heavy overlaps, then cut the remaining brioche into rounds or patches for the inner layers. Elaborate fruit patterns on the mould were pastry-station scaffolding; a sound brioche lining gives one cook the same clean release.

4. 4

   Make the custard

   Warm the milk and vanilla bean until tiny bubbles gather at the pan's edge, then cover and infuse for 10 minutes. Whisk the eggs, yolks, granulated sugar, and salt just until smooth, not foamy. Remove the vanilla bean and pour the warm milk into the eggs gradually while whisking. If fine cooked flecks appear, stop and strain the custard immediately into a clean jug; ça se rattrape while the curds are small.

5. 5

   Build the layers

   Lay brioche over the lined base, trickle it with a little reserved Kirsch syrup, and cover it with a single level layer of macerated fruit. Keep the fruit just clear of the mould's sides. Repeat with brioche, syrup, and fruit, finishing with brioche and leaving 1 cm of headroom. Pour in the custard in three additions, pausing 2 minutes between each so it reaches every crumb, then press the surface gently and rest it for 15 minutes. If a fruit layer shifts, lift the brioche and fill the hollow with an offcut before baking.

6. 6

   Poach in bain-marie

   Cover the mould with buttered parchment and foil, then set it on a folded kitchen towel inside a deep roasting pan. Pour in hot water to reach halfway up the mould; this bain-marie, the water bath, lets the custard set without scrambling at the edges. Bake for 60 to 75 minutes, until the centre quivers only slightly and reaches about 80°C / 175°F. If the water boils or the pudding begins to swell, replace some water with warm water and lower the oven to 150°C / 300°F. Catch it there and the custard remains smooth.

7. 7

   Rest and unmould

   Lift the mould from the bain-marie, uncover it, and rest the pudding for 20 minutes so the custard finishes setting. Run a thin knife around the rim and invert it onto an ivory serving platter. If it clings, don't shake it; wrap the mould in a warm damp towel for 20 seconds and try again. Spoon the very cold mixed-fruit compote around the base, keeping the crown visible, and serve the pudding slightly warm or at room temperature. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Choose fruit that is fully fragrant yet still holds under a knife. If the stone fruit is out of season, well-drained canned halves packed in juice are more honest than hard fresh specimens, though the finished layers will be softer.
• •Day-old brioche drinks the custard without collapsing. If yours is fresh, slice it and leave it uncovered for several hours; hard, desiccated bread is no better than bread too soft to hold itself.
• •Kirsch gives a dry cherry perfume. The source also permits Maraschino or Anisette, one at a time; Maraschino is sweeter, while Anisette brings a distinct licorice note that changes the whole dessert.
• •Butter the mould into every corner. We don't apologize for butter, especially when it is the difference between a handsome release and half the pudding left behind.
• •A demi-sec Vouvray has enough fruit and acidity for the pear, peach, and custard. For outdoor service, keep the compote cold and the pudding out of direct sun, then refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.

Advance Preparation

• •The mixed-fruit compote can be stewed up to 2 days ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator. Serve it very cold, exactly as the source directs.
• •The pudding can be baked a day ahead and refrigerated in its mould. Let it stand at room temperature for 30 minutes, wrap the mould briefly in a warm towel, and turn it out cool; its texture will be firmer but neatly sliceable.
• •For an outdoor meal, transport the pudding inside its mould and carry the compote separately over ice. Unmould just before dessert so the fruit layers remain secure.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 305g)