Poires à la Carignan

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •3-quart (2.8-liter) narrow saucepan
• •Small turning or paring knife
• •Narrow melon baller
• •1¼-inch (3 cm) round cutter
• •Wire rack and rimmed tray
• •Parchment paper
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Pastry brush
• •Small offset spatula
• •Freezer-safe tray

Instructions

1. 1

   Set the cold

   Clear a level freezer shelf and line a small tray with parchment. Set a wire rack over a second tray for glazing. Keep the chocolate-praliné preparation from Bombes (Generic Recipe) (No. 2826) hard-frozen until the hollowed pears are ready; cold is structural here, not merely a serving temperature.

2. 2

   Turn and poach

   Peel each pear in long vertical strokes, retaining its natural stem, then shave away the ridges with a small knife until the fruit has a smooth, even curve. Bring the water, sugar, vanilla bean, and its seeds to a gentle simmer in a narrow saucepan. Add the pears and cover them with a parchment cartouche so they remain submerged. Poach at the barest tremble for 12 to 18 minutes, turning occasionally, until a thin knife enters the outer flesh but still meets clear resistance toward the center. If a pear begins to slump, lift it immediately into cold syrup. It cannot be made firm again, so chill it intact and serve it beside any spare bombe while the firmer pears carry the construction. Ça se rattrape.

   Do not judge only by the clock. Variety, ripeness, and size change the poaching time; the knife must still feel a firm heart inside the pear.
3. 3

   Cool them firm

   Lift the pears onto a dish and let them cool upright. Refrigerate them uncovered for about 45 minutes, until cold and dry on the surface. Reserve ¼ cup (60 ml / 60 g) of the poaching syrup in case the fondant needs loosening, and save the rest for another dessert or a glass of sparkling water.

4. 4

   Cut and hollow

   Stamp four round plugs, about 1¼ inches (3 cm) wide, from the Pâte à Génoise Fine (No. 2376). Trim each pear just enough at the bottom to stand level, outline an opening with the same cutter, then hollow upward from below with a narrow melon baller. Remove the core and seeds while leaving a wall at least ⅜ inch (1 cm) thick. Work slowly around the center, never prying against the side. If a wall develops a small crack, line it inside with a narrow scrap of Pâte à Génoise Fine (No. 2376), chill the pear for 10 minutes, and continue with a lighter hand.

5. 5

   Pack the bombe

   Let the chocolate-praliné preparation from Bombes (Generic Recipe) (No. 2826) soften only until it can be pressed with a spoon. Pack it firmly into each cavity, pushing it into the narrow top so no air pocket remains. Close each opening with its Génoise roundel, trimming the plug until it sits flush with the pear. Stand the filled pears on the lined freezer tray for 20 minutes. If the bombe turns liquid or glossy at the edges, stop and return everything to the freezer for 10 minutes; a cold filling packs cleanly, while a melted one leaks into the pear.

6. 6

   Mask with apricot

   Bring half the smooth apricot jam to the small-thread stage by following The Cooking of Sugar (No. 2344). Set the very cold pears on the glazing rack and brush them swiftly from stem to base with a thin, complete coat. The apricot seals the damp fruit so the fondant can sit smooth. If the jam beads or slides, the pear is wet: blot it gently, return it to the freezer for 10 minutes, then coat it again. Do not build a thick layer.

7. 7

   Pour the fondant

   Warm the chocolate fondant in a bain-marie (water bath) until fluid but no hotter than 100°F (38°C). Place one pear at a time on the rack and pour the fondant from the top in one decisive pass, letting it flow naturally to the base. Work quickly and avoid repeated brushing, which leaves ridges. If the fondant drags before covering the fruit, scrape it back into the bowl, stir in 1 teaspoon (5 ml / 5 g) of the reserved syrup or water, warm it gently, and pour again. The finished coat should be thin, dark, and glossy.

8. 8

   Hold three hours

   Transfer the glazed pears to the lined tray without touching their sides and freeze them upright for 3 hours. This is the home equivalent of the formula's very cold cabinet. Do not place them on their bases yet, because the anisette-soaked Génoise would harden and the almond coating would gather moisture.

9. 9

   Build the bases

   While the pears freeze, cut four squares from the Pâte à Génoise Fine (No. 2376), each ¼ inch (6 mm) wider than its pear. Brush the squares twice with Anisette so they are saturated but still hold their shape. Bring the remaining apricot jam to the small-thread stage under The Cooking of Sugar (No. 2344), then use a little to fasten each Génoise square to a thin butter biscuit. Brush the exposed top and sides with more jam and press the pralined splintered almonds around the edges and uncovered corners. Leave the centers clear for the pears.

10. 10

    Set, cut, serve

    Move the pears from the freezer to the refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes, just long enough for the poached fruit to lose its icy hardness while the bombe remains set. Place each pear on a prepared base and arrange them on a platter lined with a folded napkin. Present them whole, then use a warm, dry knife to cut each vertically into two, three, or four pieces according to its size. Wipe and warm the blade between cuts so the fondant stays neat. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Choose Bosc or Conference pears with narrow necks, secure stems, and no softness around the blossom end. They should smell faintly ripe but resist pressure at the neck. A melting-ripe pear is lovely eaten from the hand and useless for this construction.
• •The working time begins with Bombes (Generic Recipe) (No. 2826) and Pâte à Génoise Fine (No. 2376) already prepared, with The Cooking of Sugar (No. 2344) available for the apricot glaze. The original formula treated these as separate pastry preparations, and keeping them whole preserves that system.
• •Fondant loses its shine when overheated. Keep it between 95°F and 100°F (35°C and 38°C), loosen it by drops rather than spoonfuls, and pour instead of painting.
• •The plain butter biscuit replaces the separate batch of dry-paste squares, and the retained pear stem replaces pulled-sugar decoration. Both changes remove brigade scaffolding without changing the dessert's flavor or structure.
• •The source directs each pear to be cut vertically into two, three, or four pieces according to size. For a dinner party, one half of a medium pear is a generous finish after a full meal.

Advance Preparation

• •Prepare the chocolate-praliné variation of Bombes (Generic Recipe) (No. 2826) up to 3 days ahead and keep it well covered in the freezer.
• •Bake the Pâte à Génoise Fine (No. 2376) up to 2 days ahead. Cool it fully, wrap it closely, and keep it at room temperature so it remains supple enough to cut without crumbling.
• •The pears may be poached 1 day ahead and refrigerated in their syrup. Drain and chill them uncovered before hollowing so the apricot coating can adhere.
• •Assemble and glaze the pears on the day of serving. Overnight freezing remains possible, but the fondant is most glossy after the prescribed 3-hour cold hold.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 245g)