Coupes Tutti-Frutti

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Small saucepan
• •Blender or food processor
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Three shallow metal pans, about 8 inches (20 cm) wide
• •Four 10-to-12-ounce (300 to 350 ml) coupe glasses
• •Forks and small chilled serving spoons

Instructions

1. 1

   Chill the service

   Clear a level shelf in the freezer and set four 10-to-12-ounce (300 to 350 ml) coupe glasses in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Place three shallow metal pans nearby, ready to receive the ice bases. The glasses should be thoroughly cold but dry; water droplets dilute the first fruit layer and make it slide.

2. 2

   Make the sirop

   Combine the granulated sugar and 3/4 cup (180 ml) water in a small saucepan. Warm gently, stirring only until the sugar dissolves, then bring to a quiet simmer for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and cool completely, preferably by setting the saucepan in a bowl of ice water. You should have about 1 1/6 cups (280 ml) sirop. If crystals form around the pan, add 1 tablespoon of water and warm gently until the sirop turns clear again; don't carry a grainy syrup into the freezer.

3. 3

   Mix three ice bases

   Blend the strawberries for the ice with 1/3 cup (80 ml) cooled sirop until perfectly smooth, then pass the purée through a fine sieve into the first pan. Rinse the blender, process the pineapple with another 1/3 cup (80 ml) sirop, and pour it into the second pan. In the third pan, whisk together the lemon juice, cold water, and the remaining sirop, about 1/2 cup (120 ml). Each base should taste slightly sweeter and more vivid than you want at the table because freezing quiets both sweetness and perfume.

4. 4

   Freeze and rake

   Set all three pans level in the freezer. After 40 minutes, when ice has formed around the edges, rake the frozen portion into the softer center with a fork. Repeat every 30 minutes for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, breaking up every firm patch, until each ice is finely crystalline and holds a loose spoonful. This repeated raking replaces the sorbetière and keeps the crystals small. If one base becomes a hard slab, let it stand for 5 minutes, break it into pieces, and pulse it briefly in a food processor before returning it to the freezer for 20 minutes. It hasn't failed.

5. 5

   Cut the fruit

   While the ices firm, combine the diced strawberries, diced pineapple, and quartered grapes. Keep the pieces no larger than 1/4 inch (6 mm), since large frozen fruit becomes hard under the spoon. Pat away excess surface juice and refrigerate the mixture without sugar. Sugar would draw out liquid, soften the fruit, and muddy the clear layers.

6. 6

   Layer the coupes

   Set the chilled coupes in a row and place a spoonful of the same fruit mixture in the bottom of each. Bring out only the strawberry ice, divide a loose layer among the glasses, and return its pan to the freezer. Add another scattering of fruit, then repeat with the pineapple ice, more fruit, and finally the lemon ice. Finish with the remaining diced fruit. Work with cold spoons and a light hand; three ices soften faster than one. If the layers begin to slump, stop and freeze the partly assembled coupes for 5 to 8 minutes. Ça se rattrape.

7. 7

   Serve at once

   Serve the coupes immediately with long dessert spoons, while the fruit is cold but still tender and the three ices remain distinct. For an outdoor table, keep them inside until everyone is seated and carry them out together on a chilled tray. Sun is not invited to this dessert. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Sugar is part of the texture, not merely the sweetness. Reduce it sharply and the ices freeze into hard blocks; keep the measured sirop and let the fruit provide the variation.
• •Frozen unsweetened strawberries are an honest choice for the strawberry ice when fresh berries are tired. Thaw them and include their juice. The fruit used between the layers must still be fresh, ripe, and firm enough to dice.
• •Use ordinary sturdy coupes or dessert glasses. Chill delicate vintage stemware in the refrigerator, never by plunging it into an ice bath or moving it suddenly between extreme temperatures.
• •For a birthday, demi-sec Champagne has enough fruit and sweetness to sit comfortably beside the lemon ice. A very dry wine will taste severe after the first spoonful.

Advance Preparation

• •The sirop de sucre can be made up to 5 days ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator.
• •The three ices can be frozen up to 3 days ahead. Cover them tightly once their texture is set; before assembling, temper each pan for 5 minutes and rake it back to a loose consistency.
• •The fruit can be diced up to 2 hours before serving and refrigerated in a covered container. Don't sugar it, and don't assemble the coupes until the table is ready.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 305g)