Chicken and Egg - Janice Cole [79]
To serve, spoon 3 tablespoons of the warm sauce on each dessert plate and place a pear in the center. Arrange the apricots around the pears.
NOTES
To judge the ripeness of a pear, press it near the stem; the flesh should yield slightly. Pears that are soft at the center are overripe. Bosc pears are perfect for poaching, as they keep their long, elegant shape during cooking.
Pears can be cooked up to 1 day ahead. Bring to room temperature before serving.
SERVES 4
PEARS
4 cups water
2 cups sugar
4 cinnamon sticks
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
4 firm but ripe Bosc pears (see Note)
½ cup dried apricots
SAUCE
4 egg yolks
½ cup sugar
½ cup heavy (whipping) cream
1⁄3 cup sweet Marsala
Bittersweet-Espresso Crème Brûlée
Crème brûlée is nothing more than a fancy pudding, and it’s probably much easier to make than you think. This version is rich in egg yolks, chocolate, and espresso. It’s baked in a water bath to keep the custard silky smooth. Allow enough time for the custard to chill and set before caramelizing the top. A kitchen torch is handy for that purpose, but it’s not essential (see Note).
* * *
Preheat the oven to 300°F. Heat the cream, chocolate, and espresso powder together in a medium saucepan over medium to medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until the chocolate is melted and the cream is steamy hot, but not simmering. Remove from the heat and whisk until smooth.
Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks, ¼ cup of the sugar, the vanilla, and salt together in a medium bowl until smooth. Slowly pour the hot cream mixture into the egg yolks while whisking constantly. Pour through a strainer into a liquid measuring cup or bowl with a pourable spout.
Arrange six 8- to 12-ounce ramekins or custard cups in a shallow roasting pan or broiler pan. Pour the chocolate cream mixture into the ramekins. Fill the pan with enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins (being careful not to get any water in the custard).
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the custard is set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove the ramekins from the water, and cool to room temperature on a wire rack. Refrigerate until chilled, about 4 hours or overnight.
Sprinkle the tops of the custards with the remaining ¼ cup of sugar. Using a kitchen torch, heat the sugar until melted and golden brown, being careful not to warm the custard too much (see Note). Cool to room temperature, and refrigerate until ready to serve.
NOTE
Crème brûlée can also be caramelized under the broiler. Place the ramekins in a shallow roasting pan and surround with ice cubes (to keep the custard cool). Broil for 3 to 6 minutes or until the sugar melts and caramelizes to golden brown, watching carefully to prevent them from browning too much.
Instead of a small kitchen torch you can also use a larger handyman’s blow torch. Just be careful to move the torch in a circular pattern, keeping it far enough away from the sugar so that it melts but doesn’t burn the sugar or melt the custard below.
SERVES 6
2 ¼ cups heavy (whipping) cream
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate (60% cacao), chopped
2 tablespoons espresso powder
4 egg yolks
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
CRACKED UP
You’ve cracked your egg, but what’s that on it? If it’s white and stringy, it’s a chalaza. Strands of thick egg white are attached to both sides of the yolk to hold the yolk in the middle of the egg. They are part of the egg white and safe to eat. The thicker the chalazae, the fresher the egg.
Occasionally, a spot of blood will appear on the yolk. This occurs when a small blood vessel is ruptured during the formation