Peche Royale Dans Son Panier Fleuri
Submitted by quenby
Peche Royale dans son Panier Fleuri: poached peaches in fried batter baskets over genoise, topped with Grand Marnier sabayon and pate a choux handles. A showpiece French plated dessert.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
10 minREADY
30 minTranslated loosely as “royal peach in its flowered basket," this is classic French dessert theater. Each plate gets a crisp, lacy fried basket formed by dipping a ladle into batter and frying it in hot oil, a tiny round of genoise inside, a blanched and peeled peach half on top, a crown of warm Grand Marnier sabayon spooned over, and a baked pate a choux handle attached with chocolate icing. Candy flowers go last.
The basket technique is the crowd-stopper. Chilled ladle dips briefly into hot oil, then into the batter, then back into the oil. The batter clings to the ladle’s cold metal and fries into a bowl shape that slides free when crisp. It takes practice but looks like a miracle.
Blanching the peaches for 10 seconds in boiling water slips the skin off cleanly. Any longer and the peach flesh starts to cook and soften.
Pro Tips
- Use fruit that’s just-ripe, not fully ripe. Soft peaches won’t survive the blanching and assembly without turning to mush.
- Keep the sabayon moving over low heat. Stop whisking for a few seconds and the yolks scramble. It’s done when thick enough to hold a ribbon trail.
- Grease the ladle lightly before the first dip to help the basket release cleanly. Repeat between fries if any batter sticks.
- Assemble just before serving. Crisp fried baskets absorb moisture quickly and go floppy within 20 minutes.
Variations
- Swap peaches for poached pears for a cooler-season version.
- Replace Grand Marnier with Framboise and top with a fresh raspberry for a red-fruit composition.
- Drizzle raspberry coulis around the plate for added color and acid balance.
Ingredients
Directions
Put the flour in a bowl and add sugar and mix.
Beat in eggs one at a time and, when they are incorporated and the dough is smooth, add milk to make a batter.
Dip a ladle or a mold into the hot fat briefly and dip into the batter. Put the ladle back into the fat carefully and fry until a “basket” comes away from the ladle. Fry the basket until it’s golden and drain.
Fit the genoise into the bottom of each basket.
Drop peaches one at a time into boiling water for 10 seconds to loosen the skin, then peel, halve and remove the pit. Place a peach half on each genoise.
Form “handles” for the “baskets” out of Pate a Choux and bake them, then secure to the baskets with thick chocolate icing. Top each peach with sabayon and garnish with candy flowers.
Sabayon: Whisk egg yolks with sugar until they are light and lemon-colored.
Add Grand Marnier and continue whisking. Put the mixture over low heat and cook carefully.
Add warm water in a stream and whisk to form a smooth light-yellow sauce.
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