Pear and passionfruit gratin
Don't burn the dessert Recipes for custard-style baked desserts often require the baking dish to be placed in a large, deep pan of water in the oven as this helps the dessert cook slowly and evenly. However, not all roasting pans have strong, heavy bases and it's easy for these delicate desserts to burn on the bottom. An extra safeguard is to place a folded tea towel in the roasting pan. Put the baking dish on top and then fill the surrounding pan with water as the recipe directs.
Ingredients
1 litre water, plus extra
350g caster sugar
350ml white wine
1 star anise
3 cloves
10 black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1 lemon rind
6 pears, peeled, halved, cores removed
4 passionfruit, pulped
80g egg yolk (about 4 yolks from small eggs)
1 tbsp Poire William liqueur
60g cream, whisked to firm peaks
Method
Bring the water, 300g of the sugar, wine, spices and lemon rind to the boil in a saucepan. Add pears, cover with baking paper and a plate to keep submerged and return to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Cover and remove from heat. Allow to cool with lid on to slowly finish cooking. Preheat an overhead grill to high. Cut each half-pear into four lengthways. Arrange 12 slices in a circle in four 18-cm wide gratin dishes. Top with passionfruit pulp. Bring a saucepan with 3cm water to a simmer. While this is heating whisk together yolks, 50ml water, remaining sugar and Poire William in a bowl until fluffy, then whisk vigorously over simmering water until thick and shiny, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and continue to whisk until cold. Stir through cream and spoon mixture on top of pears. Place under the grill for two to four minutes or until golden brown and puffed up. (It's important to get the grill temperature, or the distance of the gratin from the grill, just right so you have a golden-brown sabayon on top and heated pear underneath.) Serve immediately.
The best recipes from Australia's leading chefs straight to your inbox.
Sign up
