“Chinese five-spice works as both a sweet and savoury spice mixture, but you could use any spices in these versatile financières. Other lightly poached fruit can be substituted for the pear, such as apple or quince.” – Warren Turnbull
Ingredients
Vanilla ice-cream
Poached pears
Method
Main
1.For ice-cream, whisk egg yolks and 130gm sugar in a heatproof bowl until pale. Combine remaining ingredients in a saucepan and bring just to the boil, pour over yolk mixture, place over a saucepan of simmering water and cook over medium heat, stirring continuously until mixture reaches 84C and coats the back of a wooden spoon thickly (6-8 minutes). Strain into a bowl placed over a bowl of ice to chill, then freeze using an ice-cream machine according to manufacturer’s instructions. Makes 1 litre.
2.For poached pears, combine sugar, cinnamon and 350ml water in a large saucepan. Bring to the boil, add pears and cook over low heat until pears are tender (10-12 minutes). Set aside to cool in syrup.
3.Meanwhile, preheat oven to 180C. Combine dry ingredients, except caster sugar, in a bowl. Set aside. Heat a frying pan over high heat, add butter and cook until foamy and nut brown in colour (5-6 minutes). When butter is almost ready, add honey and eggwhites to dry mixture, followed by the butter, mixing between each addition. Spoon batter into eight, 10cm-diameter buttered and floured ring moulds placed on a baking paper-lined heavy-based oven tray. Bake until golden and centre springs back when lightly pressed (8-10 minutes). Remove from oven, brush with pear poaching liquor and keep warm.
4.Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat, add caster sugar, cook until just starting to caramelise, add pears and cook, stirring, until caramelised (7-8 minutes). Add 1-2 tbsp poaching liquid to pan, swirl to form a syrup. Place financières and pears on plates, drizzle with syrup and serve with vanilla ice-cream.
Drink Suggestion: Sauternes or botrytis semillon. Drink suggestion by Sharon Timms
Notes
