Recipe

Pear Clafoutis with Phyllo Crisps, Cider Sauce, and Quince Sorbet

serves
prep time: 10
cook time: 2934

ingredients

phyllo crisps
3 (17- by 12 inch) phyllo sheets, stacked and covered with 2 sheets of plastic wrap and a dampened kitchen towel
3 tablespoons sugar
pastry cream
6 large egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 vanilla beans, halved lengthwise
2 cups whole milk
almond cream
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons almond flour
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
pears
6 firm-ripe small Bosc pears (2 pounds total)
3 tablespoons sugar plus additional for coating ramekins
Special equipment: 6 (1 cup) ramekins (3.75 inches in diameter and 1.75 inches deep)
Accompaniments: cider sauce and quince sorbet

directions

Make phyllo crisps:

Arrange 1 sheet of phyllo on a work surface (keep remaining sheets covered), then brush with some butter and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar. Cut sheet in half crosswise to form 2 rectangles and crumple each into a peaked free-form round, about 4 inches in diameter. Transfer to a baking sheet with a metal spatula and form 4 more crisps in same manner with remaining phyllo, butter, and sugar. Let dry, uncovered, at room temperature at least 8 hours.

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 500 degrees.

Bake crisps until golden, 3 minutes (watch closely, since they burn easily). Transfer with spatula to a rack to cool.

Make pastry cream:

Whisk together yolks and 2 tablespoons sugar in a metal bowl. Sift flour and cornstarch into bowl and whisk until combined well.

Scrape seeds from vanilla beans with a sharp knife into a small heavy saucepan, reserving pods for another use. Add milk and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and bring to a boil.

Add hot milk to egg mixture in a stream, whisking, and transfer to saucepan. Simmer, whisking, 3 minutes, then remove pan from heat and whisk in butter.

Force pastry cream through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl and chill, its surface covered with wax paper, 1 hour.

Make almond cream:

Beat together butter, sugar, flours, and salt in a bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy, 2 minutes. Add egg and beat well.

Cook pears:

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Peel pears, then quarter lengthwise and core. Melt butter in a 12 inch ovenproof heavy skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then sauté, pears, turning occasionally, 2 minutes. Sprinkle sugar over pears and cook, turning occasionally, until sugar is melted and pears begin to turn pale golden, about 5 minutes.

Transfer skillet to oven and roast pears until very tender, 6 minutes, then cool to room temperature.

Bake clafoutis:

Increase oven temperature to 350 degrees. Butter ramekins generously and coat with sugar, knocking out excess.

Whisk pastry cream into almond cream until combined well. Spread 1/4 cup cream evenly in bottom of 1 ramekin and top with 2 pieces of pear. Spread another 1/4 cup cream over pears and top with 2 more pieces of pear. Repeat in remaining 5 ramekins. Arrange ramekins on a baking sheet and bake clafoutis until puffed and golden, 33 minutes. Cool in ramekins on a rack 1 hour.

Put 1 clafoutis (in ramekin) on each of 6 large plates and top each with a phyllo crisp. Serve cider sauce and quince sorbet on the side.

Cooks' notes:

Crisps can dry up to 24 hours before baking.

Crisps can be baked 6 hours ahead and kept, uncovered, at room temperature.

Pastry cream and almond cream can be prepared 1 day ahead and chilled separately, covered. Bring to room temperature before combining.

Clafoutis can be assembled 8 hours ahead and chilled, covered. Bring to room temperature before baking.