For sweet toothed Bengalis like me the quest for something to satiate that urge for sweet has led me to experiment with the dessert constructions of various countries. This led me to stumble into a French offering which literally means perfect. Parfait is a frozen dessert made as homemade alternatives of ice creams and dates back to the 1894. Although there are variations particularly in the United Kingdom which is a savoury alternative more like a pâté made as a paste from liver and flavored with liquors, the primary reference that a parfait draws is of a frozen dessert. In the Americas the parfait is a layered cream or gelatin creation served in a tall clear glass and topped with whipped cream, nuts and berries.
Today’s dessert journey is about this perfect dessert parfait cooked by infusing it with another confectionery the praline. The praline is a confection made as mixture of nuts often caramelized with sugar and sometimes having cream as a third ingredient. The word Praline is believed to have derived from the name Praslin, Marshal du Plessis-Praslin being often credited to be the inspirer of the dish. A praline usually differs from nougat another variant of caramelized nuts in being an individual caramelized product, while the nougat is nuts in a sheet of caramelized sugar. This praline is used as an ingredient for various cakes and pastries, and in our parfait we will combine this to make a hazelnut praline parfait.
All journeys start with planning and preparing for the journey as I have often said. A food journey starts at the pantry with the collection of ingredients. To make this in addition to our standard utensils for baking and freezing we will need moulds to freeze the parfait in. Silicone moulds are ideal for this. In terms of ingredients to make a serving for 4 we will need:
Skinned hazelnuts 110 gms
Caster Sugar 280m gms
Double cream 500 mls
Egg whites 6
Oil to grease
To begin with we will prepare the praline. Preheat oven to 180°C. Now take a baking sheet and evenly spread the hazelnuts on it and roast in the oven for about 15 minutes so that they take a golden brown colour. Now remove from the oven and set aside.
In a frying pan spread about 100-120 gms of sugar evenly on a low heat so that there is a layer that is no thicker than 3 mm. This will ensure even and quick melting. Sugar will melt from the sides, and as that starts happening swirl the contents to ensure even melt and colouring. Use a wooden spatula to redistribute unmelted sugar to the edges but be careful to only redistribute and not to stir as that will not lead to proper caramelisation.
Oil a second baking sheet and keep aside. As the sugar melts and the caramel takes a golden colour, remove from the heat and add the still warm hazelnuts and stir so as to coat the nuts individually with the caramel individually and evenly. Turn this out on to the oiled baking sheet and let it cool and set aside for later.
In a bowl pour out the cream and whisk briskly till it is whipped and thickened and starts to peak. Now let is freeze in the freezer for later use.
Once the praline is cooled ensure that they are individually separated. If they have clumped, they may be sealed in a plastic bag and bashed with a rolling pin to ensure they separate. Set this aside for later use.
Using a beater, whisk the egg whites till they start forming stiff peaks. 1 tea spoon at a time add about 6 tea spoons of the sugar while continuing to whisk the mix, and then the rest of the sugar while ensuring that the meringue keeps forming into stiff peaks.
Now fold the whipped cream and the praline mixture into the meringue using a large spatula so as to ensure that they are evenly combined. Line the silicone moulds with cling wrap and then pour the meringue cream and praline combine into it. Set this in the freezer for about 30 minutes. Just before serving remove the parfait from the moulds, onto a serving bowl. You can garnish with some more chopped nuts. You can also make a chocolate bark for this by spreading a sheet of tempered chocolate on a surface, and once it has set scraping it up to make the bark. Alternatively just add some fresh fruit like straw berries or peach as a garnishing.
The possibilities while making a parfait are varying, and the addition of the praline will only enhance the dessert to a delectable offering. A dessert that literally means perfect does indeed warrant my mom’s secret ingredients to make a food offering indeed delicious to the palate. So whisk in an extra large helping of love for the one for whom you cook. Caramelize that with the sweetness of your best smile at the prospect of such a perfect dessert, and see the delight spread on the faces of the ones tasting the parfait, as the parfait melts in their mouths leaving you with that perfect sense of achievement. Bon appétit.
