Smoked Rosemary & Bosc...Smoked Rosemary & Bosc Pear Cremux with Cardamom Sablé Breton

A multi-layered modern dessert combining velvety white chocolate-cardamom cremux, cold-smoked rosemary pear gelée, and a crisp, buttery Sablé Breton base.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   For the Cremux: In a saucepan, combine the heavy cream, whole milk, and crushed cardamom pods. Bring to a gentle simmer, then remove from heat, cover, and let steep for 20 minutes to infuse.

2. 02

   For the Sablé Breton: Cream the softened butter and 100g of caster sugar together until pale. Beat in 2 egg yolks one at a time. Sift in the flour, baking powder, ground cardamom, and fleur de sel. Mix until a dough forms. Roll between sheets of parchment paper to 5mm thickness and chill for 1 hour.

3. 03

   Bake the Sablé: Preheat oven to 170°C (340°F). Cut the chilled dough into 6 rounds using a cookie cutter. Bake inside tart rings or on a lined tray for 15 minutes until golden brown. Let cool completely.

4. 04

   For the Pear Gelée: Bloom 2 sheets of gelatin in cold water. In a saucepan, simmer the diced pears, honey, lemon juice, and the rosemary sprig over medium-low heat until pears are completely tender (about 12 minutes). Remove the rosemary sprig.

5. 05

   Purée the warm pear mixture until completely smooth. Stir in the bloomed gelatin and 1 drop of liquid smoke. Pour into the bottoms of 6 silicone dome molds (filling them 1/3 full) and freeze for 30 minutes.

6. 06

   Finish the Cremux: Strain the infused milk/cream mixture to remove cardamom pods and reheat. In a bowl, whisk the remaining 3 egg yolks and 30g of sugar. Slowly temper with the hot milk/cream, then return to the saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until it reaches 82°C (180°F) to form an anglaise. Melt in the remaining 1 sheet of bloomed gelatin.

7. 07

   Emulsify the Cremux: Pour the hot anglaise over the chopped white chocolate. Let sit for 1 minute, then blend with an immersion blender until perfectly smooth and glossy. Allow to cool to room temperature.

8. 08

   Assemble and Set: Pour the cooled white chocolate cremux over the frozen pear gelée layer in the silicone molds. Freeze overnight until solid.

9. 09

   Presentation: Unmold the frozen domes and place each carefully onto a baked Cardamom Sablé Breton disc. Transfer to the refrigerator to thaw for 2 hours. Garnish with a tiny fresh micro-rosemary leaf and a touch of edible gold leaf before serving.