Bosc Pear Financier

To make the ice cream: Put the milk, cream, sugar, and salt in a heavy saucepan and bring just to a boil; remove from heat. Add the zest and set aside to steep for 15 to 20 minutes to infuse. Put the cream mixture back over medium heat. Stir the egg yolks with a whisk to blend, then whisk in a large spoonful of the hot milk mixture to temper. Whisking constantly, slowly pour the egg yolks into the hot milk. Cook, whisking gently, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and strain through a fine-meshed sieve into a heatproof bowl, then place the bowl in a larger bowl of ice and stir until chilled. Add the lemon juice and chopped zest. Freeze in an ice cream freezer according to manufacturer’s directions. Store in an airtight container in the freezer.

To make the pear chips: Slice the pears vertically in very thin slices on a mandolin or V-slicer. Warm the simple syrup in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the pear slices and stir to coat. Dry in a dehydrator according to directions until crisp. Alternatively, if your oven can be set to its lowest setting and keep a temperature of no more than 120 F with the door ajar, you can dry the fruit in the oven on racks covered with cheesecloth. If drying in the oven, rotate the racks every 2 or 3 hours, and watch closely as the pears become nearly dry because they can begin to brown at that time. An electric fan on low speed blowing into the oven helps move the air and speed drying. Store the chips in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.

To poach the pears: Combine the water, sugar, lemon juice, grenadine, and cinnamon stick in a heavy saucepan. Split the vanilla bean and scrape the seeds into the mixture, then drop in the pods. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and swirl to blend. Reduce the heat to medium. Peel the pears, preserving the pears’ shape and leaving the stems attached. Add the pears to the poaching liquid. Simmer until softened, about 40 minutes. Set aside until cooled, then refrigerate.

To prepare the batter: Preheat the oven to 375 F. Spray or butter and flour four 5-inch removable-bottom tart pans. Place them on a baking sheet for convenience. In the bowl of an electric mixer, on medium speed, combine the flour, sugar, and salt. With the machine running, slowly pour in the egg whites. Add the butter and vanilla. Pipe or pour a thin layer of the batter into the molds. Core the pears from the bottom and place one in each tart pan. Bake until golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Unmold immediately.

To make the sauces: Bring a saucepan of water to a boil and add the basil leaves; blanch for 15 seconds, then remove with a slotted spoon and plunge into ice water to shock. Drain and pat dry with paper towels. Add enough corn syrup to a blender to cover the blade, then add the basil and blend until smooth. Strain through a fine-meshed sieve. Put in a squeeze bottle and place the bottle back in the ice water to chill.

In a nonaluminum saucepan, combine the huckleberries, sugar, water, and lemon juice. Cover the top of the mixture with a disc of parchment paper and cook over medium heat until the berries pop. The parchment will serve as a “lid” for the mixture, but still let steam escape. Remove the parchment and puree with a stick blender. Strain through a fine-meshed sieve and return to the pan; simmer over medium-low heat until syrupy. Put in a squeeze bottle and place the bottle in ice water to chill.

To serve: Place a Pear Financier on each plate. Make a horizontal slice where the pear meets the cake and insert a pear chip; it will become a shelf to hold the ice cream. Rest a scoop of ice cream on the chip and garnish with a sugar spiral. Drizzle the plate with huckleberry sauce and dot basil sauce around the design.