Passion Fruit Crème Brûlée and Pineapple Tuile
Tropical flavors accent creamy passion fruit-flavored crème brûlée hiding under a thick, crisp cap of caramelized sugar. Whole pineapple rings are soaked in a sugar mixture, then dried and turned into tuiles. Lychees, fresh coconut shavings, and passion fruit garnish the finished dish.
Ingredients
- Pineapple Tuiles
- Fresh Pineapple - 1
- Water - 1 quart
- Sugar - 2 pounds
- Crème Brûlée
- Heavy (whipping) cream - 1-1/2 pints
- Whole Milk - 1 cup
- Egg Yolks - 10
- Whole Egg - 1
- Sugar - 3/4 cup
- Passion fruit puree - 1/2 cup
- Lychees - 6
- White granulated Sugar - 1 cup
- Passion fruit puree - 1 cup
- Fresh Coconut - shavings from 1/4 fresh coconut
- Passion Fruit - 2, peeled and sliced
- Mint sprigs - 6
Instructions
To prepare the pineapple tuiles: Peel and core the pineapple, keeping the shape as round as possible. Using a very sharp knife, slice into very thin slices, 1/8-inch or less. Bring the water and sugar to a boil in a heavy saucepan and add the pineapple slices. Cover with plastic wrap and let cool to room temperature. When the pineapple has cooled, preheat the oven to 275 F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone liner or foil. Spread the pineapple slices in a single layer on the prepared sheet and bake until lightly browned. Shape by bending each one around a small cylindrical object; hold in place until cooled and set. If the tuiles become too stiff to bend, warm them again briefly in the oven.
To prepare the crème brûlée: Preheat the oven to 325 F. Combine the cream and milk in a heavy saucepan and bring just to a boil. Mix the yolks, eggs, and sugar together in a heatproof bowl. Stir in the passion fruit puree and continue stirring until the sugar has dissolved and there is no trace of graininess left. Add a large spoonful of the hot cream mixture and stir quickly to combine and temper the eggs. Slowly add the remaining hot mixture, stirring constantly until combined. Strain into a heatproof bowl. Pour the mixture into 6 heatproof soup plates, filling the plates 2/3 full.. Divide the soup plates between two large sided baking pans and fill the pans with hot water three fourths of the way up the plates. Bake 35 to 45 minutes, until the crème brûlées are set. Remove and let cool enough to handle; lift out of the baking pans. Cover each with plastic wrap, pressing it on the surface, and let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate at least 6 hours. The creams may be made a day ahead and refrigerated overnight.
To assemble: Cut an X in the end of each lychee and peel back the covering like flower petals. Sprinkle the granulated sugar on the crème brûlées and brown with a small kitchen torch or briefly under a hot broiler. Clean off the edges with a damp cloth if necessary. Add more sugar and brown again to create a thick cap.
To serve: Put the passion fruit puree in a squeeze bottle and drizzle over the crème brûlées. Stand a tuile in each. Garnish each with a lychee, coconut shavings, passion fruit, and a mint sprig.
