Impress your guests with this sweet gingerbread parfait, with poached pear, honeycomb, and pear sorbet from head chef Gareth Rayner at The Coach House, Middleton Lodge.
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE GINGERBREAD PARFAIT
75g egg yolks
100g sugar
100g gingerbread puree
225g whipped cream
FOR THE POACHED PEAR
1 pear, peeled
FOR THE HONEYCOMB
100g caster sugar
4 tbsp golden syrup
1½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
FOR THE PEAR SORBET
500g pear puree
200g stock syrup
METHOD
FOR THE GINGERBREAD PARFAIT
• Whip egg yolks until they have doubled in size.
• Heat sugar with 40g water to 120°C, then pour slowly onto egg yolks continuing to whisk until cool.
• Then fold in the gingerbread puree, then the whipped cream. In the restaurant we then freeze the parfait in small moulds overnight.
FOR THE POACHED PEAR
• Make a stock syrup to cover the pear – we use equal amounts of sugar and water. Lightly poach the peeled pear for about 15 minutes and leave to cool in the syrup.
FOR THE HONEYCOMB
• Dissolve sugar and syrup on a low heat, then turn up the heat and let the mix turn a caramel colour, about 5 minutes.
• Remove from the heat, whisk in the bicarbonate of soda. Then pour onto a tray lined with greaseproof paper. Allow to cool and set, then brake into shards.
FOR THE PEAR SORBET
• Heat together the puree and syrup, allow to cool then churn in an ice cream machine.
• Plate up the dessert with the sliced poached pear, crumbled honeycomb and a scoop of pear sorbet.
Image copyright Sean Elliott Photography.
