Did you Know "D" Deglaze

The culinary term to DEGLAZE, is to boil a small quantity of wine, stock or other liquid with the cooking juices and sediment left in the pan after roasting or sauteing in order to make a sauce or gravy.

Today's recipe does not include deglazing (we'll do that later on), instead we're going to use a bain-marie, now everyone knows what that is, and you will enjoy this recipe I promise,  it's just another scrummy, decadent desert: with very little actual cooking required.

Delicieux Surprise


4 1/2 oz good dark chocolate
1 tbsp single cream
1 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp 2% milk
grated zest of 1 Orange
1 large Pound cake cut into thick slices (see note below)
7 tbsp Rum
3 pears

Topping
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp very cold milk
1/4 cup sugar

Using a bain-marie melt the chocolate.   Slowly add the single cream, butter, milk and orange zest, stirring gently to mix, and keep warm in the bain-marie.
Cut the pound cake into thick slices and place in a dish,  sprinkle with the rum.
Peel the pears, removing the cores and slice, place the pears on top of the pound cake.
For the topping:
Whip the heavy cream and milk, adding the sugar slowly, then pour over the pound cake and pears.
Pour or drizzle the hot chocolate sauce over the cream and serve immediately.

note:
(This dish is traditionally made using a Brioche Mousseline, which is a soft loaf made from a yeast dough enriched with butter and eggs, it's tall and cylindrical and is the most delicate of all the different types of Broiche.  I substituted the Brioche Mousseline with pound cake, which is easier to find here in the States, the result is a heavier desert, but it's still delicious)

This recipe adapted from a recipe in Larousse Gastronomique, culinary encyclopedia.