POACHED RHUBARB; VANILLA PARFAIT, MICHEL GUÉRARD’S SAUTERNES-RHUBARB ICE CREAM
IN EUROPE, rhubarb is often used in compotes and rustic tarts, but at Daniel it is found throughout both the sweet and the savory menus, as in our seared duck magret (here). Here the fibrous stems herald spring and bring a touch of acidity and tartness, but it’s the sweetness of the Sauternes-rhubarb ice cream that rounds up the flavors. The Daniel gang who worked with Michel Guérard in Eugénie-les-Bains includes Sandro Micheli, Jean-François Bruel, and me. With this dessert we pay homage to Guérard, the master.
Servings
6
Servings
6
Ingredients
Vanilla Sablé Breton
Vanilla Parfait
Poached Rhubarb, Sauce, Foam, and Gelée
Michel Guérard’s Sauternes-Rhubarb Ice Cream
Instructions
For the Vanilla Sablé Breton
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Unwrap the dough and place it on a sheet of parchment paper on a flat surface. Top with another sheet of parchment and roll into a ⅕-inch-thick sheet. Slide the dough with the paper onto a baking sheet and remove the top layer of paper. Bake for 8 minutes, or until the edges begin to color. Using a ruler, cut the hot dough into 1¼-inch squares. Return to the oven for 5 more minutes, or until the whole surface of the sablé is golden brown. Transfer the squares to a tray to cool and store, covered.
For the Vanilla Parfait
  1. Soak the gelatin sheet in ice water for 10 minutes and squeeze dry. Line an 8½ × 4½-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and acetate paper.
  2. In a medium heatproof bowl, whisk the sugar and egg yolks until smooth. In a medium saucepan, combine the cream and vanilla seeds and bring to a simmer. While whisking, gradually pour half of the hot cream into the egg yolk mixture. Gradually whisk the mixture back into the saucepan. Return the saucepan to the heat and cook, while whisking, until it reaches 185°F. Remove from the heat and stir in the gelatin until dissolved. Let the mixture cool to 104°F and whisk in the mascarpone. Pour the mixture through a fine-meshed sieve into the prepared loaf pan. Transfer to the freezer and chill until solid. Turn the parfait onto a cutting board, peel off the acetate paper, and cut into at least eighteen 1¼-inch squares. Reserve, frozen.
For the Poached Rhubarb, Sauce, Foam, and Gelée
  1. Trim the tips and base of the rhubarb, peel, and reserve the skin and trim. Cut the stalks into thirds crosswise.
  2. To make the poached rhubarb, combine the rhubarb trim and peels in a medium saucepan with 3¼ cups water. Simmer for 5 minutes, then remove from the heat, cover, and infuse for 30 minutes. Strain and discard the peels and trim from the liquid, add 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of the sugar, and return to a simmer. Remove from the heat and chill the syrup.
  3. Arrange the rhubarb sections in a single layer in a large sauté pan, pour in enough syrup to cover, and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook over low heat until tender, about 20 minutes. Cool in the cooking liquid.
  4. Once cooled, strain the rhubarb, reserving the liquid for the gelée and foam. Place 2 lengths of rhubarb side by side on a cutting board and cut widthwise to form 1¼-inch squares; reserve the trim. Repeat to make 24 squares. Transfer the squares to a tray, wrap, and reserve, chilled.
  5. For the sauce, weigh 5 ounces of the reserved cooked rhubarb trim and transfer to a small saucepan. Place over low heat and stir until heated through. Add the butter, stir until melted, and mix with a hand blender until smooth; pass through a fine-meshed sieve and reserve, chilled.
  6. For the gelée, line an 8½ × 4½-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and acetate paper. Soak the gelatin sheets in ice water for 10 minutes and squeeze dry. Measure ⅓ cup of the reserved rhubarb syrup into a small saucepan with the Sauternes and the remaining 5 tablespoons of sugar and simmer until dissolved. Remove from the heat, stir in the gelatin until dissolved, and pour through a fine-meshed sieve into the prepared loaf pan. Refrigerate until set and cut into at least sixteen 1¼-inch squares.
  7. For the foam, pour ½ cup of the remaining rhubarb syrup into a small saucepan. With a hand blender, puree in the soy lecithin; reserve at room temperature.
Michel Guérard’s Sauternes-Rhubarb Ice Cream
  1. With a vegetable juicer, juice the rhubarb and pass through a fine-meshed sieve. Measure 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon juice into a small saucepan with the vanilla seeds, sugar, and Sauternes. Simmer until the sugar is dissolved, remove from the heat, and cool to 158°F. In a medium heatproof bowl, whip the egg yolks until smooth. While whisking, gradually pour half of the hot rhubarb syrup into the egg yolks. Gradually whisk the mixture back into the saucepan. With a hand blender, puree in the butter. Return the pan to medium heat and whisk until it reaches 185°F. Pass through a fine-meshed sieve into a bowl set over ice and stir until well chilled. Spin in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
To Finish
  1. Stack the vanilla parfait on top of the sablé breton squares and place a square of poached rhubarb on the parfait. Position the head of a hand blender just below the surface of the rhubarb foam liquid and blend to produce a light foam.
  2. For each serving, set 3 rhubarb stacks on a chilled dessert plate and top each with a spoonful of foam. Alternate 2 pieces of rhubarb gelée in between the stacks. Set a square of poached rhubarb in the center of the plate. Trace a line of rhubarb sauce on the other side of the plate. Top the rhubarb square with a scoop of ice cream.