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Harlequin Slices
Yolks 3 eggs Whites 3 eggs 2 tablespoons milk Few grains salt Few grains salt Chopped truffles Beat yolks of eggs slightly, add milk and salt. Pour into small buttered cup, place in pan of hot water and bake until firm. Beat whites of eggs slightly, add salt, and cook same as yolks. Cool, remove from cups, cut in slices, pack in a mould in alternate layers, and press with a weight. A few truffles may be sprinkled between slices if desired. Remove from mould and cut in slices. Serve in Consomme.
A garnish rather than a dish: two savoury baked custards, one gold and one white, layered and sliced into a chequered pattern to float in clear soup. It is a variant of the French royale.
- Two separate custardsThe ingredient list is for two mixtures, not one: three yolks with about 2 tablespoons milk and salt, and three whites with salt. Each is baked in its own buttered cup.
- Oven and water bathThe recipe specifies only a pan of hot water and 'bake until firm'; no temperature or time is given. A slow oven, in the region of 300-325F, suits a custard: higher heat curdles the eggs and gives a spongy, weeping custard that will not slice cleanly. Small cups will likely want something in the order of 20-30 minutes; the centre should be just set and no longer wobbling in a wave.
- Cook the whites gentlyThe white custard sets faster and toughens faster than the yolk one. Pull it as soon as it is firm to a light touch.
- Chill before cutting"Cool" means thoroughly cold, ideally an hour in the refrigerator. Warm custard tears. Cut with a thin knife dipped in hot water.
- The mould and weightAny small straight-sided container works; line it with plastic film so the block lifts out. A weight of a pound or so, refrigerated for an hour, is enough to knit the layers. Press harder and the layers squeeze out of shape.
- TrufflesA small tin of truffle peelings, drained and finely chopped, gives the visual effect; truffle oil does not, and will slick the layers so they slide apart.
- ServingCut the pressed block into thin slices and drop them into hot consomme. Add at the last moment: the custard is already cooked and only needs warming through.