Charlotte Aux Poires William Et Caramel

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Place the egg yolks in a large bowl and add the sugar and pinch of salt. Beat the mixture until it is thick, with a light yellow color.

2. Step 2

   Combine the milk and vanilla bean in a saucepan and bring the mixture almost, but not quite, to the boil.

3. Step 3

   Remove the vanilla bean and gradually add the milk to the egg mixture, beating constantly until all the milk is fully incorporated. Pour this mixture back into a saucepan and cook over very low heat, constantly scraping the bottom with a spoon or whisk. Cook until it coats a spoon like a thick custard. Do not let the sauce boil, or it will curdle. Immediately remove the saucepan from the stove, stirring constantly.

4. Step 4

   Dissolve the gelatin in a quarter cup of warm water and stir this into the warm sauce until it is thoroughly dissolved.

5. Step 5

   While the custard is cooking, in a heavy pot or sugar pan, add the sugar, salt, vanilla extract and two tablespoons of water. Cook over medium-high heat without stirring, until it is richly browned but not burned. Add this caramel to the sauce. Allow the mixture to cool thoroughly.

6. Step 6

   Make the whipped cream (see recipe). Fold the cream into the mixture. Drain very well the can of pears and cut them into half-inch pieces. Fold the pear pieces into the mixture.

7. Step 7

   Line the bottom of a two-quart tinned charlotte mold with parchment paper. Cut and trim the ladyfingers into triangles. Arrange them tightly together in the bottom of the mold. Then arrange them on the sides of the mold by placing them parallel to each other.

8. Step 8

   Fill the charlotte mold with the pear mixture to the top of the mold. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Let it rest for at least four hours in the refrigerator before unmolding.