Friday, September 21, 2012

QUESTCH PLUM ETON MESS - NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS IN THE KITCHEN, KEEP UP THAT WARRIOR SPIRIT

Eton Mess 4 1 bis
A cook, when I dine, seems to me a divine being, who from the depths of his kitchen rules the human race. One considers him as a minister of heaven, because his kitchen is a temple, in which his ovens are the altar.
- Marc Antoine Désaugiers
Even though being betrayed by your camera or computer, denied access to your blog platform, or lacking all inspiration is bad enough, having your cooker die on you is probably one of the worst things that any foodblogger and pastry lover can experience as it leaves you feeling completely lost and powerless. Without this essential piece of home appliance (my personal favorite together with my KA), your major working tool, you are absolutely nothing! Well, that's exactly what happened to me not long ago. A terrible and stressful nightmare especially if you are quasi-penniless and cannot afford to buy a replacement straight away.

It all started the day my basic and not so posh, yet beloved 14 years old Bosch oven decided that he was getting tired of the relentless (
over)use I made of him and merciless treatment he was getting, so he took revenge on me by gradually falling to pieces until he finally fell “dead” on a sunny afternoon in August. What a Machavellian rascal!

Firstly, the left oven door spring broke, then shortly after the right-side spring crumbled into tiny pieces, and as a result I had to keep the door shut by placing a stool in front of it. Of course, the next catastrophe inevitably had to take place during an absent-minded moment ]..[

So, if you are interested in reading more about my oven misadventures and eager to discover my new recipe, then please head over to the The Rambling Epicure, a daily international food chronicle and online newspaper for which I am a freelance writer and ponder on the meaning as well as significance of food in everyday life. There you'll find my latest article "The Warrior Cook And Quetsch Plum Eton Mess" which I hope you'll enjoy...


Etant donné que beaucoup de mes lecteurs francophones ne comprennent pas forcément l'anglais et que malheureusement peu d'entre-eux auront la chance de lire mon dernier billet en date sur The Rambling Epicure, je me suis permise de traduire la recette qui y figure afin que vous puissiez aussi en profiter car je pense qu'elle pourra vous intéresser.

J'espère que mon "Eton Mess Aux Quetsches
" vous plaira car c'est un dessert de saison qui est divinement succulent et merveilleusement parfumé. Cette spécialité figure au patrimoine britannique et a vu le jour dans les années 30 à la très élitiste et select Université d'Eton. A l'origine, il était servi avec des fraises, des bananes et de la glace. La version que nous connaissons actuellement (avec la meringue et uniquement de la crème ainsi que des fruits) est apparue bien plus tard. De nos jours, ce pouding est encore servi lors de la traditionnelle remise des prix de fin d'année académique...

Bien entendu, l'Eton Mess (ou le "bazar d'Eton") que je vous présente ici aujourd'hui est une adaptation revampée de cette gourmandise que j'ai concoté lorsque je me suis retrouvée sans four pendant quelques semaines (il a bien fallu improviser). Un pur délice!


Eton Mess Aux Quetsches
Recette par Rosa Mayland, septembre 2012.

Pour 4 verrines/personnes.

Ingrédients:
240g de Compote de questches
4 +1 Meringues de la Gruyère (ou n'importe quelles autres meringues du commerce)
170g de Ricotta
180g de Crème aigre/fraîche/sûre
35g de Sucre glace
2 Pincées de Poivre long en poudre
2 CS de Pistaches hachées, pour la garniture

 
Méthode:

1. Mettre la ricotta, la crème, le sucre glace et la poudre de poivre long dans le bol de votre batteur électrique. Battre jusqu'à formation de pics mous et obtention d'une consistance mousseuse.
3. Verser 1 cuillère à soupe de la compote dans le fond de chaque verrine, étaler environ 2 cuillères à soupe du mélange ricotta/crème, puis grossièrement émietter 1/3 d'une meringue sur le dessus (une meringue par verrine).
4. Répéter le processus avec le reste des ingrédients.
5. Garnir le dessus des verrines avec 1/4 de la meringue restante (la 5ième) et saupoudrer avec 1/4 des pistaches hachées.
6. Servir immédiatement.

Remarques: 

Veuillez vous assurer que la compote de prunes n'est pas trop liquide (faite avec des prunes et de sucre seulement - sans ajout d'eau).
Si vous le souhaiteez, vous pouvez préparer vos propres meringues suisses (voir la recette)
. Les miennes ont été achetées dans le commerce car lors de le préparation de ce dessert mon four était hors-service.
La crème aigre/fraîche/sûre peut être remplacé par de la crème double et le poivre long par tout autre épice de votre choix (vanille, cannelle, piment de la Jamaïque, tonka, etc ..).

Suggestions d'accompagnement:
Servir comme dessert avec un verre de vin blanc pétillant (Champagne, Moscatto, Clairette de Die, etc ..) ou une tasse de café.


Eton Mess 3 3 bis

77 comments:

  1. So so gorgeous! And I can see going without a cooker for a few days, and may have to when we move, but for longer I would go nuts. But I love you Eton Mess and would make it even with a working cooker. Stunning! And now I need to make something similar. Warrior cook...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Rosa again I hear myself saying the words "I know what you are going through".

    What a hooligan! but at least he was there for you for so long.

    The next time the electricity goes, I ll come back to this post to remind myself I am not alone battling and fighting for the right to cook out there!

    Love the picture by the way and I wish I could get some quetsch right now.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh, your poor cooker! Way to keep your chin up and come up with this beautiful dessert! :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. what lovely idea a plum Eton mess look really amazing!Rosa

    ReplyDelete
  5. Would love to try it! It is so scrumptious!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I have never heard of Compote de questches before. It turned out to be such a 'magnifique' dessert!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Oh, no! I'm sorry to hear about your Bosch! Mine gets a lot of use, too, and I would hate to see it quit on me. On the other hand, I'm loving the Eton Mess--your images are beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Isn't that just an awful feeling? It happened to me twice. We are completely helpless when something we rely on just goes kaput. I broke my KA processor couple of months ago, it was just an awful feeling.

    I am glad you have a new oven so now we can be assured you will be cranking out some great treats for us.

    This Eton Mess sounds great, a nice change from the original.

    Nazneen xx

    ReplyDelete
  9. LOVE the props..Yikes..I am surprised ..14 yrs..Things just don't last like they used to..Our dishwasher is Bosch..our best yet..
    Our ovens get soo much use also..In homes I used to visit..some ovens and kitchens were not used!
    Today is rainy..grey and fallish..I've been in the kitchen all morning:)And the oven is in use:)

    I hope you can get your hands on a replacement son.They are big ticket items..

    Your dessert is so photogenic!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Oh this is just gorgeous, Rosa! Love the plums!

    ReplyDelete
  11. What a wonderful Mess! I love the colours and the taste must be absolutely divine. I am now craving it for dessert! And Your pictures, Rosa, breathtaking as always.
    I am now heading over to Jonell :-)
    Hugs, Sandy

    ReplyDelete
  12. Oh Rosa, I'm sorry your Bosch died on you like that.
    Your clicks are beautiful, I hope to try this dessert soon :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. Un dessert de saison extra ! Tes photos sont à tomber !
    Bisous et bon WE.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Beautiful pictures and thanks for the reminder quinces are in season, I don't think I've seen anyone else do anything with them yet this year.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Superbe photo et désolée pour le four! Mes 6 premiers mois au Liban j'avais un four débile donc je comprends. Hope you get the best oven soon it is such a gift!

    ReplyDelete
  16. I do agree with all of those affirmations!

    Tchin!
    Au plaisir!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Yikes, I am so sorry about your oven. Glad you could still fix up an amazing dessert...your Eton mess is stunningly beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
  18. such stunning photos. I hope you are getting a new oven soon.

    ReplyDelete
  19. The eton mess sounds so good with plums!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Il était une fois, je parlais bien anglais. Mais c'était avant. Je peux le lire toujours mais ça va plus vite en français:) Merci pour cette traduction! Le dessert a l'air très bon: mon four marche très bien, mais dès fois je n'ai juste pas envie de l'allumer:)

    ReplyDelete
  21. a though cookie always finds a way to overcome problems.

    ReplyDelete
  22. So sorry about your oven, Rosa! But you sure chose the perfect no-bake dessert to post! Eton Mess is an all time favorite; I love that you've made yours with plums!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Bonjour,

    Une simple coupure de courant nous fait faire de l’exercice, nous met face à de bons challenges, mais lorsque ce problème s'applique à tout jamais à un de nos appareils fétiches et devrais-je dire indispensable ce n'est plus un challenge mais une galère.
    Quelques défis vont bon train au début mais deviennent vite hors d'amusement.
    J'espère que vous allez bientôt pouvoir le remplacer.

    Ce dessert bien que simple est vraiment très appétissant, c'est peu dire, car n'aimant pas les meringues il me donne bien envie.

    Bon weekend et à bientôt.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Un joli dessert avec des photos magnifiques pour nous mettre l'eau à la bouche (encore et encore). En plus on peut varier les plaisirs je suppose et mettre la compote de son choix...Bon we Rosa!

    ReplyDelete
  25. Love the pictures. The most interesting Eton mess I have ever seen. So devastating about your cooker. Looks like you are back on track. I dont know what I would do without mine!

    ReplyDelete
  26. Just purchased my 3rd new oven just over a few months ago. My mum had had her oven for years and never had a problem, I don't know what was her secret.
    Sometimes I think that the way they make the new ovens are just meant to break after maximum 5 years (just after the warranty ends)! So you are really lucky that yours lasted for over 14 years.
    The spare parts are manufactured in such a way as to make it impossible to replace, or repair or install any new part, so we end up by buying a new product, i.e. paying for the new oven, for the delivery, for the installation and then for taking away your old cooker.
    What a lovely dessert Rosa, love the photos, and the flavour! This must be divine! I would love to have some now. Have a great weekend Rosa.
    Cheers
    Mamat

    ReplyDelete
  27. What a story about your cooker, Rosa!

    I've just learned another new dish from you, "Compote de quenches". It looks and sounds superb!

    ~ Cheers, Roz

    ReplyDelete
  28. ALl I can say is RIP...you always come out on top...

    ReplyDelete
  29. désolée de ce qui t'est arrivé, voilà le genre de problème qu'on n'attend pas et qui fait partie des imprévus dont on se passerait bien :(. Il faut dire qu'il a fait son temps ;). J'ai moi aussi des anecdotes à ce sujet, lorsque nous avions acheté pour dépanner une cuisinière d'occasion à bas prix tout était vraiment d'occasion^, les pièces, la porte du four et j'en passe, les surprises n'ont pas manqué en l'utilisant c'était une vraie galère d'utiliser le four dont il fallait tenir la porte pour qu'elle ne tombe pas à chaque ouverture un peu comme toi :)) nous l'avons remplacé au bout d'un moment cela devenait impossible et je n'avais plus aucune envie de m'en servir tellement c'était contraignant. J'espère que tu trouveras très vite une solution acceptable car vu les températures actuelles et l'automne qui s'installe il sera indispensable pour préparer des plats chauds.
    Ta recette me fait saliver, merci pour ce dessert gourmand moi qui raffole des questches sous toutes les formes ;). Passe un excellent week-end gros bisous :)

    ReplyDelete
  30. Que de bonnes choses dans cette belle verrine.
    Bon week-end.
    verO

    ReplyDelete
  31. j'adore les prunes cuites, je suis certaine que cette belle spécialité anglaise légèrement modifiée est délicieuse!

    ReplyDelete
  32. Beautiful! I've always wanted to try eton mess.

    ReplyDelete
  33. What an ordeal! So sorry you had to go through all of that. I hate it when major appliances quite working. Never made - or ate - an Eaton mess before, but it looks quite interesting. Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  34. Gorgeousness!!!
    What beautiful photography as always!!
    And such delicious dish...

    You have a beautiful week ahead!!

    ReplyDelete
  35. Stiff upper lip, as the British would say!
    You came out on top despite all that !

    I know if all (or even one)of my kitchen gadgets were to hand in their dinner pails, I'd want to gorge on a lot of Eton mess pots! Stunning pictures, as usual.

    ReplyDelete
  36. We rely on bottled gas deliveries here in the UAE so I completely emphasize having had my gas run out in the middle of cooking dinner for a crowd many times! You managed to turn out something gorgeous though.

    ReplyDelete
  37. Such a beautiful dessert!!
    Sorry for ur bosch :(

    ReplyDelete
  38. J'adore ce dessert! Il laisse place à l'imagination, quand on y a goûté une fois, on imagine les prochaines versions, celle-ci me plaît beaucoup!
    J'espère que tu as récupéré un four!
    Bises et bon dimanche!

    ReplyDelete
  39. C'est un de mes desserts préférés l'été. J'aime beaucoup l'idée des prunes Rosa.

    ReplyDelete
  40. Oh my. So sorry to hear of your oven woes, but gosh! What a gorgeous dessert! I hope you're enjoying your new oven, and the fact that you probably won't have to deal with anything like this for a long, long time!

    xo
    H

    ReplyDelete
  41. Dear Rosa, beautiful photos...this looks delicious. Blessings, Catherine xo

    ReplyDelete
  42. Hi Rosa,
    What a fantastic post and what an amazing and delicious recipe you left us. LOVED it ALL!!!
    Cheers,
    Lia.

    ReplyDelete
  43. Una compota bella y deliciosa con merengues es una tentación,abrazos hugs,hugs.

    ReplyDelete
  44. Rosa, this 'mess' sounds delicious... we are coming into spring and summer, so one for me to bookmark.

    ReplyDelete
  45. Recette superbe ! j'ai aussi passé un long temps sans four....pas facile ! ça manque !
    bonne soirée et bises Rosa

    ReplyDelete
  46. Gorgeous Eton Mess ~ so sorry to hear about that kitchen disaster.

    ReplyDelete
  47. Quince and pistachios thoroughly elevate this "mess".

    ReplyDelete
  48. Yum! I love everything about this. The meringue, is of course my favorite.

    ReplyDelete
  49. So gorgeous! Love the contrast between the purple and green.

    ReplyDelete
  50. Ca a l'air absolument delicieux, un beau dessert d'automne.

    RIP you cooker, toutes mes condoleances. je m'en vais lire la suite de tes aventures.

    ReplyDelete
  51. Rosa, you are such a warrior! And an inspiration to me, always. Hope you're off to a lovely start this week! X

    ReplyDelete
  52. Oh no Rosa! I hope you get your oven fixed soon.
    I have to say... I'm acutally curious to see all the creative deliciousness that you might whip up without it.
    xo
    E

    ReplyDelete
  53. I hate when expensive electric appliances decided to stop working. We moved into 30 year old house and things started to break one by one too. And it usually happens when least expected. A great baker always needs an oven! :) What a beautiful dessert!

    ReplyDelete
  54. Oh no, I hope you're not ovenless for too long! The eton mess looks amazing - off to read the full article now.

    ReplyDelete
  55. My oven was broken for just a day, and I almost went crazy. This beautiful dessert would have made me feel better though! Love the plum sauce.

    ReplyDelete
  56. Don't "things" wait for the most inopportune time to leave? But wow - I'd be sobbing my soup ... or wine ... but your "mess" is astounding.

    ReplyDelete
  57. Si rapide à préparer et tellement délicieux!
    C'est irrésistible!!

    ReplyDelete
  58. Oh no! I thought that my oven was acting funny this week and I was very upset. I can imagine how stressful it is!

    ReplyDelete
  59. Your photos are incredibly sharp and beautiful! Hope your oven is fixed soon!

    ReplyDelete
  60. Gorgeous, gorgeous!! I love these type of desserts, it looks really good Rosa! xx

    ReplyDelete
  61. For being in a right oven mess, you've come up with something genius here. Love quetches - and they never seem to see much other than jam in my kitchen so this is a great idea, Rosa. Beautiful photos. Good luck on the oven situation.

    ReplyDelete
  62. O poor you Rosa! I would go nuts without my 'essentials' in the kitchen!

    ReplyDelete
  63. So sorry for the loss of your cooker, but bet this dessert made up for it! Yum :)

    ReplyDelete
  64. That eton mess looks amazing! Wonderful photography as always.

    ReplyDelete
  65. so sorry rosa~ I recently moved home and was without an oven for 2 weeks, I was devasted...

    ReplyDelete
  66. My oven nearly died on me when in Athens but fortunately it was repaired and now here in Assini I am desperately trying to get used of my new oven! Eton Mess sounds wonderful.

    ReplyDelete
  67. So wonderful! What a variation of textures and colors. It is stunning!

    I made a plum sauce with "italian prunes" I found super cheap. I bet your compote is very similar. I never know much about many ingredients I come across but it's good to see that I didn't come up with such a weird idea after all!

    ReplyDelete
  68. This stunning dessert must be the best result one can ask for from an oven misfortunes. Only the creative ones can overcome and you did it triumphantly, Rosa! Rowley Leigh is brilliant by the way.

    ReplyDelete
  69. ha ha ha nice quote! Well, I am one of those lazy bums and eton mess would be perfect for me. I never really tried making it at home. But gonna do it!

    ReplyDelete
  70. Wow Rosa,
    Your Eton Mess looks fabulous!
    Gosh, I would be really mad and sad if my oven broke down.

    ReplyDelete
  71. So sorry to hear about your oven,
    Rosa! At least he had a good run of it for 14 years. This dessert is absolutely lovely -- great quote too!

    ReplyDelete
  72. Now, that's a dessert to sink a spoon into. Gorgeous!

    ReplyDelete
  73. I'm so loving this gorgeous and delicious sounding dessert...less is more. Gracias!

    ReplyDelete
  74. :( I do not bake as much and went crazy when my oven died. Can't imagine your frustration.

    This mess is the most gorgeous mess I have ever seen. Love Love LOve it and the photographs.

    ReplyDelete
  75. I love the addition of plum in this, perfect for now - between summer and autumn!

    ReplyDelete
  76. Une foule d'informations à lire. Merci pour le partage

    ReplyDelete
  77. Beautiful rice. Nice to know how to cook it properly!

    ReplyDelete