Indulge in this elegant pineapple sorbet, artfully presented in its own hollowed fruit shell. Master pâtissier Gaston Lenôtre's technique creates a stunning centerpiece for 10 guests, blending fresh tropical flavors with sophisticated decoration.
- 1.5 kg pineapple with plumes approximately 10 cm (2 fruits)
- Syrup at 28° B: 4.5 dl
- Diced candied pineapple: 100 g
- Candied cherries: 6
- Candied pineapple slices: 2
- 40 x 4 cm high cardboard strip
- Plate
Difficulty: Intermediate (4/5)
- Select the prettiest pineapple and hollow it out vertically for display.
- To core vertically: Cut below the plume at 3/4 height. Trim the base to stand upright. Insert a serrated knife 1 cm from the rind vertically (stop before bottom). Make a 2 cm horizontal cut at the base and detach the core by moving the blade in a circular arc.
- To hollow horizontally: Slice rind on one side, remove top third. Use knife and spoon to remove flesh without damaging rind—takes longer but simplifies serving.
- Prepare sorbet: Empty the second pineapple, discard fibrous hearts. Pass flesh through medium then fine sieve, vegetable mill, or juicer for ~8 dl purée. Squeeze peels for extra juice. Mix purée/juice with syrup. Churn in ice cream maker. Freeze hollowed pineapple and plume; prepare decoration if needed.
- When sorbet is ready, fold in 100 g diced candied pineapple. Fill frozen pineapple; return to freezer.
- Vertical decoration: Form 4 cm high cardboard cylinder matching top slice circumference. Place on plate. Line inside with diced candied pineapple alternated with cherry thirds. Freeze 15+ minutes.
- Fill cylinder with ¼ liter sorbet using spatula, packing gaps without disturbing fruit. Smooth to top. Chill until serving.
- Top filled pineapple with frozen decoration, peel off cardboard with knife, add plume.
- Horizontal presentation: Reserve ¼ liter sorbet before adding dice. Form dome over filled pineapple with spatula or piping bag.
- Garnish dome with half-cherries alternated with pineapple slice quarters. Freeze until serving.
Source: Recipe by Gaston Lenôtre
