The parfait is a wonderful frozen dessert of French origin, which is characterized by being served cold and for its creamy texture. It is usually combined with other ingredients. Find out how to prepare it at home.
It is quite likely that when you take a look at the dessert menu of one of the restaurants you have visited, you have found a dessert written in very different ways: parfait, parfoi. Although the truth is that, in reality, its correct name is simply parfait.
If you thought it was curious and you ordered it, you probably found yourself before a dessert that surprised you, not only because of its presentation, texture and aroma, but also because of its incredible flavor, and because it is -in short- an unusual and different dessert. In fact, it is quite common for it to be confused with bavaroise (a creamy dessert that is served cold but is made from eggs, gelatin and whipped cream).
We find ourselves, as you may have almost suspected, before a dessert of French origin that was made for the first time in 1894. Originally, the word ‘parfait’ can be translated as ‘perfect’, and it is the name chosen by the inventor of this peculiar frozen dessert, probably because he discovered that the combination of its ingredients had to be exact and precise.
What does the parfait consist of?
Basically, the parfait is an ice cream dessert, which is usually presented in the form of a somewhat thick block or sheet, whose main characteristic is its texture and creaminess, both conditions achieved thanks to the integration of some substance with a high fat content, such as cream or milk cream.
Although it is an ice cream dessert, it differs above all from the ice creams themselves in that by containing a greater amount of milk or cream, the dessert does not tend to crystallize, thus becoming a dish with a texture similar to that of a cream.
Going a little deeper, we could define it as a dessert or semi-cold cream sorbet, which is made as we indicated based on milk or cream. In fact, in France it is common to make it with whipped cream and/or Italian meringue, and it is usually served frozen.
It is common that it is made in the same mold, since it does not require any type of cooking and simply must be frozen once all its ingredients have been combined in the precise and indicated amounts.
However, we must differentiate between the original French parfait and the one traditionally made in the United States, where it is common for us to find a dessert served in elongated glasses, consisting of a combination of ice cream and fruit that are arranged in visible layers.
How is the parfait made?
The typically French parfait is made with the combination of two or more ingredients (usually milk and whipping cream), to which sugar is added and finally a touch of special flavor; among those common touches we can mention hot chocolate, coffee, liquor or praline.
This time we propose a basic parfait recipe, which we will make only with whipping cream, sugar and egg. The key is Very simple: you choose your favorite ingredient to combine with this delicious dessert at the time of preparation. The best? You can opt for fruit (figs are the most traditional choice), liquor or simply a hot chocolate sauce to serve on top.
Ingredients needed:
- 500 ml. whipping cream (must be at least 35% fat)
- 100 grams of sugar
- 4 eggs
Preparation of the parfait:
In the first place we must proceed to beat the eggs together with the sugar to get them to mount. To do this, we put the eggs in the bowl to beat together with the sugar and beat until the eggs are mounted and double their volume.
This is the time to add your favorite star ingredient. For example, if they are fruits like figs or strawberries, you can wash them well and cut them into small pieces.
Whip the cream and add it little by little, taking care that the egg and sugar cream does not go down.
If you wish, you can put the cream in a single large mold or in individual molds or containers. Now store it in the freezer. After an hour has passed, stir the cream to break up any ice crystals that have formed and freeze again.
Ready! You can now serve accompanying the dessert with, for example, a little hot chocolate on top, which will crystallize when it comes into contact with the frozen parfait.
