FRESH PINEAPPLE WITH BASIL SYRUP LE COMPTOIR DU RELAIS

SOURCE: JANE SIGAL. BISTRONOMY: RECIPES FROM THE BEST NEW PARIS BISTROS.

Using the funds obtained from selling La Régalade, Yves Camdeborde continued his career trajectory with Le Comptoir du Relais in the Odéon district of Paris, and he certainly did not disappoint his fans and patrons who had to book their reservations several months in advance. Comptoir means “bar counter” in French, so Yves fuses his fruit desserts with beverage elements as one way to fit his bistronomic follow-up with his fluid culinary imaginations. For yellow fruits like a juicy pineapple, the chef dices and macerates it in a well-chilled sweet tea of basil leaves, which keep their brilliant emerald pigmentation and aromatic notes even for extended periods in the acidic environment provided by the pineapple.

Ingredients

1/2 cup/120 mL water

1/2 cup/100 grams sugar

2 cups/60 grams packed basil leaves, preferably picked fresh on the same day for best results

1 pineapple, peeled, cored, and diced into 1/4-inch/0.6-cm cubes

Crème fraîche, sour cream OR Greek yogurt for serving

Sugar cookies for serving

Specific Equipment

Small saucepan

Food processor OR blender

Large bowl

Serves 4

Instructions

1. Combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes, swirling the pan occasionally, or until the sugar completely dissolves. Remove the saucepan from heat and cool the syrup to lukewarm.

2. Place the basil in a food processor or blender and pour in the syrup. Purée the basil and the syrup with several pulses until the mixture is smooth and well-blended. Pour the basil syrup into a large bowl and refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours or until well-chilled.

3. Spoon the pineapple into individual serving bowls and pour in the basil syrup. Set a quenelle or spoonful of crème fraîche, sour cream OR Greek yogurt and sugar cookies on top.