Brown-Butter Pouding Chômeur with Salted Maple Caramel

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C for 12 min. Grease a Ø 15 cm baking dish, at least 6 cm deep, with a little of the butter and set it on a tray. Spread the pecans on a small tray and toast them in the oven during the last 6 to 7 minutes of preheating, until fragrant; cool and chop roughly.

   Add in this stepButter 3.5 gPecans 20 g

   oven

2. Melt the rest of the butter in a small light-coloured pan over medium heat. It will foam, then go quiet; swirl the pan for 3 min in total, until the milk solids at the bottom turn hazelnut-brown and it smells toasty. Pour straight into a mixing bowl, scraping in the brown bits, and let it cool for 10 minutes.

   Add in this stepButter 32 g

   medium heat

3. Pour the maple syrup into a saucepan at least three times its volume and boil over medium heat for 5 min, until it darkens slightly and reduces a little. Take it off the heat and carefully whisk in the cream and flaky salt (it will steam and bubble up), then return to the heat and simmer for 1 min. Keep hot.

   Add in this stepPure maple syrup (dark, robust if possible) 130 mlWhipping cream, 35% fat (sauce) 90 mlFlaky sea salt 1 pinch

   medium heat

4. Whisk the brown sugar into the warm brown butter, then whisk in the egg and vanilla until glossy. Mix the flour, baking powder and salt, and fold half into the bowl, then the milk, then the rest, just until no dry flour shows.

   Add in this stepLight brown sugar 40 gBeaten egg (1 large egg is about 3 tbsp) 1½ tbspVanilla extract ½ tspPlain flour 60 gBaking powder ¾ tspSalt 1 pinchMilk 50 ml

5. Spread the batter in the dish and slowly pour the hot maple caramel over the back of a spoon so it covers the top evenly.

6. Bake in the oven for 27 min, until deep golden, springy, and a skewer in the cake part comes out clean, with the caramel bubbling thickly at the edges.

   oven

7. Rest for 10 min while you whip the cold cream to soft, floppy peaks. Serve warm with plenty of sauce from the bottom, a spoonful of cream and the toasted pecans scattered over.

   Add in this stepCold whipping cream (to serve) 80 ml