Alaska Baked ....

BAKED ALASKA

The novelty of this dessert lies in the contrast between the ice cream inside and the very hot meringue surrounding it. The classic baked alaska consists of a base of genoese sponge soaked in liqueuron which is placed a block of fruit or vanilla ice cream, the whole thing being masked with plain or italian meringue . This is cooked in hot oven for a very short timeso that the meringue is coloured but the ice cream is not melted. It is served immediately, sometimes flamed.

The original recipe is said to have been perfected, or rather brought back into fashion, at the Hotel de Paris in Monte Carlo, by the Chef Jean Giroix. An american doctor called Rumford is credited with the invention of this dessert, Which is based on the principle that beaten egg white is a poor conductor of heat.However, according to baron brisse , in his cookery colum in la liberte(6 june 1866) . a chef to a chinese delegation visiting Paris introduced this dessert to the french:

"During the stay of chinese delegation in Paris , the chefs of the Celestial empire exchanged courtesies and recipes with the chefs at the Grand Hotel. The French dessert chef was delighted at this opportunity: his chinese collegue taught him thae art of cooking vanilla and ginger ice in the oven. This is how the delicate operation is performed : very firm ice cream is enveloped in an extremely light pastry crust baked in the oven.The crust insulates the interior and is cooked before the ice can melt.Gourmands can then enjoy the twofokld pleasure of biting into a crisp crust and at the same time refreshing the palate with the flavoured ice cream".

From:Larousse Gastronomique - Paul Hamlyn; Page :55