Frozen Parfait

In French, parfait means “perfect.” It is composed of a cooked egg yolk foam (pâte à bombe, cooled to room temperature) or an Italian meringue, a whipped heavy cream foam (which will be the dominant foam), sugar, and a flavor base, usually a fruit purée or chocolate, melted but then cooled. In the United States, a parfait is served in a tall glass and is layered with fruit and sauces and is not typically frozen. In France parfaits are poured into a mold and then frozen. It is not written in stone that a parfait must be served in a glass or mold. It can be frozen into a desired mold (such as a sheet pan extender or terrine mold) and cut into the desired shape. The vessel does not make the parfait, the ingredients do. Proper foaming is crucial, as is in all frozen desserts.