The royal raspberry

CHEFS around town have been anxiously awaiting her return. They’re busy testing recipes, taking notes and retesting. What’s the object of their affection? The raspberry, that velvety princess of the fruit world, bursting with sweet, tart flavor. Her summer reign is brief, so get to know her while you can.

In Southern California, raspberries start to appear in May, but the peak of the season is just ahead -- in June and July. Seizing the moment, chefs are snatching up sensational farmers market berries and putting them right in the spotlight. These plump red beauties aren’t off-season commercial raspberries that are too often pallid and bland. Right now is when raspberries are luscious, deeply hued and intensely flavored.

To celebrate their arrival, pastry chef Kamel Guechida at L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon in Las Vegas created what he calls “la framboise -- a raspberry surprise.� A white chocolate globe arrives before the diner and warm raspberry-yuzu sauce is poured over it, melting the outer shell to magically reveal fresh raspberries, a raspberry gelee, lemon mascarpone cream and yuzu ice cream.

The key to the dish is balance, Guechida says. “You need strong contrasts: hot/cold, soft/crunchy and, especially, sweet/tart. Raspberries and the yuzu are acidic, so they balance the sweetness of the chocolate and make the dessert feel lighter.�

Providence pastry chef Adrian Vasquez had been tasting this season’s crop every few days, ready to pounce when they hit the peak of ripeness.

“I’m really excited about raspberries -- about working them into the menu,� Vasquez says.

He’s highlighting a raspberry sorbet with a vanilla-rhubarb compote and thyme gelee.

A fresh raspberry sauce would add brightness to another planned dessert, a rich chocolate custard served with a vinaigrette of tarragon, basil, mint and lemon grass.

In a tart that screams summer, Stonehill Tavern executive chef Joshua Skenes supplies a double dose of raspberries. Instead of that old fruit-tart standby, vanilla pastry cream, he fills his with a vibrant raspberry puree, then tops it with whole, gloriously unadorned raspberries. And the crust? It’s a very simple, crumbly hazelnut affair, touched with cinnamon.

“The hazelnut crust gives textural contrast,� he says, “which is so important against the smooth, herbal ice cream and those juicy berries.� A drizzle of acacia honey and a flowery lemon verbena ice cream finish it.

At the Water Grill, pastry chef Koa Duncan is working on her summer menu, creating a raspberry-filled almond brown butter financier, with fresh raspberries and an apricot sorbet.

“Raspberries have a lot of character,� she says. “They’re so tart and concentrated, they need a backdrop. The financier is sweet, which gives the raspberries depth and makes them a little more subtle.�

A light souffle might be the ideal summer dessert and a great vehicle for the perfect berries. In his first book, “Town/Country: 150 Recipes for Life Around the Table,� Geoffrey Zakarian, chef-owner of restaurants Town and Country in New York, takes fresh raspberries, egg whites, sugar and lemon juice and turns them into something spectacular.

And for those thinking about swimsuit season, there’s no fat. The souffles are studded with fresh berries and given a blast of high heat (be sure to press the berries into the souffles slightly or they’ll pop out as they rise). A zesty raspberry sauce focuses the pure raspberry flavor.

If you don’t feel like turning on the oven, a cool, creamy, simple semifreddo can play up raspberry’s bright character beautifully.

Whisk some sugar and eggs over simmering water, fold in raspberries and whipped cream and top with toasted pistachios for crunch. Toss it in the freezer overnight, slice and serve. Finish off the semifreddo with a tangy, fresh raspberry sauce and whole berries.

Not too sweet, just a little tart, creamy and crunchy -- it really shows off the understated elegance of Lady Raspberry.

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Raspberry semifreddo

Total time: 25 minutes, plus 8 hours to overnight freezing

Servings: 8

Notes: The semifreddo and sauce can be made one day ahead.

Raspberry sauce

1 pint raspberries

1 to 2 tablespoons sugar

1. In a blender, puree the raspberries with 1 tablespoon sugar. Taste for sweetness, adding more sugar if needed. The sauce should be tart, not overly sweet.

2. Strain to remove seeds. Store in the refrigerator covered for up to 5 days.

Semifreddo and assembly

5 eggs

3/4 cup sugar

3 cups raspberries, divided

2 cups heavy whipping cream

3/4 cup chopped pistachios, toasted

Raspberry sauce

1. Line a rectangular loaf pan with plastic, leaving a 2-inch overhang. Chill in the freezer.

2. In a large metal bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar. Place the bowl over a large saucepan of simmering water, making sure the circumference of the bowl is larger than the pot. Whisk until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture has thickened and reached 150 degrees, about 3 minutes.

3. Remove from the heat and continue whisking for another 3 minutes, until the mixture has cooled slightly. Set the bowl over an ice bath. Place 2 cups raspberries in a small bowl and mash lightly with the back of a fork. Add the mashed berries to the egg-sugar mixture, leaving the bowl over the ice bath.

4. Using an electric mixer, whip the cream to stiff peaks.

5. Add one cup of the whipped cream to the berry mixture and use a spoon or spatula to mix well. Gradually fold in the rest of the cream, very lightly until just incorporated.

6. Spoon the cream mixture into the chilled pan and smooth the surface. Sprinkle the pistachios evenly over the top. Cover lightly with plastic and freeze for at least 8 hours, or overnight. The recipe to this point may be made up to one day before serving.

7. Remove the semifreddo from the freezer about 20 minutes before serving. Just before serving, unmold the semifreddo onto a cutting board and peel off plastic wrap. Using a knife dipped in hot water, cut into 8 vertical slices. Use a large spoon to make a circle of raspberry sauce on each plate (about 1 tablespoon per plate). Top with a slice of semifreddo. Drizzle with another tablespoon of raspberry sauce and sprinkle with fresh raspberries.

Each serving: 438 calories; 9 grams protein; 35 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams fiber; 31 grams fat; 15 grams saturated fat; 214 mg. cholesterol; 68 mg. sodium.

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Raspberry tart with hazelnut crust and lemon verbena ice cream

Total time: 2 hours, plus 1 hour chilling time for dough plus overnight chilling for ice cream

Serves: 8

Notes: From executive chef Joshua Skenes of Stonehill Tavern. Hazelnut flour can be purchased at Erewhon Natural Foods in Los Angeles, selected Mother’s Markets and selected Whole Foods Markets. Any local flower honey can be substituted for the acacia honey. Lemon verbena is available at farmers markets; plants are available at some nurseries.

Lemon verbena ice cream

2 cups heavy cream

2 cups milk

1 cup fresh lemon verbena leaves, crushed in a mortar

10 egg yolks

3/4 cup sugar, divided

1. Heat the cream, milk and lemon verbena in a saucepan until the temperature reaches 170 degrees, and the mixture is just starting to simmer. Remove from heat, cover and steep for 30 minutes. Strain out the lemon verbena.

2. Using an electric mixer, whisk the yolks with half of the sugar until the mixture is pale in color and a ribbon consistency.

3. Add the remaining sugar to the saucepan with the cream mixture and bring it back to a simmer, cooking until the sugar dissolves.

4. Slowly whisk in a third of the hot sugar-cream mixture into the yolks to temper, stirring constantly. Pour it all back into the pan and continue to stir until the mixture coats the back of the spoon. Pour into a bowl and set over a bowl of ice water until cool.

5. Refrigerate overnight. Freeze in an ice cream maker the next day according to the maker’s instructions. Makes a generous quart.

Raspberry tart

1 3/4 cups, plus 1 tablespoon flour

2 1/4 cups, minus 1 tablespoon hazelnut flour

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 1/4 cups brown sugar, packed

14 tablespoons (1 3/4 sticks) chilled butter

4 pints raspberries, divided

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup acacia honey, warmed

1. In a large bowl, mix the flour, hazelnut flour, salt, cinnamon and brown sugar. Cut the butter into small chunks and incorporate into the flour mixture, leaving bits of butter visible in the crumbly dough.

2. Cover with plastic and let the dough rest in the refrigerator one hour. Divide the dough into eight portions and gently press into eight 4-inch round removable-bottom tart molds. Do not press too firmly or the crust will be tough.

3. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Set aside to cool.

4. Puree 1 pint of raspberries with the sugar. Spread the puree onto the hazelnut crust. Arrange the remaining raspberries on top and drizzle with the warm honey.

5. Serve the tarts with a scoop of lemon verbena ice cream and a drizzle of acacia honey.

Each serving with half-cup scoop of ice cream: 1,062 calories; 14 grams protein; 118 grams carbohy- drates; 11 grams fiber; 63 grams fat; 30 grams saturated fat; 396 mg. cholesterol; 443 mg. sodium.

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Flourless raspberry souffles

Total time: 40 minutes, plus 1 hour 30 minutes cooling and chilling time

Servings: 8

Note: Adapted from “Town/Country: 150 Recipes for Life Around the Table� by Geoffrey Zakarian. This recipe requires eight (8-ounce) ramekins.

3 half-pint containers raspberries

3/4 cup sugar, divided

2 1/4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

9 large egg whites, room temperature

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Butter for greasing ramekins

1. Set aside 48 of the raspberries for garnish. Place the remaining raspberries, 3 tablespoons sugar, and the lemon juice in a saucepan over medium-low heat and cook until the fruit is very soft, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the mixture from the heat and allow it to cool to room temperature.

2. Puree the raspberries in a blender, stirring as needed, then transfer to a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

3. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Generously coat the inside of the eight ramekins with butter. Then coat the butter lining with 2 tablespoons of the sugar.

4. Place the egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer with the whisk attachment on low speed. Whip the whites until they form soft peaks, then gradually add the remaining sugar, continuing to whip until the egg whites form stiff, glossy peaks.

5. Remove the egg whites from the mixer and gradually fold in three-fourths cup of the raspberry puree, adding it in three batches and taking care not to over-mix. Reserve the remaining puree.

6. Using a pastry bag with the large plain tip, pipe the souffle mixture into the ramekins, swirling it so each souffle has a peak like a soft ice cream cone. (Alternatively, just spoon the mixture into the souffle dishes or ramekins, filling them not quite to the top.) Gently push 6 reserved raspberries into the top of each souffle.

7. Place the souffles on a baking sheet and put them in the oven immediately. Bake until puffed and golden, about 15 minutes. The center of the souffle should still be soft. Add a few tablespoons of water to the reserved raspberry puree to thin it out to sauce consistency. Dust with powdered sugar and serve immediately, garnished with the raspberry sauce.

Each serving: 133 calories; 5 grams protein; 29 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams fiber; 0 fat; 0 saturated fat; 0 cholesterol; 63 mg. sodium.