Chef Juliette
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Glace Alhambra
Created by Chef Juliette
Based on No. 2777, Glace Alhambra, from Le Guide Culinaire (1907) by Auguste Escoffier
A vanilla ice shell around kümmel-scented Chantilly and strawberries, moulded as a narrow scallop and served in generous slices: cold, fragrant, and splendid without a pastry brigade.
Desserts
French
Dinner Party
Special Occasion
Celebration
35 min
Active Time
0 min cook•6 hr 30 min total
YieldOne 1.5-litre mould (6 to 8 servings)
Glace Alhambra (a vanilla-ice shell filled with kümmel Chantilly and strawberries) teaches the central rule of moulded ices: build from the outside inward. The liqueur that leaves the berries is not waste. It seasons the Chantilly, carrying the perfume through the whole centre rather than leaving it trapped in occasional pieces of fruit.
The brigade entry assumed vanilla ice already frozen in quantity, a pâtissier tending metal moulds, and enough cold space to hold them between layers. Your honest equivalent is good plain vanilla ice cream, a 1.5-litre Madeleine-mould or narrow metal substitute, and an ordinary freezer. Making a separate batch of vanilla ice is scaffolding for this entry and can go. The two-hour maceration, the kümmel folded into the cream, and clothing the mould are the dish and must stay. One cook, one stove, one evening, and for once the stove can remain cold.
The step that decides whether the Glace Alhambra stands cleanly is the shell. Spread the vanilla ice evenly across every part of the bottom and sides, freezing between passes if it begins to slide. Thin patches let the filling show through; thick ones leave too little room for Chantilly. Aim for an even finger's width, then the mould will do the handsome work for you.
Glace Alhambra belongs to the Parisian classical entremets repertoire, where moulded ices took names from palaces, places, and celebrated figures before traveling to festive home tables. Its name points to the Alhambra in Granada, but the composition is French rather than a Spanish regional sweet: vanilla ice forms the casing around a Chantilly centre. Its surprising accent is kümmel, a caraway-led liqueur associated with northern and central European tables, used twice here to perfume both the strawberries and their cream.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
fresh strawberries
Quantity
2 cups (475 ml / 300 g)
hulled and quartered
kümmel liqueur
Quantity
3 tablespoons (45 ml / about 43 g)
plain vanilla ice cream
Quantity
4 cups (950 ml / about 550 g)
slightly softened
heavy cream
Quantity
1½ cups (360 ml / 360 g)
very cold
confectioners' sugar
Quantity
2 tablespoons (30 ml / 15 g)
sifted
additional cold heavy cream (optional)
Quantity
2 tablespoons (30 ml / 30 g)
Another Method of Preparing Aspics de Filets de Soles
Quantity
1 technique reference (No. 916), for clothing the mould only
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| fresh strawberrieshulled and quartered | 2 cups (475 ml / 300 g) |
| kümmel liqueur | 3 tablespoons (45 ml / about 43 g) |
| plain vanilla ice creamslightly softened | 4 cups (950 ml / about 550 g) |
| heavy creamvery cold | 1½ cups (360 ml / 360 g) |
| confectioners' sugarsifted | 2 tablespoons (30 ml / 15 g) |
| additional cold heavy cream (optional) | 2 tablespoons (30 ml / 30 g) |
| Another Method of Preparing Aspics de Filets de Soles | 1 technique reference (No. 916), for clothing the mould only |
Equipment Needed
- •1.5-litre metal Madeleine-mould, narrow scallop-shell mould, or same-size narrow loaf tin
- •Electric mixer or balloon whisk
- •Fine-mesh sieve
- •Offset spatula or broad dessert spoon
- •Freezer-safe serving platter
Instructions
- 1
Macerate the strawberries
Put the strawberries in a shallow nonreactive bowl and pour over the kümmel. Turn them gently so every cut surface is moistened, then cover and refrigerate for two hours. This time belongs to the dish: the fruit should surrender some juice and take on the liqueur's cool caraway perfume without collapsing into compote. Do not leave it overnight.
- 2
Clothe the mould
During the final hour of maceration, freeze the empty Madeleine-mould for twenty minutes. Let the vanilla ice cream soften only until it can be pressed, not until it flows. The source points to Another Method of Preparing Aspics de Filets de Soles (No. 916) for clothing the mould: coating its bottom and sides evenly while keeping the centre hollow. Spread the ice cream about 1.25 cm thick across the bottom and sides with a chilled spoon, working in two passes and freezing the first for ten minutes before adding the second. If a section slides or tears, stop and freeze it for ten minutes, then patch it with more ice cream. Ça se rattrape. Freeze the finished shell for at least forty-five minutes.
Hold the mould against a window or bright light before freezing it hard. Darker translucent areas mark thin spots that need another spoonful of ice cream. - 3
Make kümmel Chantilly
Set a sieve over a cold bowl and drain the strawberries for ten minutes, preserving every drop of the kümmel and strawberry liquor. Whip the cold cream with the confectioners' sugar until it holds medium-firm peaks, then whisk in the reserved liquor one spoonful at a time. It will loosen before it thickens again. Stop when the Chantilly holds a soft, rounded peak, then fold in the strawberries without crushing them. If the cream becomes grainy from overwhipping, add the optional cold cream 1 tablespoon (15 ml / 15 g) at a time and fold gently until smooth. Ça se rattrape. If it remains loose after the liqueur goes in, chill the bowl for ten minutes and whisk briefly by hand.
- 4
Fill and freeze
Spoon the strawberry Chantilly into the frozen vanilla shell, pressing it gently into the scalloped recesses so no large air pockets remain. Level the filling with the rim but do not cover it with more ice cream; the source calls for vanilla ice on the bottom and sides, with the Chantilly forming the base once the mould is inverted. Freeze uncovered for one hour, then wrap the mould tightly and continue freezing until solid, at least four hours.
- 5
Turn out cleanly
Chill the serving platter. Wrap the outside of the mould in a warm, damp towel for five seconds, invert it over the platter, and lift gently. If it refuses to release, warm the mould for another three seconds rather than pulling at the dessert. If the surface softens too far, return the whole platter to the freezer for twenty minutes. Let the Glace Alhambra stand for five minutes before slicing, then cut it with a knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry between slices. À table!
Chef Tips
- •Choose a clear, gently sweet kümmel led by caraway. Aquavit has a related perfume but lacks the liqueur's sweetness and changes the balance of the Chantilly.
- •Use plain, full-fat vanilla ice cream without chips, caramel, or other additions. The shell must spread smoothly and freeze firmly enough to support the softer centre.
- •This dish truly needs good fresh strawberries. Frozen berries release too much water and freeze into hard pockets; if the market fruit smells of nothing, wait for its season or choose a bombe glacée designed around preserved fruit.
- •A narrow loaf tin will release the same dessert when a Madeleine-mould cannot be found, though it gives up the traditional scallop form. The flavour and outside-in construction remain intact.
Advance Preparation
- •Begin the strawberries exactly two hours before making the Chantilly. Longer maceration softens them too far and draws enough water to weaken the frozen centre.
- •The filled mould can be completed one day before serving. Once it has frozen uncovered for an hour, wrap it tightly so the vanilla shell does not collect freezer aromas.
- •Turn the dessert out up to thirty minutes before serving and hold it on its platter in the freezer. Move it to the table only when you are ready to slice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 185g)
Calories
390 calories
Total Fat
29 g
Saturated Fat
18 g
Trans Fat
1 g
Unsaturated Fat
9 g
Cholesterol
100 mg
Sodium
80 mg
Total Carbohydrates
27 g
Dietary Fiber
1 g
Sugars
24 g
Protein
5 g
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