Glace Étoile du Berger

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •1.5 L deep star-shaped mould or Madeleine-mould with a star on its bottom
• •Ice-cream machine, or shallow freezer tray and food processor
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Electric mixer with whisk attachment
• •Small heavy saucepan
• •Instant-read or sugar thermometer
• •30 cm silicone baking mat or parchment
• •Two sturdy table forks
• •30 cm dry serving platter

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the raspberry ice

   Bring the 135 g sugar and 120 ml water just to a boil, stirring only until the sugar dissolves. Cool the syrup, then blend it with the raspberries and lemon juice until completely smooth. Press the purée firmly through a fine sieve to remove the seeds, chill it until cold, and churn it to a dense, spreadable ice. Without an ice-cream machine, freeze it in a shallow tray until firm at the edges, process until smooth, and repeat once. If it freezes too hard to spread, leave it at room temperature for five minutes and beat it with a sturdy spoon. Ça se rattrape.

2. 2

   Prepare the mould

   Chill a 1.5 litre star-shaped mould until very cold. A deep silicone star mould releases most easily; a metal star mould or a Madeleine-mould with a star on its bottom follows the source exactly. Set the mould level on a tray that fits your freezer, because a tilted mould gives you one thick wall and one fragile one.

3. 3

   Chemiser with raspberry

   Apply the clothing-the-mould principle from Another Method of Preparing Aspics de Filets de Soles (No. 916), using raspberry ice rather than jelly. Press a 5 mm layer of softened raspberry ice over the bottom and every point of the mould, then freeze it for twenty minutes. Add a second thin layer, bringing the shell to about 8 mm and patching any places where the mould shows through. Freeze until hard, at least forty-five minutes. Hold the mould toward a window before the second freezing; pale translucent patches need more ice, while heavy ridges should be scraped level.

4. 4

   Whip the pâte à bombe

   Put the yolks in the mixer bowl and begin beating them at medium speed. Bring the 100 g sugar and 45 ml water to 118°C without stirring once it boils, then pour the syrup in a thin stream down the inside of the bowl while the whisk runs. Keep it away from the moving whisk or it will throw hard sugar threads around the bowl. Beat until the pâte à bombe is thick, pale, and cool enough that the bowl no longer feels warm. If crystals appear in the syrup pan, add a spoonful of water, cover for thirty seconds to wash down the sides, and dissolve them again before returning to temperature. Ça se rattrape.

5. 5

   Fold the mousse

   Whisk the Bénédictine gradually into the cooled pâte à bombe. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the cream, then whip the remainder only to soft peaks; it should bend from the whisk, not stand like plaster. Fold one quarter of the cream into the yolk base to lighten it, then fold in the rest with broad turns until no white streaks remain. If the cream becomes slightly grainy, fold in the reserved liquid cream a teaspoon at a time to smooth it. If the yolk base is still warm, stop and cool it before folding, because warm pâte à bombe melts the cream and leaves a heavy mousse.

6. 6

   Freeze the star

   Spoon the Bénédictine mousse into the frozen raspberry shell, working from the deepest points toward the centre so no air pockets remain. Stop about 5 mm below the rim and smooth the surface level. Cover without touching the mousse and freeze until solid, at least six hours and preferably overnight. The alcohol keeps the centre tender, which is desirable, but extra Bénédictine would prevent a clean unmoulding.

7. 7

   Spin the sugar disc

   Make the sucre filé shortly before serving. Mark a 25 cm circle on the underside of parchment or a silicone mat, then wipe the upper surface and two forks with the thinnest film of oil. Bring the 250 g sugar, 60 ml water, and glucose to 150°C without stirring, and remove the pan before the syrup takes amber colour. Let it stand until a fork dipped into it draws a fine continuous thread. Sweep two forks rapidly over the marked circle, building a thick web, then extend eight tapered bundles beyond its edge to form the rays. If the syrup falls in beads, it is too hot; wait briefly. If it thickens before the disc is complete, warm it over the lowest heat for a few seconds. Keep fingers well above the syrup and turn the pan handle inward, because cooked sugar clings and burns fiercely.

   Humidity softens sucre filé. Make it in the driest room available, keep it at room temperature, and never refrigerate it.
8. 8

   Unmould and serve

   Transfer the sugar disc to a dry, room-temperature serving platter. Centre the frozen mould upside down over it, wrap the outside briefly with a warm dry towel, and lift the mould away. If the star holds fast, repeat for five seconds rather than pulling; too much warmth blurs the raspberry points. Turn the platter so the sugar rays appear between the points of the star. Cut with a knife warmed in hot water and wiped completely dry, then serve at once while the mousse is tender and the sucre filé remains crisp. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Bénédictine is the dish's defining perfume, with honeyed spice and herbs from Fécamp. Keep it to 60 ml. More sounds generous but softens the frozen mousse until the star can no longer support itself.
• •A flexible star mould gives the safest release. If using rigid metal, wrap it with a warm dry towel for a few seconds; dipping it deeply into water melts the raspberry details before the centre lets go.
• •Sucre filé waits for no one. Make the disc after the table is set and the guests are ready, then unmould directly onto it. In damp weather, shorten that interval to ten minutes.
• •Serve with black coffee or a small glass of Bénédictine. Fresh berries, mint, and decorative flowers would only obscure the deliberate red, ivory, and white composition.

Advance Preparation

• •The raspberry ice can be churned up to three days ahead. Keep it tightly covered and soften it only enough to spread when clothing the mould.
• •The filled star can be frozen two days ahead. Once solid, wrap the mould well so the raspberry shell does not collect frost or freezer aromas.
• •The sucre filé cannot be refrigerated or made the day before. Spin it no more than thirty minutes before service, and later still when the air is damp.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 200g)