Glace Plombière

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Ice-cream machine
• •1.25-litre parfait mould or 23 by 13 cm metal loaf tin
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Flexible spatula

Instructions

1. 1

   Macerate the fruit

   Combine the diced candied fruit and kirsch in a small bowl. Cover and leave for at least 1 hour, stirring once or twice, until the fruit is glossy, fragrant, and pleasantly sharp with cherry spirit. The fruit may macerate overnight in the cold, but bring it back to cool room temperature before folding it into the ice cream.

2. 2

   Cook the vanilla custard

   Put the milk, cream, vanilla bean, and scraped seeds in a saucepan. Warm gently until small bubbles gather at the edge, then remove from the heat and infuse for 15 minutes. Whisk the yolks, sugar, and salt just until smooth. Pour in the warm dairy gradually while whisking, return everything to the pan, and stir constantly over gentle heat until the custard reaches 82 to 84°C (180 to 183°F) and nappes the spoon, meaning it coats the back and holds a clean line drawn through it. Never let it boil. If a few fine curds appear, remove the pan at once, strain the custard into a cold bowl, and blend it briefly until smooth. Ça se rattrape.

3. 3

   Chill the base

   Strain the custard into a clean bowl and discard the vanilla pod. Set the bowl over ice water and stir until thoroughly cold, then cover the surface directly and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. A properly cold base freezes quickly into fine crystals; a merely cool one churns slowly and turns coarse.

4. 4

   Prepare the mould

   Chill a 1.25-litre parfait mould or metal loaf tin in the freezer. Stir the apricot jam until smooth. If it is too stiff to spread, warm it only until loosened, press it through a fine sieve, and cool it completely before assembly. Warm jam melts the pattern before it has a chance to set.

5. 5

   Churn and fold

   Drain the candied fruit in a sieve for 10 minutes and blot away any liquid clinging to its surface. Do not pour the leftover kirsch into the custard, because excess alcohol prevents a clean freeze. Churn the vanilla base according to the machine's instructions until dense and softly mounded, then fold in the fruit quickly and evenly. If the mixture has become loose, place it in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes, just until it holds the track of a spatula.

6. 6

   Build the layers

   Spread one-third of the fruit-filled vanilla ice cream in the chilled mould, pushing it firmly into the corners, and freeze for 15 minutes until the surface feels set but slightly tacky. Spread half the cold apricot jam in a thin layer, stopping about 1 cm from the edges. Dot another third of the ice cream over the jam and join the dollops gently instead of dragging through them; freeze for another 15 minutes, then repeat with the remaining jam and ice cream. If a layer begins to streak, stop and freeze the mould for 10 minutes before continuing. The pause restores the structure without changing the flavour.

7. 7

   Freeze and unmould

   Cover the mould tightly and freeze for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight. Chill the serving platter. Wrap the outside of the mould in a warm, damp towel for 5 to 10 seconds, invert it onto the platter, and lift carefully. If it refuses to release, warm the outside for another 5 seconds rather than forcing it. Rest the Glace Plombière for 5 minutes, then cut generous slices with a knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry between cuts. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Use dry kirsch, the clear cherry eau-de-vie, not a sweet cherry liqueur. Candied fruit already brings plenty of sugar; the kirsch is there for fragrance and a clean, warming edge.
• •Choose candied fruit that still tastes of fruit. Orange peel, citron, and cherries give distinct bitterness, perfume, and colour, while a soft, fluorescent fruitcake mixture disappears into sweetness.
• •The apricot jam must be smooth, tart, and completely cool. Press preserves through a sieve if necessary, because large pieces tear the ice-cream layers instead of forming a clean ribbon.
• •A frozen canister must be fully solid before churning. If you can hear liquid moving inside when you shake it, return it to the freezer; a half-frozen canister gives coarse, slack ice cream.

Advance Preparation

• •Macerate the candied fruit in kirsch up to 1 day ahead and keep it covered in the refrigerator.
• •The vanilla custard base may be cooked and chilled up to 2 days before churning. Keep its surface covered directly so it does not form a skin.
• •Assemble the Glace Plombière at least 6 hours before serving. It holds well for 3 days when tightly covered, making it properly suited to a dinner party.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 155g)