Bombe Américaine

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •1.5-litre (6-cup) metal bombe mould or deep stainless-steel bowl
• •Digital instant-read or sugar thermometer
• •Stand mixer or electric hand mixer
• •Small offset spatula and sturdy dessert spoon
• •Large piping bag with an 18-millimetre star tip
• •Long sharp slicing knife

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the cold

   Clear a level freezer shelf. Chill the 1.5-litre metal bombe mould, serving platter, mixer bowl, and beaters for 30 minutes. Keep the strawberry and pistachio ices frozen for now. Cold tools buy you working time, which is more useful here than hurried hands.

   A deep stainless-steel mixing bowl is an honest substitute for a bombe mould. Metal conducts the brief warmth needed for turning out; thick glass does not.
2. 2

   Concentrate the tangerines

   Put the sugar and water in a small saucepan, then grate all the coloured tangerine zest directly into it, stopping before the bitter white pith. In a second small pan, boil the 1/2 cup of juice until reduced to 3 tablespoons (45 ml / 45 g), about 5 minutes. Pour the concentrate into a shallow cup and cool it completely. The juice supplies acidity and body, but the zest in the syrup supplies the perfume; juice alone freezes thin.

3. 3

   Whip the pâte

   Begin whipping the yolks and salt at medium speed until pale. Cook the zested syrup without stirring until it reaches 118°C (244°F), then pour it in a thin stream down the inside of the mixer bowl while whisking continuously. If crystals form before the syrup reaches temperature, stop, add 1 tablespoon (15 ml / 15 g) water, and warm gently until clear before continuing. Once all the syrup is incorporated, the yolk mixture should reach at least 71°C (160°F); if it does not, whisk it briefly over a barely simmering bain-marie until it does, then return it to the mixer. Whip until thick, ribbony, and cool to the touch, about 7 minutes.

4. 4

   Fold the centre

   Fold the cold tangerine concentrate into the pâte à bombe. Reserve 2 tablespoons (30 ml / 30 g) of the cream, then whip the remainder to soft peaks that bend rather than stand rigid. Fold one-third into the tangerine mixture to loosen it, then fold in the rest without beating out the air. If the cream becomes grainy from overwhipping, work in the reserved liquid cream a spoonful at a time until it relaxes. Cover and refrigerate while you line the mould.

5. 5

   Clothe the mould

   Let the strawberry ice stand just until a spoon can cut through it, usually 8 to 12 minutes. Reserve about 1/2 cup (120 ml / 115 g) for the base. Pack the rest against the bottom and sides of the chilled mould, smoothing it into an even 1.2-centimetre shell with the back of a cold spoon. Another Method of Preparing Aspics de Filets de Soles (No. 916) calls this clothing the mould: only its even-coating principle travels from the savoury reference into this dessert. Freeze for 45 minutes. If the strawberry layer slides or exposes metal, stop and freeze it for 10 minutes, then patch the gap with more ice. Ça se rattrape.

   Turn the mould as you work and check the rim from above. A thin patch there becomes the first crack when the bombe is turned out.
6. 6

   Fill and seal

   Spoon the tangerine pâte à bombe into the frozen strawberry shell, pressing gently so no large air pockets remain. Leave 1 centimetre below the rim and freeze until the surface is firm enough to support a spoonful of sorbet, about 45 minutes. Soften the reserved strawberry ice and spread it across the opening to seal the centre completely. Cover and freeze on the level shelf for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.

7. 7

   Turn out cleanly

   Chill the serving platter. Dip only the outside of the mould in lukewarm water for 5 seconds, dry it, place the platter over it, and invert decisively. Lift the mould. If the bombe holds fast, repeat with another 3-second dip; prolonged warmth blurs the strawberry shell. If a small patch tears, return the bombe to the freezer for 15 minutes, fill the mark with softened strawberry ice, and smooth it before decorating.

8. 8

   Pipe the pistachio

   Let the pistachio ice soften until pliable but still cold and dense. Fit a piping bag with a large star tip, fill it only halfway, and pipe generous fluted ropes or overlapping shells from the base toward the crown, decorating the Bombe Américaine only after it has been turned out, exactly as the source directs. If the ridges slump, put the bombe and piping bag back in the freezer for 10 minutes before continuing. Freeze the decorated bombe for at least 30 minutes.

9. 9

   Temper and slice

   Let the bombe stand at room temperature for 8 to 10 minutes, just until a knife enters without force. Dip a long sharp knife in hot water, wipe it dry, and cut clean wedges, warming and drying the blade between each one. The slice should show three distinct colours with no melted seam between them. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Choose a strawberry sorbet with strawberries high on the ingredient list and no fruit pieces. Large frozen pieces drag through the shell and make an even coating needlessly difficult.
• •The pistachio ice must be smooth enough to pass through a large piping tip. Ice cream studded with chopped nuts tastes pleasant but belongs in a bowl, not in this piping bag.
• •Tangerine zest is not decoration here. Grate only the coloured skin directly into the syrup, because its fragrant oils carry through the cold while juice alone becomes quiet.
• •For children, older guests, pregnant guests, or anyone with reduced immunity, use pasteurized egg yolks and verify that the pâte à bombe reaches 71°C (160°F).
• •Serve the bombe without sauce or extra garnish. A small glass of demi-sec Champagne is enough beside it; the three frozen preparations have already said everything.

Advance Preparation

• •Assemble and freeze the filled bombe up to 2 days ahead. Once fully hard, cover the mould tightly so the strawberry ice does not collect freezer odours.
• •Turn out and pipe the pistachio ice up to 24 hours before serving. Freeze it uncovered until the piping is firm, then shield it loosely without pressing the decoration.
• •For the cleanest texture, move the bombe from a very cold deep freezer to an ordinary freezer compartment about 30 minutes before its final 8 to 10 minutes at room temperature.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 215g)