Bombe Clarence

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •1.25 litre metal bombe mould or stainless steel bowl
• •Countertop ice-cream machine
• •Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
• •Sugar or instant-read thermometer
• •Small offset spatula
• •Long slicing knife

Instructions

1. 1

   Chill the equipment

   Set the freezer to its coldest normal setting. Chill a 1.25 litre metal bombe mould or stainless steel bowl for at least 30 minutes, along with the platter on which the dessert will be served. If the ice-cream machine uses a frozen bowl, make certain it is fully frozen before beginning; a half-frozen machine bowl gives coarse, soupy ice.

   Metal conducts cold quickly and releases cleanly after a brief warming. Glass freezes slowly and may crack when warmed for unmoulding, so leave it in the cupboard.
2. 2

   Build the banana base

   Combine the ½ cup sugar and ½ cup water in a small saucepan. Warm gently until the sugar dissolves, then simmer for one minute and cool completely. Blend the bananas, lemon juice, and cooled syrup until perfectly smooth. Cover the surface directly and chill for about 30 minutes, until thoroughly cold. A warm base churns into large ice crystals; if it still feels warm, return it to the refrigerator and wait.

3. 3

   Churn the banana ice

   Churn the banana mixture according to the machine's directions until it is thick, finely frozen, and able to hold a soft mound, usually 20 to 25 minutes. If it remains loose because the machine bowl has warmed, ça se rattrape: spread the mixture in a shallow metal pan and freeze it for 20 minutes, stirring once, until it is firm enough to shape but not hard.

4. 4

   Clothe the mould

   Reserve about ¾ cup (180 ml / 170 g) banana ice for the closing layer. Use the mould-clothing principle referenced in Another Method of Preparing Aspics de Filets de Soles (No. 916), here applied only to frozen dessert: spoon the remaining banana ice into the chilled mould and work it across the bottom and up the sides with a small offset spatula, making an even shell about 1 cm thick. Hold the mould up to the light and look for thin or bare patches. Patch them with soft banana ice, then freeze the shell for 45 minutes. Uneven clothing gives a weak dome; any gaps can be repaired before filling. Ça se rattrape.

5. 5

   Cook the pâte à bombe

   Put the egg yolks in the mixer bowl and whisk until fluid and slightly pale. Combine the remaining ½ cup sugar and ¼ cup water in a clean saucepan, dissolve the sugar over gentle heat, then boil without stirring until the syrup reaches 118°C. With the mixer running at medium speed, pour the syrup in a thin stream down the inside of the bowl, never directly onto the whisk. Increase the speed and beat for 6 to 8 minutes, until the pâte à bombe is thick, pale, voluminous, and cool to the touch. If the syrup spins into hard threads against the bowl, set the bowl briefly over warm water and keep whisking until they dissolve.

6. 6

   Scent the filling

   Whip the 1 cup cold cream to soft peaks. The pâte à bombe must be completely cool before the cream meets it, or the mixture loses its air. Fold in one-third of the cream to loosen the base, then fold in the remainder with broad, gentle turns. Add four drops of violet extract and fold. Chill a teaspoonful on a saucer for two minutes, then smell and taste it cold; add further extract one drop at a time, stopping while the violet still suggests fresh flowers. If it has crossed into soapiness, whip the optional ¼ cup cream to soft peaks and fold it in by spoonfuls. Ça se rattrape. Add only a toothpick-tip of violet colour if using; the centre should be faintly lilac, not purple.

7. 7

   Fill and seal

   Check that the banana shell is hard and dry to the touch. If it yields under a fingertip, freeze it for another 15 minutes. Spoon in the violet pâte à bombe, pressing gently so no hollow pockets remain, and leave about 1 cm clear at the rim. Let the reserved banana ice soften just until spreadable, then smooth it over the filling to close the dome completely. Cover directly with baking parchment and wrap the mould well. Freeze for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight, until solid through the centre.

8. 8

   Unmould and slice

   Remove the covering and invert the chilled platter over the mould. Wrap the mould for five seconds in a kitchen towel wrung out in hot water, then turn both together and lift carefully. If the bombe refuses to release, repeat for three seconds; don't keep warming it, or the banana shell will soften before the centre lets go. If that happens, return the mould to the freezer for 15 minutes and begin again. Cut generous wedges with a long knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry between slices. Serve at once. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Choose bananas with deeply freckled yellow skins and no fermented smell. Their starch has turned to sugar, giving the ice a full banana flavour and a smoother freeze; green-tipped fruit stays chalky.
• •Use a concentrated, food-grade natural violet extract, not violet liqueur. The liqueur adds enough alcohol to soften the centre, while an extract gives control one drop at a time.
• •Without an ice-cream machine, freeze the banana base in a shallow metal pan and scrape it vigorously with a fork every 30 minutes until fine and malleable. The texture will be slightly less smooth, but the moulding method remains sound.
• •A demi-sec Champagne is splendid beside Bombe Clarence. Keep the pour modest and the dessert properly cold; both are fragrant, and neither needs to shout over the other.
• •Dip the serving knife in hot water and wipe it dry before every cut. The warmth opens the banana shell cleanly, while drying prevents water from glazing the cut face.

Advance Preparation

• •Freeze the ice-cream machine bowl according to its maker's directions, commonly for at least 24 hours, before starting the recipe.
• •The completed bombe may be frozen up to three days ahead. Once hard, wrap the mould closely so the banana ice does not collect freezer aromas.
• •Chill the serving platter and dessert plates before unmoulding. A cold surface keeps the first slice as clean as the last.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 125g)