Bombe Colombia

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •1.5 litre (6-cup) metal bombe mould or 18 cm stainless-steel bowl
• •Ice cream machine, or shallow metal tray and food processor
• •Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
• •Instant-read or candy thermometer
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Chilled serving platter

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the Kirsch ice

   Combine the 1¼ cups water and ⅔ cup sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer, stirring only until the sugar dissolves, then simmer for 1 minute and remove from the heat. Cool completely before stirring in the Kirsch, so its fragrance stays bright. Churn in an ice cream machine until it resembles soft, finely packed snow. Without a machine, freeze it in a shallow metal tray, scrape it thoroughly every 30 minutes, then process the nearly frozen crystals until smooth. Measure the Kirsch, don't splash it freely: excess alcohol prevents a firm shell. If the ice remains loose after a proper chill, ça se rattrape. Blend in 2 tablespoons of cold water and freeze again.

   Freeze the empty mould while the Kirsch ice churns. A truly cold surface catches the ice at once and makes an even shell much easier.
2. 2

   Cook and sieve pears

   Put the diced pears, 2 tablespoons sugar, and lemon juice into a covered saucepan. Cook over gentle heat for 8 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the fruit collapses under the spoon and smells strongly of pear. Remove the lid and cook away any loose juice, then purée and press the fruit through a fine sieve. You want about 1⅓ cups (330 ml / 340 g) of thick purée. If it runs from the spoon like juice, return it to the clean pan and reduce it gently; watery purée freezes into crystals. Cover and chill completely.

3. 3

   Clothe the mould

   Use the clothing-the-mould operation preserved in Another Method of Preparing Aspics de Filets de Soles (No. 916), translated from jelly to ice. Pack the soft Kirsch ice against the bottom and sides of the frozen 1.5 litre mould, turning it as you work and smoothing the ice into an even layer about ¼ inch (6 mm) thick. The book's rocking over broken ice was brigade scaffolding; a prechilled metal mould and the back of a cold spoon give the same continuous lining at home. If the coating slides or exposes metal, return both mould and ice to the freezer for 10 minutes, then patch the thin place. Freeze the clothed mould until hard, at least 1 hour.

4. 4

   Whip the pâte à bombe

   Begin beating the yolks at medium speed until they are pale and lightly thickened. Meanwhile, combine the ½ cup sugar and 3 tablespoons water in a small saucepan and cook without stirring to 244°F (118°C). If crystals form before the syrup reaches temperature, add 1 tablespoon water, cover the pan for 30 seconds so condensation washes the sides, and continue. Ça se rattrape. With the mixer running, pour the hot syrup in a thin stream down the inside of the bowl, never onto the moving whisk. Keep beating until the pâte à bombe is thick, holds a ribbon, and has cooled to room temperature, about 6 to 8 minutes. Hot sugar burns fiercely, so keep the bowl steady and don't touch or taste the syrup.

5. 5

   Fold the pear filling

   Whisk the cold cream to soft peaks, stopping while its surface remains smooth and supple. Fold the chilled pear purée into the cooled pâte à bombe, then fold in the cream in three additions, turning the bowl and lifting from underneath so the air stays in the mixture. If the filling loosens because one component was too warm, set the bowl over ice and continue folding slowly until it regains body. If the cream looks grainy from overwhipping, fold 1 tablespoon of unwhipped cream into it before combining.

6. 6

   Fill and freeze

   Spoon the pear filling into the hard Kirsch-lined mould a little at a time, pressing each addition gently against the lining to prevent hollow pockets without crushing out all the air. Level the top, cover it directly with parchment and then wrap the mould well. Freeze on a level shelf until solid throughout, at least 6 hours and preferably overnight.

7. 7

   Turn out and finish

   Chill the serving platter. Remove the wrapping and dip the outside of the mould in warm water for 5 to 8 seconds, keeping water away from the dessert. Dry it, invert it onto the platter, and lift straight upward. If it refuses to release, repeat the dip for only 2 seconds; patience, not a long bath, protects the Kirsch shell. If an edge softens, return the unmoulded bombe to the freezer for 15 minutes. Arrange the halved candied cherries in a generous ring around the base, let the bombe stand for 5 minutes so the centre cuts cleanly, and serve with a knife warmed and dried between slices. À table!

Chef Tips

• •The pears decide the dessert. A hard pear tastes faint when fresh and of almost nothing when frozen; use fruit that yields at the neck and smells ripe before it is cut.
• •Kirsch means clear cherry eau-de-vie, not a red sweet cherry liqueur. Its dry fragrance keeps the ice bright against the rich pear filling, and substituting a sugary liqueur changes both the taste and the freezing point.
• •A candy thermometer earns its place here. The syrup must reach 244°F (118°C) to give the pâte à bombe its stable, ribboning body without turning the yolks heavy.
• •Use pasteurized yolks for pregnant guests, older adults, young children, or anyone with reduced immunity. The hot syrup cooks the foam, but a home method cannot verify pasteurization as precisely as a controlled process.
• •Serve small glasses of well-chilled Kirsch or simply strong coffee. The dessert already carries its own perfume and needs no extra sauce.

Advance Preparation

• •The Kirsch ice can be made up to 3 days ahead. Let it soften in the refrigerator until spreadable before clothing the mould.
• •The pear purée can be cooked, sieved, and chilled a day ahead. Keep it covered so it doesn't absorb refrigerator aromas.
• •The assembled bombe can remain frozen for 2 days. Once hard, wrap the mould closely to protect the pear filling from frost and outside flavours.
• •Halve the candied cherries ahead, but arrange them after unmoulding so their syrup doesn't mark the pale Kirsch shell.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 200g)