Bombe Dame-Blanche

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •1.5-litre metal bombe mould or smooth stainless-steel bowl
• •Electric stand mixer or hand mixer
• •Sugar thermometer or instant-read thermometer
• •Fine sieve
• •Muslin or cheesecloth
• •Small offset spatula

Instructions

1. 1

   Clothe the mould

   Chill a 1.5-litre metal bombe mould or stainless-steel bowl for twenty minutes. Spread the softened vanilla ice cream over the bottom and sides in an even layer about 1.5 cm thick, using the back of a cold spoon or a small offset spatula. This is chemiser le moule, clothing the mould, the technique directed through Another Method of Preparing Aspics de Filets de Soles (No. 916); the reference supplies the method only, and nothing savoury enters the dessert. Work from the bottom upward, closing every thin patch, then freeze for at least forty-five minutes, until the shell is hard enough that a fingertip leaves no mark.

   If the ice cream begins sliding down the sides, stop and freeze the mould for ten minutes before continuing. If you find a gap after the first freezing, patch it with another spoonful of softened vanilla ice and freeze again. Ça se rattrape.
2. 2

   Extract the almond milk

   Combine the sugar and water in a small heavy saucepan. Warm gently, stirring only until the sugar dissolves, then remove from the heat and stir in the finely ground almonds. Cover and steep for twenty minutes. Pour everything into a fine sieve lined with damp muslin or a double layer of cheesecloth, set over a clean saucepan, then gather the cloth and press, twist, and squeeze until the almond meal is nearly dry. This expressed syrup is the lait d’amandes, the almond milk that flavours the filling. Press hard. Leaving syrup in the almonds leaves the Bombe-preparation tasting merely sweet rather than distinctly almond.

3. 3

   Cook the pâte à bombe

   Begin beating the egg yolks at medium speed until they are pale and slightly thickened. Set the almond syrup over medium heat and cook without stirring until it reaches 118°C. If crystals form around the pan and the syrup turns grainy, add the optional tablespoon of water, return it to gentle heat, and let every crystal dissolve before continuing. Ça se rattrape. With the mixer running, pour the hot syrup in a thin, steady thread down the inside of the bowl, never directly onto the whisk, then beat at high speed for seven to ten minutes. The pâte à bombe is ready when it is thick, very pale, and cool enough that the bowl no longer feels warm.

   Do not scrape hardened syrup from the side of the bowl into the mixture. Those threads remain as sharp sugar chips in the frozen filling; leave them where they are and transfer the finished pâte à bombe away from them.
4. 4

   Fold in the cream

   Reserve one tablespoon of the measured cream, then whip the rest in a cold bowl until it forms soft peaks that bend at their tips. If the cream becomes slightly grainy, fold in the reserved liquid cream by hand until it smooths. Stir one-third of the whipped cream into the cool pâte à bombe to lighten it, then fold in the remainder with broad turns of a spatula, reaching to the bottom without knocking out all the air. The filling should hold a soft mound while remaining fluid enough to settle into the shell.

5. 5

   Fill and seal

   Check that the vanilla shell is completely firm. Spoon in the almond pâte à bombe, pressing it gently against the shell so no air pockets remain, and stop about 1.5 cm below the rim. Tap the mould twice against a folded towel, then cover the filling with the remaining softened vanilla ice cream to make a level base. Cover closely and freeze on a flat shelf for at least six hours, preferably overnight. Do not hurry this freeze; a soft centre will slump the moment the mould lifts away.

6. 6

   Unmould and serve

   Chill the serving platter. Dip the outside of the mould into warm water for three to five seconds, wipe it dry, invert it over the platter, and lift straight upward. If it refuses to release, repeat the dip for two seconds rather than forcing it. If the surface softens before the centre releases, return the whole mould to the freezer for fifteen minutes and begin again. Cut with a long knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry between slices, revealing the pale vanilla shell around the almond centre. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Choose vanilla ice cream made with cream, egg yolk, sugar, and real vanilla. Excess gums make it stretchy and difficult to spread, while a light frozen dessert freezes hard and tastes thin.
• •Freshly grind blanched almonds to a fine meal without letting them become paste. Their oil carries the perfume, and pressing the warm infusion hard extracts far more character than almond essence would give.
• •A traditional bombe mould is convenient, not sacred. A smooth 1.5-litre stainless-steel bowl gives the same dome and releases cleanly; glass holds the cold less evenly and is slower to unmould.
• •Serve the bombe plain. Chocolate sauce, berries, and toasted nuts would hide the deliberate whiteness and the quiet distinction between vanilla shell and almond centre.

Advance Preparation

• •The vanilla shell can be clothed and frozen a day before the almond filling is made. Cover the mould once the surface is hard so it does not take on freezer aromas.
• •The completed bombe keeps well for up to three days, tightly covered in its mould. Unmould it shortly before serving and return it to the freezer if the table is not ready.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 175g)