Bombe Diable Rose

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •1-quart (1-liter) metal bombe mould or smooth hemispherical stainless-steel bowl
• •Ice-cream machine
• •Stand mixer or electric hand mixer
• •Small heavy saucepan
• •Instant-read or sugar thermometer
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Large offset spatula or cold metal spoon

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare mould and cherries

   Set a 1-quart (1-liter) metal bombe mould or smooth hemispherical bowl in the freezer for at least 30 minutes. Metal freezes quickly and releases cleanly; glass is slow and risks cracking during unmoulding. Drain the candied cherries if they are packed in syrup, halve them, and press them firmly between clean towels. Spread them out until their cut faces no longer feel wet, then keep them cold. This drying is part of the dish, not decoration: wet cherries freeze hard and bleed syrup through the filling.

   Do not rinse sticky cherries with water. Blot them repeatedly instead, changing the towel when it becomes damp.
2. 2

   Churn the strawberry ice

   Bring the strawberry-ice sugar and water just to a boil, stirring only until the sugar dissolves. Cool completely, then blend with the strawberries, lemon juice, and salt until smooth. Pass the purée through a fine sieve to remove the seeds and chill it thoroughly. Churn until the strawberry ice is thick, finely textured, and soft enough to spread, with ridges that hold when the paddle turns. Reserve about ½ cup (120 ml) for sealing the bombe.

3. 3

   Clothe the frozen mould

   Use the clothing principle preserved in Another Method of Preparing Aspics de Filets de Soles (No. 916), replacing the jelly in that preparation with the strawberry ice required here. Press the ice over the bottom and sides of the frozen mould in an even layer about ⅜ inch (1 cm) thick, rotating the mould as you work. Smooth the inner surface with the back of a cold spoon, checking the rim and bottom for thin spots, then freeze for at least 45 minutes, until the shell is hard throughout. If part of it slumps or exposes metal, stop and refreeze for 10 minutes, then patch it with more softened strawberry ice. Ça se rattrape.

   Hold the mould toward a window after clothing it. Light passing through a thin patch will show you exactly where another spoonful of strawberry ice belongs.
4. 4

   Cook the sugar syrup

   Put the yolks in the mixer bowl and have the whisk ready before beginning the syrup. Combine the pâte à bombe sugar and water in a small heavy saucepan, warm gently until clear, then boil without stirring to 244°F (118°C). If crystals appear around the pan, cover it for 30 seconds so the trapped moisture washes them down, then uncover and continue. Do not scrape crystallized sugar back into the syrup.

5. 5

   Whip the pâte à bombe

   Whisk the yolks at medium speed until loosened. With the mixer running, pour the hot syrup in a thin, steady stream down the inside of the bowl, avoiding the moving whisk. Increase the speed and beat until the pâte à bombe, a cooked sugar-and-yolk foam, is pale, thick, and cool enough that the bowl no longer feels warm, about 7 minutes. It should fall from the whisk in a broad ribbon. If some syrup hardens against the bowl, leave those threads where they are and use the smooth foam in the centre; scraping them in would seed the filling with hard sugar. Beat in the Kirsch gradually once the mixture is cool.

6. 6

   Fold in the cream

   Reserve 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of the cold cream, then whip the rest to soft peaks that curl over rather than stand stiffly. Fold one-third into the pâte à bombe to lighten it, then fold in the remaining cream with broad strokes, turning the bowl until no white streaks remain. If the cream becomes slightly too firm, whisk in the reserved liquid cream before folding. If the finished mixture seems loose, chill it for 10 minutes; extra beating would only knock out the air.

7. 7

   Fill and seal

   Fold the cold, dry cherry halves through the Kirsch pâte à bombe. Spoon the filling into the frozen strawberry shell, pressing gently against the sides to remove large air pockets without crushing the foam, and stop about ⅜ inch (1 cm) below the rim. Freeze for 30 minutes so the surface firms. Soften the reserved strawberry ice just until spreadable, then cover the filling completely and level it with the rim to form the base. Cover the mould tightly.

8. 8

   Freeze until firm

   Freeze the sealed bombe at 0°F (-18°C) or colder for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight. It must freeze through to the centre or the shell will slide away when the mould is lifted. Once firm, wrap the covered mould well to prevent freezer odors and surface crystals.

9. 9

   Unmould and slice

   Chill the serving platter. Dip only the outside of the mould in warm water for 5 seconds, dry it, and invert it onto the platter. If it does not release, wrap the mould briefly in a warm towel and try again; do not leave it in water long enough to melt the strawberry shell. Let the bombe stand for 8 minutes, then cut it with a large knife warmed in hot water and wiped dry between slices. The rose shell should remain distinct around the Kirsch centre, with cherries visible through every wedge. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Use clear, dry Kirsch, the cherry eau-de-vie, not a sweet red cherry liqueur. The Kirsch must perfume the cream and leave a little warmth behind without turning the filling syrupy.
• •A plain stainless-steel mixing bowl makes an excellent home bombe mould. Choose one without ridges or a rolled interior seam, since every mark becomes a place where the frozen shell may cling.
• •The strawberry ice should be soft enough to press but not melting. If it shines and runs, return it to the freezer for 10 minutes; a watery coating freezes coarse and separates from the filling.
• •Serve the bombe alone. Its cut face is its decoration, and extra cream or fruit sauce would blur the contrast the whole construction was designed to show.

Advance Preparation

• •The strawberry ice can be churned up to 3 days ahead and kept tightly covered. Let it soften in the refrigerator just until spreadable before clothing the mould.
• •The mould can be clothed in the morning and held frozen until the pâte à bombe is ready. Cover it once the shell is hard so it does not absorb freezer odors.
• •The completed bombe keeps well for 2 days, tightly wrapped in its mould. Longer storage gradually coarsens the strawberry ice and firms the cherries.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 200g)