Bombe Fedora

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •1½ litre (6-cup) metal bombe mould or deep stainless steel bowl
• •Countertop ice cream maker
• •Electric stand mixer or hand mixer
• •Digital sugar thermometer
• •Small offset spatula
• •Long slicing knife

Instructions

1. 1

   Capture the orange oil

   Wash the oranges if necessary, then dry them completely. Rub each sugar cube firmly over the coloured peel, turning both cube and fruit so the sugar passes across the entire surface without digging into the bitter white pith. The cubes should become damp, orange-gold, and powerfully fragrant. Drop them into a small saucepan as they are finished, then juice the oranges and strain 1⅔ cups (400 ml / 410 g) of juice.

2. 2

   Make the orange ice

   Add the superfine sugar and water for the orange ice to the scented cubes. Warm gently, stirring only until every grain dissolves, then remove the pan from the heat and cover it for five minutes so the captured oil remains in the syrup. Stir in the strained orange juice and lemon juice. Set the pan in a bowl of ice water and stir until thoroughly cold, then chill the mixture until the ice cream maker and mould are ready.

   Taste the cold base, not the warm syrup. Cold suppresses sweetness, so it should taste slightly sweeter and more pointed than you want the finished orange ice to taste.
3. 3

   Clothe the mould

   Churn the orange mixture until it holds the texture of soft sorbet. Use the cold-moulding principle from Another Method of Preparing Aspics de Filets de Soles (No. 916): reserve about ¾ cup (180 ml) of the orange ice for the closing layer, then spread the remainder over the bottom and sides of a thoroughly chilled 1½ litre metal mould. Work with the back of a spoon or a small offset spatula until the coat is an even ½ inch (1.25 cm) thick. If the ice slides toward the bottom, freeze the mould for ten minutes and patch the thin places with more soft ice. Ça se rattrape. Freeze the clothed mould for at least forty-five minutes, and hold the reserved ice in a covered container.

   Inspect the shell against a window before filling it. Darker orange areas are thicker; pale translucent areas need another spoonful of ice.
4. 4

   Whip the pâte à bombe

   Begin whipping the pasteurized yolks at medium speed until they are pale and loose. Put the sugar and water for the pâte à bombe into a small saucepan and bring them to 244°F (118°C), without stirring once the syrup boils. If crystals gather around the pan, cover it for thirty seconds so condensation washes them down, then uncover and continue. With the mixer running, pour the hot syrup in a thin stream down the inside of the bowl, never onto the moving whisk. Increase the speed and whip for seven to ten minutes, until the mixture is thick, glossy, and cool enough that the bowl no longer feels warm.

5. 5

   Fold the pralined centre

   Reserve 2 tablespoons (30 ml / 30 g) of the unwhipped cream, then whip the remainder only to soft peaks. Fold one-third of the pâte à bombe into the room-temperature praline paste to loosen it, then fold that mixture gently through the remaining pâte à bombe. Fold in the whipped cream in two additions, preserving as much volume as possible. This is the pralined Bombe-preparation. If the cream becomes grainy from overwhipping, add the reserved liquid cream and whisk briefly by hand until smooth before folding. Ça se rattrape.

6. 6

   Fill and seal

   Check that the orange shell is completely firm. Spoon in the pralined Bombe-preparation, pressing it gently against the shell so no air pockets remain, and stop ½ inch (1.25 cm) below the rim. Tap the mould once against a folded towel, then freeze for thirty minutes. Let the reserved orange ice soften just enough to spread, use it to cover the exposed centre in an even layer, and smooth it flush with the rim. Cover tightly and freeze for at least six hours, preferably overnight.

7. 7

   Freeze and unmould

   Chill the serving platter. Dip the outside of the mould into warm water at about 100°F (38°C) for five seconds, dry it, invert it over the platter, and lift carefully. If the bombe refuses to release, repeat for two seconds rather than forcing it. If the surface softens before it comes free, return the whole mould to the freezer for twenty minutes and begin again. Rest the unmoulded Bombe Fedora in the refrigerator for ten minutes, then cut it with a long knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry between slices. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Choose heavy oranges whose peels smell vivid when scratched. If the fruit is waxed, scrub it under warm water and dry it thoroughly; sugar cannot collect oil properly from a wet or heavily coated peel.
• •Buy smooth praline paste made from caramelized almonds and hazelnuts, ideally with nuts accounting for about half its weight. Chocolate-hazelnut spread is not Pralin and will make the centre heavy, muddy, and too soft.
• •Test the mould's capacity with water before beginning, then dry and chill it. A 1½ litre stainless steel bowl is an honest home equivalent to the classical bombe mould, and metal releases more cleanly than glass.
• •Without an ice cream maker, freeze the orange base in a shallow metal tray and beat it vigorously every thirty minutes until fine and spreadable. The shell will be a little coarser, but its structure and perfume remain true.
• •Serve the bombe without a scatter of decorations. Its cut face is the finish: orange around praline, two clean layers doing exactly what they promised.

Advance Preparation

• •The orange base can be made up to two days ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator before churning.
• •Assemble the bombe at least six hours before serving. Once frozen solid, wrap the mould closely and keep it frozen for up to one week so the orange perfume remains clear.
• •The bombe can be unmoulded onto its serving platter up to one hour ahead and returned to the freezer. Transfer it to the refrigerator ten minutes before slicing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 165g)