Bombe Frou-Frou

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •1½-liter metal bombe mould or hemispherical stainless-steel bowl
• •Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
• •Small heavy saucepan
• •Sugar or instant-read thermometer
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Flexible spatula or small offset spatula
• •Large bowl prepared as an ice bath

Instructions

1. 1

   Soak and drain fruit

   Combine the diced candied fruit with 4 tablespoons (60 ml) of the rum and leave it for at least 2 hours, stirring once or twice. Tip everything into a fine-mesh sieve and drain for 20 minutes, then spread the fruit on a clean towel and blot it gently until the pieces remain supple but no longer glisten wet. Do not return the drained syrup to the filling. It carries dissolved sugar as well as rum, and either would keep the center loose.

   Save the drained rum syrup for brushing a plain cake if you like, but keep it out of the bombe. The fruit has already taken what it needs.
2. 2

   Chemiser the mould

   Chill a 1½-liter metal bombe mould or hemispherical bowl for 20 minutes. Reserve about ¾ cup (180 ml) of the softened vanilla ice cream for the lid, then press the remainder over the bottom and sides in an even layer about ½ inch (1.25 cm) thick. This is chemiser le moule, using the coating principle cross-referenced in Another Method of Preparing Aspics de Filets de Soles (No. 916); that savory preparation remains in its own entry, and only its mould-clothing operation belongs here. Freeze the lined mould for 45 minutes, until the shell is hard. If you see a thin patch, press in another spoonful of ice cream and freeze again. Ça se rattrape.

3. 3

   Whip the cream

   Whip the very cold cream to soft peaks, stopping when it holds a rounded fold but still looks smooth and supple. Firm peaks are too far because the cream must survive folding and freezing without turning grainy. Keep it cold while you make the pâte à bombe.

4. 4

   Make rum pâte à bombe

   Beat the yolks in a heatproof bowl until pale and slightly thickened. Put the sugar and water in a small heavy saucepan, stir only until every grain is moistened, then boil without stirring to 244°F (118°C). With the mixer running at medium speed, pour the syrup in a thin stream down the inside of the bowl, safely clear of the beaters. Continue beating for 7 to 10 minutes, until the pâte à bombe is thick enough to fall in a ribbon and the bowl feels barely cool. Beat in the remaining 1 tablespoon (15 ml) rum. If the syrup crystallizes in the pan before reaching temperature, add 1 tablespoon (15 ml) water and melt it again gently. If the yolk mixture remains warm, set the bowl over ice and keep beating; warm pâte à bombe would melt the whipped cream.

5. 5

   Fold the center

   Whisk one-third of the whipped cream into the pâte à bombe to lighten it, then fold in the rest with a broad spatula, turning the bowl as you work. Fold in the drained candied fruit last, distributing it without crushing the cream. The mixture should mound softly. If it runs like sauce, set the bowl over ice for 10 minutes and fold it twice more; do not add more sugar or cream.

6. 6

   Fill and seal

   Spoon the rum and candied-fruit filling into the frozen vanilla shell, pressing gently into the curve so no large air pockets remain. Stop about ½ inch (1.25 cm) below the rim. Spread the reserved vanilla ice cream over the filling to seal it completely, smoothing the surface level with the mould. Cover closely with reusable wrap or parchment followed by foil.

7. 7

   Freeze and unmould

   Freeze the bombe on a level shelf for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight. Chill the serving platter before unmoulding. Dip only the outside of the mould into warm water for 5 to 8 seconds, dry it, invert it over the platter, and lift. If it clings, wrap the mould briefly in a warm towel rather than soaking it again. Should the surface soften, return the unmoulded bombe to the freezer for 10 minutes.

8. 8

   Slice at table

   Let the bombe stand in the refrigerator for 10 minutes before serving. Cut it with a long knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry between slices. The vanilla shell should cut firmly while the rum center yields more softly, with the fruit held cleanly inside rather than leaking syrup onto the plate. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Choose dense candied orange peel, citron, and glacé cherries rather than fruit packed in wet cocktail syrup. Cut everything to roughly the size of a pea so the bombe slices cleanly.
• •Use real dairy vanilla ice cream with a full, creamy body. Let it soften only until a spoon can press it against the mould; melted ice cream refreezes coarse and icy.
• •Measure the rum exactly. More is not more here, because alcohol lowers the freezing point and an enthusiastic pour can leave the center unable to hold a slice.
• •The reference to Another Method of Preparing Aspics de Filets de Soles (No. 916) preserves the book's cross-reference for clothing a mould. It contributes a coating operation, never fish, jelly, forcemeat, or any other savory element.

Advance Preparation

• •The candied fruit can soak in the rum overnight. Drain and blot it shortly before making the filling so its surface does not become sticky again.
• •Assemble the entire bombe up to 3 days ahead, cover it closely, and keep it frozen in the mould. A longer wait encourages ice crystals around the vanilla shell.
• •Unmould the bombe up to 30 minutes before serving and return it to the freezer on its platter. Move it to the refrigerator for the final 10 minutes so the rum center reaches the proper slicing texture.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 160g)