Bombe Grande Duchesse

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •1 1/2-quart (1.4-liter) smooth metal bombe mould or deep bowl
• •Ice cream machine, or food processor and shallow metal tray
• •Stand mixer or electric hand mixer
• •Instant-read or candy thermometer
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Small heavy saucepan
• •Long slicing knife

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the cold

   Set a smooth 1 1/2-quart (1.4-liter) metal bombe mould or deep bowl in the freezer, along with the platter on which you will serve the dessert. Make certain the mould stands level. Cold is structure here, so every component must be properly chilled before it meets the next.

2. 2

   Make the pear base

   Combine the 100 g sugar and 100 ml water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring only until the sugar dissolves, then simmer for 2 minutes and cool for 10 minutes. Blend the pears, syrup, and lemon juice until perfectly smooth, then press the purée through a fine sieve. Chill it until thoroughly cold, at least 1 hour. The lemon sharpens the pear and checks browning; it must not announce itself as lemon.

3. 3

   Churn until supple

   Churn the cold pear base in an ice cream machine until dense, smooth, and spreadable, about 20 to 25 minutes. Without a machine, freeze it in a shallow metal tray for about 90 minutes, break the half-frozen mixture into pieces, process until smooth, and freeze again for 30 minutes. Reserve a generous 1 cup of pear ice for sealing the base of the bombe. The rest should hold a ridge from the spoon without becoming hard.

4. 4

   Clothe the mould

   Pack the pear ice across the bottom and up the sides of the frozen mould in an even layer about 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) thick. This is clothing the mould, the operation cross-referenced by the book through Another Method of Preparing Aspics de Filets de Soles (No. 916). Inspect the shell against the light and patch every thin place, then freeze it for 1 hour, until completely firm. If the ice slides toward the bottom, return the mould to the freezer for 10 minutes and continue in two passes. Ça se rattrape. The salted-ice packing of a brigade is scaffolding the home freezer can discard; this even, hard shell is the dish and must stay.

5. 5

   Cook the pâte à bombe

   Begin beating the yolks at medium speed until pale and slightly thickened. Put the 100 g sugar and 60 ml water in a clean saucepan, bring them to a boil without stirring, and cook the syrup to 118°C (244°F). If crystals form around the edge, cover the pan for 1 minute so condensation washes them down, then uncover and continue. With the mixer running, pour the syrup into the yolks in a narrow stream between the whisk and the side of the bowl. Beat at high speed for 6 to 8 minutes, until the pâte à bombe, a cooked-yolk foam, has tripled in volume, holds a thick ribbon, and feels cool rather than warm.

6. 6

   Fold the Chartreuse filling

   Reserve 1 tablespoon of the cold cream, then whip the rest to soft peaks. Measure the Chartreuse exactly and whisk it gently into the cooled pâte à bombe. Fold in one-third of the whipped cream to lighten the base, then fold in the remainder with broad strokes until no white streaks remain. If the whipped cream begins to look grainy, stop and fold in the reserved liquid cream to relax it. A warm yolk base will melt the cream, so if the bowl still carries heat, wait before folding. Chartreuse is all herb and sugar here; a heavy hand masks the pear and prevents a firm freeze.

7. 7

   Fill and seal

   Spoon the Chartreuse filling into the frozen pear shell, pressing gently into the curve so no air pockets remain. Leave about 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) below the rim and level the filling. Let the reserved pear ice soften just enough to spread, then pack it across the top and press its edge firmly into the frozen wall. This seal becomes the flat base when the bombe is turned out.

8. 8

   Freeze it hard

   Press a round of parchment directly against the pear ice, cover the mould tightly, and freeze at 0°F (-18°C) or colder for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight. The Chartreuse center will remain softer than the pear shell because alcohol and sugar resist freezing. If the center yields deeply when tested through the base, give it more time; cold cannot be hurried by lowering the temperature for one frantic hour.

9. 9

   Unmould and serve

   Remove the covering and wrap the mould for 5 to 8 seconds in a towel wrung from warm water. Invert it onto the chilled platter and lift gently. If it clings, repeat with the towel for another 2 seconds rather than forcing it. Should the outer pear ice soften, return the unmoulded bombe to the freezer for 15 minutes. Cut with a long knife dipped in warm water and wiped dry between slices. The shell should cut cleanly around the creamy, faintly herbal center. À table!

Chef Tips

• •The pear must smell of pear before you cut it. Bartlett and Comice both purée beautifully when ripe; a hard, silent pear gives a hard, silent ice. Outside the season, pears canned in juice are an honest answer. Drain them well and weigh 450 g.
• •Measure the Chartreuse at 2 tablespoons. More does not make the filling grander; it overwhelms the fruit, loosens the foam, and keeps the center from freezing properly.
• •Metal conducts cold quickly and releases cleanly, so use a metal bombe mould or mixing bowl rather than glass. Test its capacity with water before beginning; about 1 1/2 quarts is right for this batch.
• •Cut the bombe straight from the freezer with a warmed, dry knife, then let each slice stand for 2 or 3 minutes. The pear shell loses its brittle hardness and the Chartreuse center becomes silken.
• •Serve it without stray berries, flowers, or sauces. Pear and Chartreuse are already having a precise conversation, and a formal frozen dessert does not need a hat.

Advance Preparation

• •The pear base can be blended and chilled up to 24 hours ahead. Keep it tightly covered so it does not absorb refrigerator aromas.
• •The completed bombe can be frozen up to 3 days ahead. Keep parchment against its base and wrap the mould tightly, because pear ice readily takes on freezer odors.
• •Chill the serving platter before unmoulding. Once the bombe is turned out, return it to the freezer until 5 minutes before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 160g)