Bombe Gismonda

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •1.5 litre metal bombe mold or freezer-safe stainless-steel bowl
• •Ice cream machine
• •Stand mixer or electric hand mixer
• •Instant-read or sugar thermometer
• •Food processor
• •Small heavy saucepan
• •Offset spatula
• •Silicone mat or baking parchment

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the pralin

   Toast the almonds in a dry pan over medium heat until fragrant and pale gold, then keep them warm. Combine the first measure of sugar and water in a small heavy saucepan, dissolve the sugar over gentle heat, and cook without stirring until the caramel reaches a clear chestnut colour. Stir in the warm almonds, immediately spread the mixture on parchment or a silicone mat, and leave it until completely cold. If crystals gather around the pan edge, cover the pan for 30 seconds so condensation washes them down, then continue. Ça se rattrape. Break the cold praline into pieces and process it to a fine, slightly oily meal.

2. 2

   Cook the praline base

   Bring the milk and first measure of cream just below a simmer. Whisk the first 4 yolks with the second measure of sugar until smooth, then temper them with a ladleful of hot dairy. Return everything to the saucepan and cook over gentle heat, stirring constantly, until the crème anglaise coats the spoon and reaches 82 to 84°C. Do not let it boil. If it turns slightly grainy, take it off the heat at once, blend briefly, and strain it over an ice bath; a fully scrambled custard must be remade. Whisk in the ground pralin and salt, cool rapidly over ice, then chill until thoroughly cold.

3. 3

   Churn the shell

   Churn the cold praline custard according to the machine's instructions until it holds the soft, close texture of freshly churned ice cream. It must be spreadable but not runny. Transfer about ¾ cup (180 ml) to a shallow covered container for the final cap and keep it frozen.

4. 4

   Clothe the mould

   Chill a 1.5 litre metal bombe mold or freezer-safe stainless-steel bowl until very cold. The book points to Another Method of Preparing Aspics de Filets de Soles (No. 916) for the coating action it calls clothing the mould: press the remaining soft glace pralinée evenly over the bottom and sides in a layer about 1.25 cm thick, leaving a clean hollow at the centre. A cold bowl replaces the broken-ice bed used for jelly, while an offset spatula replaces repeated rocking. Freeze the shell for 45 to 60 minutes, until hard enough that a fingertip leaves no mark.

5. 5

   Whip the pâte à bombe

   Place the remaining 4 yolks in the mixer bowl. Combine the third measure of sugar and water in a clean saucepan and cook to 118°C. Begin whisking the yolks at medium speed, then pour the syrup in a thin stream down the side of the bowl, never onto the moving whisk. Increase the speed and whisk until the pâte à bombe has tripled in volume, holds a thick ribbon, and feels barely warm. Drizzle in the anisette on low speed. If the foam loosens, chill it for 10 minutes before folding; the measured alcohol softens the mixture but should not collapse it.

6. 6

   Fold in cream

   Reserve 2 tablespoons of the cold cream, then whip the rest to soft peaks. Fold one-third into the pâte à bombe to lighten it, followed by the remainder in two additions, turning the bowl and cutting cleanly through the centre. If the cream goes slightly grainy from overwhipping, fold in the reserved liquid cream before combining it with the yolk foam. Stop as soon as no white streaks remain.

7. 7

   Vein with currant jam

   Reserve 2 tablespoons of the Bar-le-Duc jam. Stir the remainder only enough to make it spoonable, keeping the currants intact, then place it over the anisette filling in four loose dollops. Give the mixture two broad folds. Stop. The jam should remain in visible ribbons, not tint the filling evenly. If you go one fold too far, add the reserved jam in streaks and make one final pass through the bowl; that restores the veins.

8. 8

   Fill and freeze

   Spoon the veined filling into the hard praline shell, working gently so the currant ribbons remain distinct. Press the filling into the curve without smearing the shell, tap the mold once against a folded towel to settle any large air pockets, and level the surface. Let the reserved glace pralinée soften just until spreadable, then seal the top with an even cap. Cover closely and freeze for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.

9. 9

   Unmould and serve

   Chill the serving plate. Dip the mold in lukewarm water for 5 seconds, dry it, and invert it onto the plate. If it clings, wrap the mold briefly in a warm damp towel rather than soaking it again. Return a softened bombe to the freezer for 20 minutes before slicing. Let it stand for 5 minutes, then cut with a knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry between slices. Each wedge should show a firm tawny shell, an airy ivory centre, and loose pale currant veins. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Bar-le-Duc white-currant jam is not ordinary jelly. Its translucent whole currants give the filling both its pale colour and its veins. Another white-currant preserve keeps the flavour, but red-currant jelly changes the appearance and should be named honestly at the table.
• •Use clear, sweet anisette. Pastis and absinthe bring different herbs, more bitterness, and often stronger alcohol; they are not invisible substitutions in this delicate filling.
• •Freeze the shell until truly hard before adding the pâte à bombe. A merely firm shell smears into the filling, and the clean ring disappears when the bombe is cut.
• •Serve the bombe cold but not stony. Five minutes at room temperature lets the anisette open and the praline shell yield cleanly beneath the spoon.

Advance Preparation

• •The pralin and praline custard base may be made a day ahead. Keep the pralin airtight and the custard covered in the refrigerator, then churn when ready to clothe the mold.
• •Assemble and freeze the bombe at least 6 hours before serving. It keeps well for up to 3 days when wrapped closely, making it properly suited to a dinner party.
• •The bombe may be unmolded up to 2 hours before serving and returned to the freezer on its chilled plate. Cover it lightly once the exterior has hardened again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 185g)