Bombe Havanaise

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •1.2-liter metal bombe mould or smooth stainless-steel bowl
• •Domestic ice-cream machine
• •Digital instant-read or sugar thermometer
• •Electric mixer
• •Small offset spatula
• •Fine sieve and coffee filter

Instructions

1. 1

   Infuse the coffee syrup

   Place the bombe mould and a small offset spatula in the freezer. Combine the coffee-ice sugar and water in a small saucepan, stirring over medium heat only until the sugar dissolves. Let it boil for one minute, remove it from the heat, add the crushed coffee beans, and cover for 10 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve lined with a coffee filter, letting the syrup drip without pressing the bitter sediment through. This measured infusion gives the shell its coffee strength without the uncontrolled water of brewed coffee. If crystals form around the pan, add a teaspoon of the optional water and warm gently until the syrup is clear again. Ça se rattrape.

   Crush the beans just before infusing them. Powdery coffee slips through the filter and muddies the ice; coarse pieces surrender their aroma and remain easy to strain.
2. 2

   Cook the coffee ice

   Warm the milk, the ¾ cup cream, the strained coffee syrup, and half the salt until small bubbles appear at the edge. Whisk the 3 yolks in a bowl, pour in a third of the hot dairy while whisking, then return everything to the saucepan. Stir constantly over low heat until it reaches crème anglaise consistency, coating the back of a spoon while a finger drawn through it leaves a clean path, about 82 to 84°C. Never let it boil. At the first sign of fine curds, lift the pan from the heat, blend briefly, and strain at once; a lightly grainy custard can be rescued, but firmly scrambled yolks cannot. Set the bowl over ice, stir until cold, cover, and chill for at least 3 hours.

3. 3

   Churn the coffee ice

   Churn the thoroughly cold base in the ice-cream machine until it stands in soft folds and holds the track of the dasher, usually 20 to 25 minutes. It should be spreadable but no longer fluid. Reserve about ¾ cup in a covered freezer container for sealing the base of the bombe, then work promptly with the remainder. A half-frozen mixture slides down the mould and makes a thick bottom with bare sides; if yours is too loose, give it 10 minutes in the freezer before continuing.

4. 4

   Chemiser le moule

   Chemiser le moule using the thin, even coating principle named in Another Method of Preparing Aspics de Filets de Soles (No. 916). For coffee ice, which is semisolid rather than liquid jelly, press half of it over the bottom and sides of the frozen mould with the chilled spatula, freeze for 15 minutes, then add the remainder until the shell is about 1 cm thick throughout. Freeze for at least 30 minutes. Inspect the rim and inner surface carefully; if a patch looks thin, soften a spoonful of coffee ice, press it over the weakness, and freeze again. The outline needn't be dainty, but it must be complete.

5. 5

   Make the pâte à bombe

   Begin whipping the 4 pasteurized yolks with the vanilla seeds and remaining salt at medium speed. Meanwhile, combine the pâte à bombe sugar and water in a clean saucepan and cook without stirring to 118°C. With the mixer running, pour the hot syrup in a narrow stream down the inside of the bowl, clear of the moving whisk. Increase the speed and whip until the mixture is pale, thick, tripled in volume, and cooler than 30°C, about 8 minutes. If the syrup crystallizes before pouring, add a teaspoon of the optional water, dissolve it completely over gentle heat, and bring it back to 118°C. Once the yolk foam is cool, beat in the rum. Do not add more rum for courage; alcohol softens the freeze, and this measure is generous enough.

6. 6

   Fill and seal

   Whip the cold cream to soft peaks, stopping while the tip still bends. Fold one quarter into the pâte à bombe to loosen it, then fold in the rest with broad strokes until no white streaks remain. If the yolk mixture is still warm, set its bowl over ice and keep folding gently until cool; warm filling melts the coffee shell and muddles the clean division that defines the dish. Spoon the filling into the frozen shell, leaving about 1 cm at the rim, and smooth it level. If the surface feels very soft, freeze it for 20 minutes. Soften the reserved coffee ice just until spreadable, press it over the filling as a complete cap, and smooth it flush with the mould.

7. 7

   Freeze and unmould

   Cover the mould tightly and freeze for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight. Chill the serving platter before unmoulding. Press a cloth dipped in warm water against the outside of the mould for 5 seconds, invert it onto the platter, and lift straight upward. If it refuses, repeat for 3 seconds rather than flooding it with heat. If the surface softens or streaks, return the unmoulded bombe to the freezer for 15 minutes; it will set cleanly again. Let it stand for 5 minutes before cutting, then slice with a knife dipped in hot water and wiped completely dry between cuts. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Choose fresh medium-dark coffee beans with no added flavoring. The freezer quiets aroma, so the infusion should taste almost too strong before churning; that confidence becomes balance once frozen.
• •Use an aged dark rum, not a spiced one. Vanilla is already present, and bottled spice turns the centre muddy. Keep to the measured amount because extra alcohol prevents a firm set.
• •A purpose-made bombe mould is handsome but unnecessary. A smooth 1.2-liter stainless-steel mixing bowl freezes quickly and unmoulds cleanly, which is the honest home equivalent.
• •Serve the bombe alone, without chocolate sauce, whipped cream, or decorative clutter. Its own cut face is the finish. A small black coffee or a glass of the same rum is enough beside it.

Advance Preparation

• •Freeze a removable ice-cream-machine bowl for the full time its manufacturer requires, commonly at least 24 hours. A bowl that is merely cold cannot freeze the coffee base quickly enough for a fine texture.
• •The coffee custard base can be infused, cooked, and refrigerated up to 2 days before churning. Keep it tightly covered so it takes on no refrigerator aromas.
• •The assembled bombe can be frozen up to 3 days ahead. Cover the mould closely, then unmould it onto a chilled platter 30 minutes before serving and return it to the freezer until the table is ready.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 135g)