Bombe Jaffa

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •1.5 L metal bombe mould or freezer-safe stainless-steel bowl
• •Ice-cream machine with a fully frozen bowl
• •Stand mixer or electric hand mixer
• •Instant-read or sugar thermometer
• •Food processor
• •Small offset spatula
• •Silicone baking mat or buttered metal tray

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the pralin

   Heat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Toast the almonds and hazelnuts for 8 to 10 minutes, until fragrant and lightly bronzed. Put the 50 g sugar and 15 ml water in a small heavy saucepan, bring them to a boil without stirring, and cook until the caramel turns a clear amber. Add the warm nuts, turn them through the caramel, and immediately spread the mixture on a silicone mat or lightly buttered metal tray. Once completely cold, break it into pieces and process until it passes from crumbs to a thick, glossy pralin paste. Pause if the processor grows hot; patience releases the nut oils, while extra liquid would make the frozen shell icy.

2. 2

   Cook praline custard

   Warm the milk and 240 ml cream until small bubbles gather around the pan. Whisk the 4 yolks with the 38 g sugar, then slowly whisk in half the hot dairy. Return everything to the pan and cook over gentle heat, stirring constantly, until the crème anglaise coats the spoon and reaches 82 to 84°C (180 to 183°F). Remove it immediately and whisk in all the pralin. If the custard turns slightly grainy, pull it from the heat, add a spoonful of cold cream, blend briefly, and pass it through a fine sieve. Ça se rattrape. Chill the base over ice, then refrigerate until thoroughly cold.

3. 3

   Churn and clothe

   Churn the praline custard until it holds the texture of firm soft-serve. Reserve about ¾ cup for sealing the bombe, then reach for the clothing principle from Another Method of Preparing Aspics de Filets de Soles (No. 916): press the remaining pralined ice over the bottom and sides of the frozen mould in an even layer about 1.5 cm thick. Turn the mould as you work so no bare metal remains. If the ice cream slides down, freeze the mould for 10 minutes and patch it; if it has grown too firm to spread, let it soften for 5 minutes. Freeze the clothed mould and reserved praline ice separately for at least 1 hour.

4. 4

   Build orange pâte

   Rub the orange zest into the 20 g sugar with your fingertips until the sugar is damp and intensely fragrant, then whisk it with the 5 yolks in a stand-mixer bowl. Put the remaining 100 g sugar and 45 ml water in a clean saucepan and cook without stirring to 118°C (244°F). With the mixer running at medium speed, pour the syrup in a narrow stream down the inside of the bowl, never onto the moving whisk. If the syrup crystallizes in its pan, add a tablespoon of water and bring it back to temperature without stirring. Continue beating until the pâte à bombe, the cooked yolk foam, is pale, thick, and no warmer than room temperature, about 8 minutes. Beat in the orange liqueur.

5. 5

   Fold in cream

   Whip the 360 ml cold cream to soft peaks. Fold one-third into the pâte à bombe to lighten it, then fold in the remainder with broad turns until no white streaks remain. The orange comes from zest carried in sugar and from the liqueur, not from juice; excess juice brings water and acid, and the yolk base will not carry the cream cleanly. If the pâte à bombe is still warm and begins melting the cream, set the bowl over ice for 5 minutes before continuing. Stop folding as soon as the mixture is even.

6. 6

   Fill and freeze

   Spoon the orange mixture into the hollow praline shell, pressing gently enough to remove large air pockets without disturbing the walls. Leave about 1.5 cm at the rim. Let the reserved praline ice soften just until spreadable, then use it to close the base completely, joining it to the frozen shell around the edge. Smooth the surface, cover closely, and freeze for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight. This complete praline coat is the dish, not decoration, so patch any exposed orange before the final freeze.

7. 7

   Unmould and slice

   Chill the serving platter. Wrap the mould in a warm, well-wrung towel for 5 to 8 seconds, invert it over the platter, and lift gently. If it holds fast, repeat for a few seconds rather than forcing it. Return a softening bombe to the freezer for 20 minutes. Let the unmoulded Bombe Jaffa stand for 8 minutes before cutting, then slice it with a knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry between cuts. The proper slice shows an even nut-brown shell enclosing a pale orange heart. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Pralin means caramelized nuts ground until their oils turn the mixture into a paste. If you buy it ready-made, use 140 g of smooth almond-hazelnut praliné containing nuts and caramelized sugar, not chocolate spread.
• •The ice-cream-machine bowl must be frozen solid before you begin. Shake it: if you hear liquid moving inside, it isn't ready, and the praline custard will never become firm enough to clothe the mould.
• •Use unwaxed oranges and remove only the colored zest. The bitter white pith has no place here, and the juice belongs in tomorrow's breakfast rather than tonight's pâte à bombe.
• •A home freezer sets ice cream harder than a service freezer. Give the bombe its brief rest before slicing, but keep the platter cold so the praline shell stays clean and distinct.
• •Serve small but proper wedges with demi-sec Champagne or a modest glass of the same orange liqueur used in the filling. The bombe needs no sauce, fruit pile, or decoration.

Advance Preparation

• •Freeze the ice-cream-machine bowl for at least 24 hours and chill the metal mould for at least 1 hour before churning.
• •The pralin can be made up to 1 week ahead and stored airtight in a cool cupboard. Stir it before using if its oils separate.
• •Assemble the bombe at least 6 hours before serving. Overnight freezing gives the cleanest layers, and the finished bombe keeps well covered for up to 3 days.
• •Unmould only when the table is ready for dessert. If necessary, return the unmoulded bombe to the freezer on its chilled platter for up to 30 minutes before slicing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 175g)