Bombe Joséphine

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •1.5-litre metal bombe mould or 18 cm stainless-steel bowl
• •Small heavy saucepan
• •Sugar thermometer
• •Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
• •Food processor or large mortar and pestle
• •Flexible spatula or small offset spatula
• •Long slicing knife

Instructions

1. 1

   Skin the pistachios

   Put a 1.5-litre metal bombe mould or stainless-steel bowl in the freezer. Drop the pistachios into boiling water for 60 seconds, drain them, and cool them under cold water. Rub away every loosened skin between clean towels or your fingertips. If stubborn skins remain, blanch those nuts for another 30 seconds. Ça se rattrape. Spread the skinned pistachios on a tray and dry them in a 120°C (250°F) oven for 12 to 15 minutes without letting them colour, then cool completely.

   The pistachios should leave the oven dry and green, not toasted brown. Browning would pull the filling away from the fresh pistachio flavour the original preparation intends.
2. 2

   Clothe the mould

   Soften the coffee ice in the refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes, just until a spatula can bend it without finding liquid around the edges. Reserve ¾ cup (180 ml / about 165 g) for closing the bombe. The book borrows the term clothing the mould from Another Method of Preparing Aspics de Filets de Soles (No. 916): for this frozen application, press the remaining coffee ice firmly over the bottom and sides of the frozen mould in an even layer 1 to 1.5 cm thick. Smooth the hollow, inspect it for bare metal, and freeze for 45 to 60 minutes. If a thin patch appears once firm, press on more coffee ice and freeze it for another 15 minutes.

3. 3

   Pound the pistachios

   Set aside 2 tablespoons (30 ml / 25 g) of the measured sugar. Pound or process the cooled pistachios with that sugar and the salt, first to a fine meal and then to a damp paste, scraping the bowl frequently. Add 2 tablespoons (30 ml / 30 g) of the measured cream and continue until the paste is smooth and vividly green. If the machine warms the nuts and oil begins to separate, stop and chill the mixture for 10 minutes before continuing; forcing a hot paste only makes it greasier.

4. 4

   Whip the cream

   Whip the remaining 1⅛ cups (270 ml / 270 g) cold cream to soft peaks. It should mound gently and fold without leaving lumps, not stand stiffly around the whisk. Hold it in the refrigerator while you make the pâte à bombe.

5. 5

   Make the pâte

   Put the remaining ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon (130 ml / 110 g) sugar and the water in a small heavy saucepan. Heat gently until the sugar dissolves, then boil without stirring. When the syrup reaches about 110°C (230°F), begin beating the yolks at medium-high speed until thick and pale. At 118°C (244°F), pour the syrup into the moving yolks in a thin stream aimed between the whisk and the bowl. Keep beating until the mixture forms a heavy ribbon and the bowl feels barely warm, about 7 to 10 minutes. If the syrup crystallizes in the pan before pouring, add 1 tablespoon (15 ml / 15 g) water and dissolve it again over gentle heat. Ça se rattrape. If a little syrup hardens against the mixing bowl, leave it there rather than scraping the shard into the smooth pâte à bombe.

   The pâte à bombe must be cool before the whipped cream enters. Warm yolk foam melts the cream's air, leaving a heavy, icy centre.
6. 6

   Fold and fill

   Stir one-third of the cooled pâte à bombe into the pistachio paste to loosen it, then fold that mixture through the remaining pâte à bombe. Fold in the whipped cream in three additions, turning the bowl and cutting through the centre until no white streaks remain. Spoon the pistachio Bombe-preparation into the frozen coffee shell, stopping about 1.5 cm below the rim, and smooth it without crushing out the air. Freeze for 30 minutes, until the surface has begun to firm.

7. 7

   Close and freeze

   Soften the reserved coffee ice just enough to spread, then seal it across the pistachio filling in a level layer flush with the rim. Cover the surface directly with baking parchment, wrap the mould well, and freeze for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight. The centre must be firm all the way through before unmoulding; impatience here gives a handsome shell and a collapsing middle.

8. 8

   Unmould and serve

   Chill the serving platter. Remove the wrapping and press a cloth dipped in lukewarm water against the mould for 5 to 8 seconds, then invert it onto the platter. If the bombe resists, repeat for another few seconds rather than heating it aggressively. If an edge softens, return the unmoulded bombe to the freezer for 10 minutes. Cut it with a long knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry before every slice. Serve without ornament while the coffee shell is firm and the pistachio centre has just begun to soften. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Choose a dense, assertively flavoured coffee ice without chips, ripple, or pieces. It must spread into a continuous shell, and a mild coffee flavour disappears beside the pistachio.
• •Raw unsalted pistachios give you control over colour and flavour. Blanching is not brigade scaffolding here. The papery skins carry bitterness and turn the centre brown, so remove them before pounding.
• •A stainless-steel bowl works as well as a dedicated bombe mould. Metal releases quickly and conducts the freezer's cold evenly; thick glass is slower to freeze and less forgiving during unmoulding.
• •The first clean slice is the garnish. Serve the bombe plain, with small cups of black coffee if you like, and let the brown shell and green centre make their own argument.

Advance Preparation

• •The coffee shell can be formed and frozen a day before the pistachio filling is made. Cover it closely so it doesn't collect freezer odours.
• •The finished bombe can be frozen for up to three days before serving. Once completely firm, wrap the mould in two layers to protect its coffee flavour and smooth surface.
• •Chill the serving platter and dessert plates before unmoulding. Cold porcelain buys you several useful minutes at the table.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 170g)