Bombe Marquise

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •1.5-litre metal bombe mould or smooth stainless-steel bowl
• •Ice-cream machine, or shallow metal tray and food processor
• •Stand mixer or electric hand mixer
• •Small saucepan
• •Sugar thermometer
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Flexible offset spatula

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the apricot ice

   Put the ½ cup water and ½ cup sugar in a small saucepan. Warm gently until the sugar dissolves, then boil for one minute and remove from the heat. Cool for ten minutes before whisking in the apricot purée, lemon juice, and salt. Do not cook the fruit; its vivid acidity must remain intact against the rich filling. Chill the mixture thoroughly for at least two hours, and place the empty bombe mould in the freezer at the same time.

2. 2

   Chemiser the mould

   Churn the apricot mixture until it holds soft ridges and is firm enough to spread. Chemiser, to clothe the mould, by pressing the apricot ice evenly over the bottom and sides of the frozen mould in a layer about ⅜ inch (1 cm) thick. The source borrows this principle from Another Method of Preparing Aspics de Filets de Soles (No. 916), where liquid jelly is rocked over broken ice. Here, a frozen metal mould and a flexible spatula are the honest home equivalents because apricot ice will not flow like jelly. Hold the mould up to the light; if any patch looks thin, ça se rattrape, press on a little more ice and smooth it level. Freeze the clothed mould for at least ninety minutes, until the shell is hard all the way through.

   Keep a small cup of the churned apricot ice in the freezer until the shell is inspected. It is your plaster for thin spots, cracks, and an uneven rim.
3. 3

   Build the pâte à bombe

   Put the yolks in the bowl of a stand mixer and begin whisking at medium speed. Combine the remaining sugar and water in a clean saucepan, bring them to a boil without stirring, and cook to 244°F (118°C). If the syrup crystallizes before reaching temperature, ça se rattrape: add 1 tablespoon (15 ml / 15 g) water, cover for thirty seconds, and return it to the heat without stirring. With the mixer running, pour the hot syrup down the inside of the bowl in a thin, steady stream, keeping it away from the whisk. Increase the speed and beat until the pâte à bombe is very pale, thick enough to fall in ribbons, and nearly cool, about eight minutes. If a few cooked egg threads appear, pass the mixture through a fine sieve at once and continue whisking in a clean bowl.

4. 4

   Fold the Champagne filling

   Whip the cold cream to soft peaks that bend when the whisk is lifted. Fold one-third into the pâte à bombe to loosen it, then fold in the rest with broad strokes, preserving as much air as you can. Add the cold Champagne last, in three small additions, folding only until evenly incorporated. The wine stays cold so its aroma remains itself, and it goes in last because heat would flatten it. If the mixture becomes very fluid, the pâte à bombe was still too warm; set the bowl over ice for ten minutes and fold gently until it mounds softly again. Do not beat it.

5. 5

   Fill and freeze

   Check that the apricot shell is completely hard before filling. Spoon in the Champagne Bombe-preparation, easing it into the curve without scraping through the apricot layer, then smooth the surface level with the rim. Cover directly with parchment, fit the lid or wrap the mould closely, and freeze in the coldest part of the freezer at 0°F (-18°C) or below for at least ten hours, preferably overnight. The sugar and Champagne keep the centre tender, which is desirable, but they also slow the freeze. A home freezer simply needs longer than the old salted-ice station. If the centre still yields deeply when pressed through the parchment, give it another two hours.

6. 6

   Unmould and serve

   Chill the serving platter for twenty minutes. Uncover the bombe and pass a warm, damp towel around the mould for five to eight seconds, then invert it firmly onto the platter. If it does not release, ça se rattrape: warm the mould for another three seconds and try again rather than pulling at the dessert. Return a softening bombe to the freezer for twenty minutes before cutting. Slice with a knife dipped in warm water and wiped dry between cuts, revealing the apricot-orange shell around the pale Champagne centre. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Unsweetened frozen apricot purée is an excellent choice and often has more character than tired fresh fruit. If you use canned apricots, choose fruit packed in juice, drain it thoroughly, and blend it smooth. Jam is too sweet and will not freeze into the clean, tart shell this bombe needs.
• •Use a brut Champagne with enough fruit to remain present after freezing. Extra-brut can taste severe beside the apricot, while a sweet bottle makes the centre slow to set. Pour the rest at the table. No hardship there.
• •Without an ice-cream machine, freeze the apricot mixture in a shallow metal tray and scrape it vigorously every thirty minutes until thick. Process it once until smooth, then return it to the freezer until spreadable. The texture will be a little coarser, but the mould can still be clothed honestly.
• •A metal bombe mould releases more readily than glass and freezes the lining faster. A 1.5-litre stainless-steel mixing bowl is the sensible home substitute; choose one with a smooth interior and a stable rim.
• •Serve the bombe straight from the freezer rather than letting it soften on the table. The Champagne centre should yield under the fork, while the apricot shell keeps a clean edge around it.

Advance Preparation

• •The apricot base can be mixed and chilled up to two days before churning. Keep it covered so it does not take on refrigerator aromas.
• •The mould can be clothed with apricot ice and frozen overnight before the Champagne filling is made. Wrap it closely once the shell is hard.
• •Complete the bombe at least ten hours before serving. It keeps well for three days when tightly wrapped, though the Champagne aroma is liveliest on the first two.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 160g)