Bombe Médicis

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •1-liter metal bombe mould or stainless-steel bowl
• •Ice-cream maker, or shallow metal tray and food processor
• •Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
• •Instant-read or sugar thermometer
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Small offset spatula or the back of a cold spoon

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the brandy syrup

   Put the water and sugar for the brandy ice in a small saucepan. Warm gently, stirring only until the sugar dissolves, then boil for one minute. Take the pan from the heat and stir in the salt. Cool the syrup completely over an ice bath before adding the brandy and lemon juice; adding the brandy while the syrup is hot throws its aroma into the room instead of keeping it in the dessert. Chill the mixture until thoroughly cold, and place the clean 1-liter mould in the freezer.

2. 2

   Churn the brandy ice

   Churn the cold mixture in an ice-cream maker until it resembles fine, wet snow and holds a ridge from the paddle, about 20 to 25 minutes. It will remain softer than ordinary sorbet because of the brandy. That is correct. Transfer it to the freezer for 10 minutes if it flows instead of holding against a spoon.

   Without a machine, freeze the mixture in a shallow metal tray for 45 minutes, then scrape the frozen edges into the center every 20 minutes until the crystals are fine and the ice is packable. A brief turn in a food processor smooths any stubborn coarse crystals.
3. 3

   Chemiser the mould

   Chemiser, to clothe the mould, is the operation preserved through Another Method of Preparing Aspics de Filets de Soles (No. 916). Its savory ingredients have no place here, but its principle remains exact: form a continuous, even outer layer against a cold mould. Pack the brandy ice about 1 cm thick across the bottom and sides, pressing firmly with the back of a cold spoon. Reserve about ¾ cup (180 ml) for sealing the base. Hold the mould toward a light and patch every translucent or thin place. If the ice slides, freeze it for 10 minutes and continue; if a patch cracks, press fresh ice across it. Ça se rattrape. Freeze the clothed mould for 20 minutes.

4. 4

   Prepare the raspberry

   Purée the raspberries with the lemon juice, then press them through a fine sieve to remove the seeds. Measure 1 cup (240 ml / about 225 g) of smooth purée and chill it. Whip the cold cream to soft peaks that curl over when the whisk is lifted, then return it to the cold. If the cream becomes grainy and stiff, fold in 1 tablespoon of unwhipped cream until it relaxes; don't keep beating.

5. 5

   Cook the pâte à bombe

   Begin beating the yolks at medium speed until they are loosened and slightly pale. Put the sugar and water for the pâte à bombe in a clean small saucepan, heat gently until dissolved, then boil without stirring to 118°C. If crystals form before the syrup reaches temperature, add 1 teaspoon of water and return it to gentle heat until clear. Ça se rattrape. With the mixer running, pour the hot syrup in a thin stream down the inside of the bowl, avoiding the moving whisk. Beat at high speed until the pâte à bombe is thick, glossy, and no warmer than the room, about 8 minutes. A little hardened syrup on the bowl can be ignored; grainy yolks should be passed through a fine sieve while the mixture is still warm.

6. 6

   Fold the filling

   Fold the chilled raspberry purée into the pâte à bombe in three additions, turning from the bottom until no yellow streaks remain. Fold in one-third of the whipped cream to loosen the mixture, then add the remainder with broad, gentle turns. Stop as soon as the color is evenly raspberry-rose. If the filling looks loose, chill it for 10 minutes before filling the mould; more stirring will only knock out the air that gives the center its creamy cut.

7. 7

   Fill and freeze

   Spoon the raspberry pâte à bombe into the clothed mould, pressing the first spoonfuls gently against the brandy-ice shell so no hollow pockets remain. Fill to about 1 cm below the rim and smooth the surface. Mash the reserved brandy ice until pliable, spread it across the filling to seal the base, and level it flush with the rim. Cover tightly and freeze in the coldest part of the freezer for a full three hours. This wait is the dish, not brigade scaffolding. The brandy ice needs every minute to hold its shape.

8. 8

   Unmould and serve

   Chill the serving platter. Dip the mould in warm water for 5 seconds, wipe it dry, invert it onto the platter, and lift carefully. If it refuses to release, wrap the mould for a few seconds in a towel dipped in warm water; don't leave it submerged, or the soft brandy shell will melt first. If an edge slumps, return the unmoulded bombe to the freezer for 15 minutes. Cut with a knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry between slices. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Choose a rounded grape brandy with a clean fruit aroma. A heavily smoked or aggressively woody spirit takes over the raspberries, while a liqueur brings extra sugar and leaves the shell too soft.
• •Frozen raspberries are an honest choice outside their season. They were picked ripe, and for a sieved purée their softened texture costs nothing. Thaw them in the cold and use all their juice.
• •A thin metal bombe mould is ideal, but a 1-liter stainless-steel bowl works beautifully. Glass insulates the mixture and makes both freezing and unmoulding slower.
• •The thermometer earns its drawer space here. Syrup below 118°C leaves the pâte à bombe weak; syrup taken much higher sets into threads before it can cook and aerate the yolks.
• •Serve the bombe without a sauce or decorative clutter. Its cut face is the decoration. Black coffee or a small glass of the same brandy is enough beside it.

Advance Preparation

• •The brandy syrup and sieved raspberry purée can be prepared one day ahead and kept covered in the cold. Add the brandy only after the syrup has cooled.
• •The completed bombe can be frozen up to two days ahead. Once fully firm, wrap the mould tightly so the exposed base doesn't take on freezer odors.
• •Unmould immediately before serving. If dinner runs late, return the released bombe to the freezer and cut it only when everyone is at the table.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 155g)