Bombe Nero

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •1½-quart (1.5 L) stainless steel dome mould or mixing bowl with a 7-inch (18 cm) opening
• •Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
• •Candy or instant-read thermometer
• •8-inch (20 cm) cake tin
• •Piping bags with plain and star tips
• •10-inch (25 cm) flat stainless steel serving platter, freezer-safe and broiler-safe
• •Flexible metal spatula
• •Long taper or fireplace match
• •Small metal lid for extinguishing the rum flame

Instructions

1. 1

   Dry the meringue cup

   Heat the oven to 200°F (95°C) and line a small tray with parchment. Prepare about 1 cup (240 ml / 120 g) of the Meringue à l’Italienne (No. 2383) from its own entry, leaving the larger finishing batch unmade for now. Pipe a 2½-inch (6 cm) disk, then pipe three rings around its edge to form a shallow receptacle for the rum. Dry it for 75 to 90 minutes, until crisp enough to lift cleanly, then cool and store airtight. If one ring cracks, pipe a little meringue over the gap and return it to the oven for 15 minutes. Ça se rattrape.

2. 2

   Shape the truffles

   Reserve 1 tablespoon of the measured truffle cream. Warm the remainder until small bubbles appear around the edge, then pour it over the chopped chocolate. Wait one minute, add the softened butter, and stir from the centre outward until the ganache is dark and glossy. If it turns oily, stir in the reserved warm cream a teaspoon at a time until it closes again. Chill until firm enough to handle, then roll 12 to 14 pieces the size of small hazelnuts and freeze them on a lined plate.

3. 3

   Make caramel ice

   Put the caramel sugar in a light-coloured saucepan and cook it over medium heat without stirring, swirling the pan only after the edges begin to melt. Let it reach a deep amber, then remove the pan from the heat and add the warm cream carefully; it will rise fiercely. Return it to low heat and stir until smooth, then add the butter and salt. If the caramel seizes into a hard lump, keep it over gentle heat and stir patiently. It will melt back. Cool it completely, then work it through the softened vanilla ice cream until the colour is evenly café au lait.

4. 4

   Clothe the dome

   Chill a 1½-quart (1.5 L) stainless steel dome mould or mixing bowl for 20 minutes. Chemiser, meaning clothing the mould, follows the coating principle in Another Method of Preparing Aspics de Filets de Soles (No. 916), applied here to ice cream rather than jelly. Press the caramel ice evenly over the bottom and sides in a layer about ⅝ inch (1.5 cm) thick, leaving a clean hollow in the centre. If the ice slides toward the bottom, freeze the first thin coating for 10 minutes, then add the rest. Freeze the clothed mould until thoroughly hard, about 2 hours.

   Run the back of a cold spoon over the shell and hold the bowl to the light. Thin patches show clearly and can be reinforced before the mousse goes in.
5. 5

   Bake Punch Biscuit

   Raise the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line the base of an 8-inch (20 cm) cake tin. Whisk the yolks with half the biscuit sugar until pale and thick. In a clean bowl, whisk the whites until foamy, add the remaining sugar gradually, and continue until they hold a supple peak. Fold the whites into the yolks, sift over the flour, and fold again, adding the cooled butter with the final strokes. Spread the batter thinly in the tin and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until lightly golden and springy. Cool, then trim it to the exact diameter of the bombe mould. If the edge tears, patch it with a trimmed piece and put that side underneath. Cooking well is not cooking fancy.

6. 6

   Whip vanilla mousse

   Reserve 2 tablespoons of the cold mousse cream. Split the vanilla bean and scrape its seeds into the yolks. Whisk the yolks in a heatproof mixer bowl while the mousse sugar and water cook to 244°F (118°C). With the mixer running, pour the syrup in a thin stream down the inside of the bowl, never onto the whisk, and beat until the pâte à bombe, the yolks whipped with hot syrup, is thick, pale, and cool. Whip the remaining cream to soft peaks and fold it into the pâte à bombe in three additions. If the base is still warm and loosens the cream, stop, set the bowl over ice, and fold again once cool. If the cream becomes grainy, fold in the reserved liquid cream to smooth it.

7. 7

   Fill and freeze

   Spoon one-third of the vanilla mousse into the frozen caramel-ice shell and scatter over one-third of the frozen chocolate truffles. Continue in layers so the truffles remain suspended rather than sinking into one dark band. Smooth the final mousse level with the rim, cover the mould, and freeze for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight. The shell and centre must be hard before unmoulding; this waiting is not brigade scaffolding, it is the structure of the Bombe Nero.

8. 8

   Punch the biscuit

   Bring the punch-syrup water and sugar to a boil and stir only until clear. Cool it, then add the dark rum. Set the Punch Biscuit on a flat, freezer-safe stainless steel serving platter and brush it lightly with the syrup. It should be fragrant and supple, not saturated; too much syrup freezes into an icy layer beneath the mousse.

9. 9

   Unmould and cover

   Press a towel wrung out in warm water against the mould for 5 seconds, then invert it over the Punch Biscuit. If the bombe refuses to release, repeat with the towel rather than holding it under hot water. Centre the dome on its biscuit cushion. Prepare the remaining Meringue à l’Italienne (No. 2383) from its own entry and spread a thin, complete layer over the bombe. Pipe ridges or shells around the sides, then fix the dried meringue receptacle at the crown with a dab of fresh meringue. Freeze the covered bombe, uncovered, for 30 to 45 minutes.

10. 10

    Glaze under fierce heat

    Set an oven rack 5 to 6 inches (13 to 15 cm) below the broiler and heat it at maximum for a full 15 minutes. Take the bombe directly from the freezer to the broiler on its metal platter. Glaze it for 30 to 60 seconds, rotating once if necessary, until the ridges are bronzed but the hollows remain ivory. Watch without turning away. A slow oven melts the bombe before it colours. If a small patch begins to slide, pull the platter out immediately, press the meringue back with a cold spatula, and refreeze for 15 minutes. Ça se rattrape.

    Use metal beneath the bombe. A chilled ceramic platter can crack when it meets the broiler's fierce heat.
11. 11

    Flame and serve

    Place the measured rum in a small heatproof jug and stand it in a bowl of just-boiled water until it reaches about 125°F to 130°F (50°C to 55°C). Never warm rum over an open flame. Carry the bombe to a cleared table, extinguish nearby candles, and keep a small metal lid within reach. Pour the warm rum into the meringue receptacle and ignite it with a long taper, keeping the rum bottle away from the table. Let the blue flame subside, or smother it with the lid if needed, then cut the bombe with a warm, dry knife. À table!

    Never add more rum while any flame remains. The display is brief by design, and the dessert waits for no encore.

Chef Tips

• •Buy a dense, full-fat vanilla ice cream with real cream and vanilla in the ingredient list. A whipped, low-fat ice cream collapses quickly as it softens and freezes back with a coarse texture.
• •The citation to Another Method of Preparing Aspics de Filets de Soles (No. 916) preserves the source's technical cross-reference for clothing and releasing a mould. Only that moulding principle enters Bombe Nero; no fish, forcemeat, jelly, or aspic belongs anywhere near the dessert.
• •Use a shallow stainless steel platter for both freezing and glazing. Metal tolerates the sudden move beneath the broiler and carries the bombe to the table without asking you to transfer a softening dessert.
• •Warm and dry the slicing knife before every cut. Push straight down through the meringue, ice shell, mousse, and biscuit, then wipe the blade clean so each slice shows the layers sharply.
• •The rum flame does not remove all the alcohol. Keep the table clear, use a long taper, and never pour from the bottle near a flame. If fire service isn't suitable for your guests, omit it plainly; don't put rum extract or another substitute in the meringue cup.
• •Serve with black coffee or a small glass of aged rum. A very dry sparkling wine tastes severe after caramel, chocolate, and Italian meringue.

Advance Preparation

• •The chocolate truffles and dried meringue receptacle can be made up to three days ahead. Keep the truffles frozen and the meringue cup airtight at room temperature.
• •The Punch Biscuit can be baked a day ahead, cooled completely, and wrapped. Add the punch syrup only when assembling so the sponge doesn't become wet and fragile.
• •Fill and freeze the bombe one or two days before serving. Keep the mould tightly covered after the mousse is hard so the ice cream doesn't collect freezer odours.
• •Unmould and cover the bombe with fresh Italian meringue 30 to 45 minutes before serving, then return it to the freezer. Glaze and flame only when the table is ready.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 330g)