Bombe à la Royale

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •1.5-liter (6-cup) metal bombe mould or stainless-steel bowl
• •Ice-cream machine or shallow metal freezing tray
• •Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
• •Digital sugar thermometer
• •Small offset spatula
• •Long slicing knife
• •Chilled serving platter

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the kirsch ice

   Put the water and sugar for the kirsch ice in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring only until the sugar dissolves, then simmer for 1 minute and remove from the heat. Cool completely before stirring in the kirsch and lemon juice; heat drives away the kirsch perfume, which is precisely what the shell is meant to carry. Chill the mixture thoroughly, then churn it until it resembles firm, spreadable snow. Without an ice-cream machine, freeze it in a shallow metal tray and whisk vigorously every 30 minutes until evenly slushy, about 2 hours.

   Do not chase a stronger kirsch flavour by adding more alcohol. Too much prevents the chemise from setting firmly enough to hold the centre.
2. 2

   Clothe the mould

   Freeze a 1.5-liter metal dome mould or bowl for 20 minutes. Following the clothing principle indicated by Another Method of Preparing Aspics de Filets de Soles (No. 916), press the soft kirsch ice over the entire chilled interior with an offset spatula, turning the mould as you work. Keep the chemise between 3 and 4 mm thick, with no bare metal showing, then freeze for 30 minutes. Hold it toward the light and inspect it: patch a thin place with more ice, or scrape back a heavy ridge before it hardens completely. Ça se rattrape. Reserve enough kirsch ice to close the base later.

3. 3

   Melt chocolate and pralin

   Set the chocolate and pralined almond-hazelnut paste in a heatproof bowl over barely simmering water, keeping the bowl above the water itself. Stir until smooth, glossy, and just warm, then remove it from the heat. Water is the enemy here. If a stray drop makes the chocolate seize, stir in 1 tablespoon of the reserved unwhipped cream and warm it gently until smooth again.

4. 4

   Whip the pâte à bombe

   Put the yolks in the bowl of an electric mixer and begin beating at medium speed. Boil the sugar and water for the pâte à bombe without stirring until the syrup reaches 118°C (244°F). If crystals form around the pan, do not scrape them into the syrup; add a spoonful of water to a clean pan and cook it again. With the mixer running, pour the hot syrup in a thin stream down the inside of the bowl, never onto the moving whisk. Increase the speed and whip until the pâte à bombe is thick, pale, and cool enough that the bowl no longer feels warm, about 7 minutes. It should fall from the whisk in a broad ribbon.

5. 5

   Fold the centre

   Whip all but the reserved 2 tablespoons of cream with the salt until it holds soft folds, not stiff peaks. Stir one-third of the pâte à bombe into the warm chocolate-praline mixture to lighten it, then fold in the remainder with a broad spatula. Fold in the whipped cream in three additions, turning the bowl and cutting through the centre so the air remains inside. If the chocolate mixture tightens into little firm flecks, set the bowl over warm water for only a few seconds and fold in the remaining unwhipped cream. Stop as soon as it smooths.

6. 6

   Fill and seal

   Spoon the chocolate-praline pâte à bombe into the frozen chemise, pressing it gently toward the sides so no hollow pockets remain. Leave about 6 mm at the rim. Spread the reserved kirsch ice over the filling to close the base and level it with the mould. Cover tightly and freeze on a level shelf for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight. The centre needs this full rest to slice cleanly; an impatient bombe slumps at the table, and no amount of ceremony persuades it otherwise.

7. 7

   Unmould and serve

   Chill the serving platter. Dip only the outside of the mould in tepid water for 5 seconds, dry it, and invert it onto the platter. If it does not release, wrap the mould briefly in a warm, damp towel and try again; repeated long dips melt the chemise before the centre lets go. Return the unmoulded bombe to the freezer for 15 minutes if its surface has softened. Cut with a long knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry between slices. Serve without extra sauce or decoration. The clean contrast is the finish. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Use a true kirsch made from cherries, clear and dry rather than a sweet cherry liqueur. The sugar is already balanced for freezing, and a syrupy substitute leaves the chemise soft.
• •Choose a smooth praliné paste made from caramelized almonds and hazelnuts. A coarse nut butter lacks the caramel backbone and leaves grit in a centre that should feel like frozen satin.
• •Metal is the best home mould because it freezes quickly and releases cleanly. A six-cup stainless-steel mixing bowl gives the correct rounded form if a bombe mould is not hiding in your cupboard.
• •The shell is deliberately thin. Any extra kirsch ice can be frozen separately, but do not bury the chocolate centre under it. Restraint is the technique here.
• •Serve with coffee or a small glass of kirsch. Fresh fruit and poured sauce only muddle the two flavours the bombe has worked so carefully to keep distinct.

Advance Preparation

• •The kirsch-ice base can be mixed and chilled up to 2 days ahead. Add the kirsch only after the syrup is cold, then keep it covered in the refrigerator until churning.
• •The completed bombe can be frozen up to 3 days ahead. Keep it tightly covered in its mould so the exposed base does not collect freezer aromas.
• •Unmould no more than 30 minutes before serving and return the bombe to the freezer on its platter. Move it to the refrigerator for 5 minutes before slicing if your freezer runs especially cold.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 135g)