Bombe Zamora

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •1½-quart (1.4-liter) metal bombe mould or deep stainless-steel bowl
• •Ice-cream machine
• •Stand mixer or electric hand mixer
• •Sugar thermometer
• •Fine-mesh sieve and paper coffee filters
• •Small offset spatula
• •Chilled serving platter

Instructions

1. 1

   Chill the mould

   Set a 1½-quart (1.4-liter) metal bombe mould or deep stainless-steel bowl in the freezer for at least 30 minutes. Chill the ice-cream machine according to its instructions, along with an offset spatula and a small container for the coffee ice reserved to close the bombe. Cold tools give you time to form an even shell before its surface begins to soften.

2. 2

   Infuse the coffee

   Combine 2½ cups water and 1 cup sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a full boil, stirring only until the sugar dissolves, then remove the pan from the heat and immediately stir in the ground coffee. Cover and infuse for 8 minutes. Pass the syrup first through a fine sieve and then through a damp paper coffee filter without pressing the grounds. Inspect the last spoonful against the light; if sediment has collected, filter the entire batch once more. Ça se rattrape. Chill the clear coffee syrup until thoroughly cold, about 2 hours.

   Pressing or wringing the grounds forces bitter oils and fine particles through the filter. Let gravity work, even if it takes several minutes.
3. 3

   Churn the coffee ice

   Churn the cold coffee syrup until it becomes dense and finely frozen, with the consistency of firm soft ice, usually 20 to 30 minutes. It must hold against a spatula without running. If it remains loose, transfer it to a shallow metal pan and freeze for 10 minutes, stirring once, then test it again.

4. 4

   Clothe the mould

   Clothe the mould using the principle named in Another Method of Preparing Aspics de Filets de Soles (No. 916), here applied only to coffee ice: nothing from the savoury aspic belongs in this dessert. Spread the coffee ice over the bottom and sides of the frozen mould in two thin passes, rotating the mould as you work, until the shell is even and about ½ inch (1.25 cm) thick. Hold it toward the light and patch every thin place. Reserve about 1 cup (240 ml / 240 g) coffee ice for the base, then freeze both the clothed mould and the reserve for 45 minutes. If the sides slump while you work, stop and freeze everything for 10 minutes before continuing.

5. 5

   Whip the pâte

   Place the yolks in the bowl of a mixer and begin whisking at medium speed. Boil the remaining ½ cup sugar with ¼ cup water without stirring until the syrup reaches 244°F (118°C). With the mixer running, pour the syrup in a narrow stream down the inside of the bowl, avoiding the whisk itself. Increase the speed and beat until the pâte à bombe is thick, pale, and cool enough that the bowl no longer feels warm, about 7 minutes. If syrup strikes the whisk and forms hard threads, stop pouring, set the bowl briefly over barely warm water, and whisk until they dissolve; then resume beating until cool.

6. 6

   Fold and fill

   Whisk the Curaçao into the cooled pâte à bombe. In a separate cold bowl, whip the cream to soft peaks, supple enough to fold without leaving lumps, then fold one-third into the pâte to lighten it. Fold in the remainder with broad strokes until no white streaks remain. If the yolk base is still warm, chill it for 10 minutes before adding the cream; warm pâte à bombe melts the shell, but a short chill rescues it. Spoon the filling into the frozen coffee shell, pressing gently into the curve so no air pockets remain, and stop ½ inch (1.25 cm) below the rim.

7. 7

   Seal and freeze

   Let the reserved coffee ice soften for a few minutes, just until spreadable, then cover the Curaçao filling completely and level it with the rim. Press reusable freezer wrap directly against the surface and cover the mould tightly. Freeze on a level shelf for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight. The Curaçao keeps the centre softer than the coffee shell, which is exactly the contrast the bombe needs.

8. 8

   Unmould and serve

   Chill the serving platter. Remove the covering, wipe the outside of the mould with a cloth dipped in hot water for 3 to 5 seconds, and invert it onto the platter. If it doesn't release, repeat with the warm cloth in short passes; don't soak the mould or the coffee shell will melt before the centre lets go. Should the surface soften, return the unmoulded bombe to the freezer for 10 minutes. Cut with a warm knife wiped dry between slices, revealing the dark coffee ring around the pale Curaçao centre. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Use medium-coarse coffee rather than espresso-fine grounds. Fine coffee clogs the filter and slips through it, while very coarse coffee gives the syrup too little fragrance during the short infusion.
• •Choose a dry, amber Curaçao with a clear orange-peel character. A heavily coloured liqueur changes the centre's pale appearance, and adding more than the measured amount can keep it from setting cleanly.
• •A traditional bombe mould is useful but not essential. A deep 1½-quart stainless-steel bowl freezes quickly and releases well; avoid thick glass, which responds slowly to the warm cloth and can make unmoulding clumsy.
• •The first slice is easiest after the bombe has stood in the refrigerator for 5 minutes. Use a warmed, completely dry knife so it passes through the coffee ice without dragging crumbs across the pale centre.

Advance Preparation

• •The strained coffee syrup can be made up to 2 days ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator. Churn it only when both the machine and mould are thoroughly cold.
• •Complete the bombe the day before serving and freeze it overnight. Once firmly frozen, it keeps for 3 days when tightly covered; longer storage dulls the coffee aroma and encourages coarse ice crystals.
• •The bombe may be unmoulded onto its chilled platter up to 30 minutes before dessert and returned to the freezer. Cover it loosely only after the surface has firmed again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 165g)