Bombe Margot

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •1.2-liter metal bombe mould or stainless-steel bowl, about 18 cm wide
• •Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
• •Small heavy saucepan
• •Sugar thermometer or fast instant-read thermometer
• •Small offset spatula
• •Piping bag with a 12 mm open-star tip
• •Flat freezer-safe serving platter

Instructions

1. 1

   Ready the cold chain

   Clear a flat shelf in a freezer holding at or below −18°C. Freeze the 1.2-liter bombe mould, serving platter, offset spatula, and piping tip for 30 minutes. Divide the vanilla ice cream while firm: set aside 1¾ cups (420 ml / 385 g) for the almond lining and keep the remaining 1¼ cups (300 ml / 275 g) frozen solid for decorating. The book's cross-reference, Another Method of Preparing Aspics de Filets de Soles (No. 916), supplies only the principle called clothing the mould; no fish preparation or aspic ingredient enters Bombe Margot.

   Metal conducts cold quickly and releases cleanly. A stainless-steel bowl is a better home equivalent than glass, which is slower to freeze and dislikes sudden temperature changes.
2. 2

   Chemiser the mould

   Let the lining portion of vanilla ice cream stand just until a spoon can cut through it, usually 5 to 8 minutes. Beat a few spoonfuls into the almond praline paste until perfectly smooth, stir in the almond extract, then fold this mixture through the remaining lining ice cream. Spoon it into the frozen mould and chemiser, meaning line it, by pressing an even 1 to 1.5 cm coat over the bottom and sides with the frozen spatula. Hold the mould up to the light and patch every thin place, then freeze for at least 1 hour. If the lining slides or pulls away, it became too soft; freeze it for 10 minutes, press it back into place, and continue. Ça se rattrape.

   Keep the hollow generous enough for the pistachio filling. A thick almond wall looks impressive before cutting but leaves the bombe heavy and hides its centre.
3. 3

   Cook the syrup

   Put the sugar and 3 tablespoons (45 ml / 45 g) water in a small heavy saucepan. Stir over gentle heat only until the sugar dissolves, then stop stirring and boil to 118°C. If crystals form into a white crust, remove the pan from the heat and carefully add some or all of the reserved tablespoon of water. Cover for 30 seconds over low heat so the condensation washes down the sides, then uncover and cook again to 118°C. Ça se rattrape; scraping crystals into the syrup does not.

4. 4

   Build the pâte à bombe

   While the syrup cooks, whisk the yolks in a heatproof bowl until pale and slightly thickened. With the mixer running at medium speed, pour the 118°C syrup in a thin stream down the inside of the bowl, safely clear of the moving beaters. Increase the speed and whisk for 7 to 10 minutes, until the pâte à bombe is very thick, holds a ribbon, and has cooled to room temperature. If the bowl still feels warm, set it over ice and keep whisking; warm pâte à bombe melts the cream, and no amount of hopeful folding will restore the lost air.

5. 5

   Fold the pistachio filling

   Mix the pistachio paste and salt with one-quarter of the pâte à bombe until smooth, then fold that loosened mixture through the rest. Reserve 2 tablespoons (30 ml / 30 g) of the cold cream and whip the remainder to soft peaks that bend at their tips. If the cream turns grainy, whisk in the reserved liquid cream by hand until it smooths. Fold one-third of the whipped cream into the pistachio mixture to lighten it, then fold in the remainder with broad strokes until no white streaks remain. Keep the air. It is the difference between a silken frozen centre and a green brick.

6. 6

   Fill and freeze hard

   Check that the almond lining is completely hard. Spoon in the pistachio pâte à bombe, pressing it gently into the curve without gouging the shell, and level the exposed surface flush with the mould. Tap the mould once on a folded towel to settle any large air pocket, cover directly with parchment and then foil, and freeze for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight. This hard freeze is not waiting-room time; it is what lets the bombe leave its mould without the almond layer smearing.

7. 7

   Turn out cleanly

   Remove the parchment and place the frozen serving platter over the mould. Invert both together, then wrap the mould for 3 to 5 seconds in a towel wrung out in warm water. Lift the mould straight upward. If it resists, repeat with the warm towel for 2 seconds at a time rather than heating it longer. Should the almond surface soften or smear, smooth it with the frozen spatula and return the bombe to the freezer for 15 minutes. Never apologize at your own table. Fix it and carry on.

8. 8

   Pipe and serve

   Fit a chilled piping bag with a 12 mm open-star tip. Let the reserved vanilla ice cream soften for 5 minutes, beat it briefly with a cold spoon until pipeable but still firm, and load only half the bag at a time. Pipe close rows of rosettes or fluted shells over the dome, returning the unused ice cream to the freezer. Work quickly once the bombe is out; the piped shell melts as you go. If the ridges begin slumping, put both bag and bombe back in the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes, then resume. Freeze the decorated bombe for 30 minutes, temper it for 5 minutes before cutting, and slice with a hot, thoroughly dried knife. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Choose dense vanilla ice cream with real cream and as little incorporated air as possible. A very fluffy ice cream softens too quickly for piping and leaves the almond lining weak.
• •Almond praline paste is smooth and pourable, while marzipan is a firm confection. They aren't interchangeable here. If the paste has separated in its jar, stir it completely before measuring.
• •Use unsweetened pistachio paste made only from nuts. Its colour should be a quiet olive green, not the green of a billiard table; the flavour matters, not theatrical dye.
• •The freezer is part of the equipment. Set it to −18°C or colder, clear a level shelf, and limit door opening while each layer hardens.
• •For clean portions, dip a long knife in hot water and wipe it completely dry before every cut. Water left on the blade freezes against the bombe and tears the layers.

Advance Preparation

• •Chemiser the mould and make the pistachio filling the day before serving. Freeze the filled bombe overnight so the centre becomes completely firm.
• •The undecorated bombe keeps well for up to 3 days, tightly covered in its mould. Turn it out only when you are ready to pipe.
• •Pipe the vanilla decoration 1 to 4 hours before dinner and return the bombe to the freezer. Protect the piping with a large inverted bowl rather than pressing wrapping against it.
• •Move the bombe from freezer to table only after the plates and knife are ready. Five minutes of tempering is enough for clean slices without softening the decoration.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 160g)